Amazingly Delicious Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ingredients:

These are some rocking chocolate chip cookies, and can easily be made by anyone. They don't seem like anything special, but I get rants and raves every time I make them, so here goes.

First off, the pictures I took involved me making a double batch, so the amounts written will not match the amounts shown. Also, I'm using a standing mixer, but you can use a hand mixer, or a whole lot of elbow grease.

Here's what you'll need:
1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature
1/2 cup (packed) golden brown sugar
1/3 cup sugar
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 2/3 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
14 ounces semisweet chocolate, coarsely chopped, or chips
1 cup coarsely chopped walnuts
Powdered sugar

Get your ingredients together. In one large bowl, mix your flour, salt, ginger, cinnamon and baking soda. In another large mixing bowl, or the bowl to your standing mixer, add your brown sugar, sugar and butter. If you don't let your butter get to room temperature naturally, you can always microwave it, making sure not to burn it at all. It shouldn't be so melty that it's translucent, but still yellow.

Step 1:

Brown sugar comes in two colors, dark and golden. It has to do with how much molasses is mixed in. When I say packed, that just means tapped down, so it's a full 1/2 cup. Mix your butter/sugars until they're light and fluffy.

Step 2:

Add your egg and vanilla.

Step 3:

Mix until well blended. Now, you need something to sift your flour mixture. I have an actual sifter, but that's unnecessary. You could also use a screen. So long as it gets sifted, and is well mixed. Add that to the mixture you've been blending.

Step 4:

Beat until well blended. At this point, it will look like cookie dough, and have the texture, if a bit runny. If you're using a standing mixer, switch to your hook attachment. If you're using a hand mixer, switch to a wooden spoon, and now it's time to add your chocolate and walnuts. Stir until well mixed.

When you are putting the chocolate in, you might think that 14 ounces is a misprint, because it seems like an awful lot. That's just because these are some really chocolatey cookies. I really like the use Ghiradelli, but it's not vital. I feel, though, that when making deserts, you shouldn't skimp on the chocolate, because you will be able to taste a difference. If it's after a candy-holiday, I even buy the bags of dove chocolates on sale for deserts. The quality difference makes up for having to unwrap each one.

Step 5:

Now, cover your dough and put in the fridge for about an hour. Before it comes out, turn your oven on to 350F, and place some parchment paper, (or wax paper if it's what you have) on two cookie sheets, and pour some powdered sugar out on a work surface. Take a tablespoon and get a generous scoop of dough, roll it into a ball and roll it around in the powdered sugar, and place on your baking sheet. Repeat until gone.

Step 6:

Cook for between 12-18 minutes, depending mostly on the size of your cookies. Don't cook them until they're hard, these cookies are best soft. They will seem too soft when you're pulling them out of the oven, and the surface will give when you press on it. Above all, watch that the bottoms don't burn. With the coating of sugar, they will burn quickly. I highly recommend using the top or upper-middle rack of your oven. Pull them out of the oven, and cool on a rack.

If you don't have a rack, just be sure to get them off of that hot cookie sheet, above all else. They'll harden a bit as they cool, too. They're best served warm, but so are all cookies. Enjoy!