Chocolate Chip Cookies

Last March we took part in an online bake sale on The Tomato Tart to raise money for Japan. I really wanted to participate because it meant a lot to me, but I really don't bake. I decided to anyway and to my surprise my chocolate chips cookies raised $250! (That's right DG. Suck on that!) Since that really was a huge bid we wanted to do something special and Joey wanted to try his hand at making the cookies. We based our recipe on Bobby Flays, which is delicious, but both times we made them they came out a bit flat and crispy. After a few tries Joey came up with some additions that took these cookies from really good to amazing. That's right, he thought outside the box and took it to the next level!

You'll notice that this recipe calls for brown muscavado sugar. While you can use regular brown sugar, I would highly recommend you use the muscavado because it really adds something to the taste and texture and is the magic ingredient to these cookies.

Ingredients

• 2 cups plus 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 2 sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1/3 cup dark brown muscavado sugar
• 1/3 cup light brown muscavado sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 6 ounces Ghirardelli Chocolate 60% Cacao Bittersweet Baking Chips
• 6 ounces Ghirardelli Milk Chocolate Baking Chips
• 6 ounces Ghirardelli White Chocolate Baking Chips

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line baking sheet with parchment paper or silicon pads.
2. Whisk together the flour, salt and baking soda in a large bowl.
3. Place the butter in the bowl on an electric stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment and beat until smooth, about 1 minute. 
4. Add the sugars and continue mixing, scraping down the sides and bottom of the bowl until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes longer. 
5. Add the eggs, 1 at a time, and the vanilla extract, beating until incorporated.
6. Add half of the flour and mix until just incorporated. 
7. Add the remaining flour, again mixing until just combined. 
8. Remove the bowl from the stand and fold in the chocolate chunks.
9. Using a small ice cream scoop, spoon the dough onto a baking sheet, leaving at least 2 inches between each cookie and bake on the middle rack until the cookies are lightly golden brown and still soft in the middle, about 14 minutes. 
10. Let cookies rest for 2 minutes on the baking sheet before removing them to a baking rack with a wide metal spatula. 
11. Let the cookies cool on the baking rack for a few minutes before eating. 
12. Repeat with remaining dough.

I know this totally goes off our diet, but we are making them for our friend's baby shower and had to share the recipe. I had just two tonight. 7 delicious points and worth it!