DOUBLE CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES

Ever so often, I decide to bake cookies to share with the volunteers at Hillcrest Thrift Shop on Tuesdays when I work my shift at the register downstairs. I chose this recipe for Double Chocolate Chip Cookies because it said it makes 3 dozen cookies. Well, I made 5 dozen cookies. I took 3 to the shop and kept 2 dozen in our cookie jar which I think pleased my husband. They are so good that they are very tempting for me though...too tempting. They were a big hit at the thrift shop which always makes me happy. I would hate to take them something that didn't turn out tasty.

I found the recipe in an interesting book I bought at an estate sale called As You Like It - recipes and photographs from the Williamstown Theatre Festival Family in Williamstown, MA. While I may not recognize all of the actors' names who contributed the recipes, I do enjoy looking at the pictures of different plays and the actors - many whom I do recognize. According to a not on this recipe, "This recipe won the grand prize in The Orchards' 1987 Chocolate Chip Cookie Contest. It was first published in Winning at the Table by the Junior League of Las Vegas and then appeared in The Search for the Perfect Chocolate Chip Cookie, by Gwen Steege, published by Storey Communications." 

The recipe was contributed to Chet Soling. Not familiar with his name, I decided to do a search on him and read his obituary from the New York Times. Chester Soling was an architect, real estate developer, and philanthropist and one of the things he did was build The Orchards hotel in Williamstown, MA. He died in 2010 at the age of 78. Reading that explained a little about the comment on the recipe.

The only change I would recommend is using more chocolate chips. I didn't have any semi-sweet chocolate chips and used 60% cacao chips, but quite a few cookies didn't have any chocolate chips in them.

DOUBLE CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES

1-3/4      cups flour
1/4          teaspoon baking soda
1              cup butter, softened
1              teaspoon vanilla extract
1              cup sugar
1/2          cup firmly packed dark brown sugar (I just used light brown sugar)
1              egg
1/3          cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2             tablespoons milk
1              cup chopped pecans or walnuts (I used walnuts)
6             ounces (1 cup) semisweet chocolate chips (I used 60% cacao chips.)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line cookie sheets with foil.

Combine the flour and baking soda and set aside.

Use an electric mixer to cream the butter.

Add the vanilla and sugars and

beat until fluffy.

Beat in the egg.

At low speed, beat in the cocoa and

then the milk.

(Scrape the sides of the bowl often.)

With a spoon, mix in the dry ingredients until

just blended.

Stir in the nuts and chocolate chips.

Drop the dough by rounded teaspoonfuls onto baking sheet. (I used my tablespoon cookie scoop.)

Bake for 12 - 13 minutes. Remove from the oven and cool 1 minute before

removing the cookies to cool on wire rack.

And be prepared for the bestest cookie ever.