Sylvia’s Heartbreakers: The Ultimate Chocolate Chip Walnut Cookie

There are over a hundred billion stars in our galaxy. Says Google, at least. After perusing chocolate chip cookie recipes on-line this week, I’m guessing there are about that many recipes for chocolate chip cookies. Minimum. So do I really need to burden the web with, yet, another one?

It depends. What’s your taste in cookies? The following list meets my criteria for a superb cookie. If you agree, there’s a valid reason for the following recipe to be added to the chocolate chip cookie stratosphere:

#1. The cookie is fat, not flat, with a crispy crust and unctuous, moist, almost cookie dough filling.

#2.) Cookie is packed with the texture and crunch of walnuts, and a lava flow of creamy, melted chocolate.

#3) Cookie is served warm; precisely 10 minutes out of the oven. (Don’t get me wrong–these cookies are still yummy days out of the oven, but the chocolate chips harden.)

My recipe calls for wrapping the cookie dough balls individually, and then freezing them. Therefore, you can bake off the cookies on an as need basis, enjoying them hot from the oven every time. Besides, the recipe only works when the cookies are baked in a partially frozen state–one hour out of the freezer. When baking from a thawed state, the cookie falls apart.

I spent hours last week developing, and then refining, this recipe for my next novel, “The Welcome Home Diner”. It’s a recipe that Samantha, one of the protagonists, created. She wanted her diner to have a signature confection that would be their calling card. Prior to the novel’s opening, she’d worked as a baker at Manhattan’s Levain Bakery, which inspired the following recipe.

Levain is an establishment known for their gigantic, scratch-made, stuff-of-dreams cookies. And there are hoards of food bloggers, such as myself, who’ve spent hours copycatting their masterpieces. I’m pretty sure I got it down. Honestly. As a side-note, one cookie easily serves two.

By the way, I’ve found the ultimate blog for those who love food-centric books. If you’ve read this far into my blog, it could very well have your name on it . It’s called, Ivory Owl Reviews Every week, Rhiannan reads a food-centric book, and then posts her review on Friday. This week she reviewed “The Promise Kitchen”. This is very exciting for me since Rhiannan lives in Atlanta, just like Mallory Lakes–my food-blogging protagonist.

Ivory Owl has also hosted a book give-away for “The Promise Kitchen” that ends on Friday. So check it out!

Recipe: Sylvia’s Heartbreakers: Chocolate Chip Walnut Cookies

Ingredients

2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1 cup cake flour
1 teaspoon kosher or sea salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 tablespoon corn starch
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, cool room temperature*
1/2 cup white granulated sugar
1 cup dark brown sugar
2 large eggs
2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
1 1/4 cups toasted chopped walnuts

Instructions

In a medium-sized mixing bowl, combine flours, salt, baking powder, baking soda and cornstarch. Whisk until ingredients are well incorporated and there are no lumps.
Cut butter into 1-inch pieces. In a stand-up mixer, cream butter and both sugars together and beat on medium-speed until well combined. Add eggs and beat for 2 to 3 minutes, or until the batter is combined. In ½ cup increments, add flour mixture to butter mixture, beating between each addition until well-combined into a batter.
With a spatula, scrape batter out of the bowl. With your hands, work the chocolate chips and walnuts evenly into the batter.
On a pastry table, dry work surface or cutting board, and using a large spoon or ice cream scoop, form twelve cookie dough balls. They should weigh about 4 ½ ounces each, and be of uniform size so that they will bake evenly.
Wrap each ball individually in wax paper, place the balls in an extra-large Ziplock or air tight container. Freeze until frozen, about 3 hours, and up to six weeks. Cookies may be baked off as desired.
When ready to bake, thaw 1 hour at room temperature. (Note that if the dough is rock frozen, the inside will be too gooey. If the dough is thawed, the cookie will crumble too easy after it is baked.)
Preheat oven to 375 (convection) degrees. Line large cookie sheet with parchment paper or Silpat. Bake on center rack of oven 22 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool on baking sheet 10 minutes. (This sitting time allows the chocolate to become creamy. For my palate, 10 minutes out of the oven is the best time to indulge in all of their warm heavenly goodness.)

* * Your finger is able to make a slight indention into the butter, but not much more.

Active time: 40 minutes

Freeze time: At least 2 hours and up to 6 weeks

Baking time: 22 minutes

Number of servings (yield): 1 dozen jumbo cookies

More Recipes Filed Under "All Desserts"

12 Responses to Sylvia’s Heartbreakers: The Ultimate Chocolate Chip Walnut Cookie

Julie says:

November 16, 2016 at 12:33 pm

Hi- I love your website and recipes! Just wanted to share a tip my Gran gave me years ago regarding cookies. Any cookie recipe, and absolutely chocolate chip varieties, tastes better with browned butter replacing softened butter. Also, if at all possible, use European style butter ( most grocery stores sell Kerrygold butter). It is richer and creamier and has a lower water content. To make up for that, I always add a tablespoon ( ish) of heavy cream or half and half to the dough after it is all mixed together.
Just my two cents worth of advice passed down from a lovely old woman ( RIP, Gran) from Belfast !!

Peggy says:

November 17, 2016 at 10:26 am

Julie–what awesome tips!!! I’ve been doing lots of “Gran” recipes lately, and I love your comments. Esp. since my ancestors were also from Belfast. I have the paperwork framed from when they took the ship over in the 1800’s. Next time I make these, I’m following your (er., Gran’s)
tips. Cheers! Peggy

Clemmie jackson says:

June 8, 2019 at 7:55 am

That cookie recipe oh my, if I was a baker, I would be making that.

- peggy lampman says:
  
  June 8, 2019 at 5:47 pm
  
  Hi Clemmie! The recipe is easier than you may think!
  
Rubyherrera says:

June 8, 2019 at 9:51 am

I was just like you so I went to culinary school and perfected my gift that has helped me so much. I enjoy the art of food in it’s eternal library palate. I have 6 kids.

- peggy lampman says:
  
  June 8, 2019 at 5:49 pm
  
  Hi Ruby! My favorite character I’ve ever written, Shelby Preston in THE PROMISE KITCHEN, sacrificed everything to have a chance to go to a culinary school. I sure bet those six kids of yours love hanging out with you in the kitchen! I love that turn of phrase–eternal library palate. Food is life!
  
sonya mcilvain says:

June 8, 2019 at 11:20 am

Great giveaway thanks for chance

- peggy lampman says:
  
  June 8, 2019 at 5:50 pm
  
  It’s my pleasure, Sonya!
  
peggy clayton says:

June 8, 2019 at 1:53 pm

Wow this is a wonderful blog and yes I did print out the recipe I am disabled and so my husband would be helping me make these. We make a great cheesecake on Sundays it is blueberry and we also make a potato salad the only problem is that we have taken these items to social settings and people have called us as they want us to make it for them and they would pay us. Of course we said no as he works and I can’t do it by myself my right hand if crippled that is also why I only read print. This is a cookie that sounds so good and would love to make it with my hubby!

- peggy lampman says:
  
  June 8, 2019 at 5:51 pm
  
  Hi other Peggy! I’m glad that you enjoy the blog. You and your hubby should start a little side business and sure hope you like these cookies!
  
Rita Pacchiana says:

June 8, 2019 at 4:36 pm

Hi so nice to meet you . Love the page

- peggy lampman says:
  
  June 8, 2019 at 5:52 pm
  
  It’s so nice to meet you, too, Rita, and I’m delighted to like this site!