Double Chocolate Cookies with PB Chips and Walnuts

Is there anyone in this world who doesn't appreciate a good chocolate chip cookie? If there is, I've never met them. There are few things in this world that can instantly boost your mood like biting into a warm, melty, fresh-from-the-oven chocolate chip cookie.

These cookies are chock full of good things. Two different kinds of chocolate chips, peanut butter chips, and toasted walnuts.  I am not ashamed to say that when I bit into the first one, I did a little happy dance around the kitchen island.

If you have any kind of love for chocolate chip cookies, you have to make these. Immediately. Or get someone who's easily manipulated a kind friend to make them for you.

Toasting the walnuts may seem like a bit of a bother, but it is so worth it. Toasting gives nuts a big flavor boost and a wonderful crunchiness. Definitely worth it.

 The original recipe used white chocolate chips, too, but I skipped them. I also used dark chocolate chips instead of semisweet.  Feel free to add white chocolate if you want to. They're your cookies!

It's practically impossible to resist the urge to eat some of this stuff raw. You probably shouldn't, though. Raw eggs and all that.

Double Chocolate and Walnut Cookies

adapted from One Sweet Cookie, by Tracey Zabar.

Ingredients:

2 sticks (8 ounces) unsalted butter, softened

1 cup granulated sugar

1 cup packed light brown sugar

2 large eggs

2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

3 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

quarter-teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 cups dark or semisweet chocolate chips

heaping 1/2 cup milk chocolate chips

1/2 cup white chocolate chips, optional

quarter-cup peanut butter chips, optional

three-quarters cup walnuts, roughly chopped.

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line baking sheet with parchment paper.

2. While oven is preheating, toast walnuts: Spread walnuts evenly on baking sheet. Place in preheating oven for 10 minutes, or until lightly toasted. Remove sheet from oven, remove walnuts from sheet, and set aside.

3. In the bowl of a stand mixer with paddle attachment (or by hand), cream together butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar until smooth and creamy. Beat in eggs, one at a time, then stir in vanilla. In separate bowl, combine flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Add flour mixture to batter, and mix until incorporated.

Four. With silicone spatula, fold in dark and milk chocolate chips, peanut butter and white chocolate chips if using, and toasted walnuts. Drop by large spoonfuls onto prepared baking sheet. Bake for about 10 minutes, or until the edges are nicely browned. Cool on wire racks.