Here’s the recipe for chocolate chip cookies from my café in Sausalito, full of butter and vanilla and chocolate and white and brown sugar. Many considered them the world’s best.
Makes about 4 dozen 3 1/2-inch cookies or 10 dozen 2-inch cookies
- 6 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon baking soda
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 2 cups (4 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 2 cups sugar
- 2 cups packed light brown sugar
- 4 large eggs
- 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
- 2 cups chopped walnuts, toasted
- 4 cups semisweet chocolate chips or chopped semisweet chocolate
Preheat the oven to 375°F.
In a large bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, and salt.
In the large bowl of a stand mixer, cream together the butter, sugar, and brown sugar, beating until light and smooth. Add the eggs one at a time, beating until smooth after each addition. Add the vanilla. Gradually add the flour mixture and mix until just short of combined. With the mixer on medium-low, add the walnuts and chocolate chips, mixing until just combined.
For 3 1/2-inch cookies, form the dough into 1 1/4-inch balls. Place the balls about 5 inches apart on parchment-lined baking sheets and refrigerate for 15 minutes. Bake until slightly golden brown, about 18 minutes, turning halfway through. (For 2-inch cookies, form the dough into 1-tablespoon balls, place them about 3 inches apart on parchment-lined baking sheets, and refrigerate for 10 minutes. Bake for about 10 minutes, turning halfway through.) Remove to a rack and cool cookies on baking sheet for 10 minutes. Remove from baking sheet and thoroughly cool before storing in an airtight container.
