The Cookbook

White House Chocolate Chip Cookies

These cookies are the ones baked on an almost daily basis at the White House.

Makes about 70 cookies


Molasses keeps my chocolate chip cookies chewy for more than a day. It also gives them a more intense brown sugar flavor than Toll House-type cookies. I bake these cookies at 400 degrees for a good reason: High heat browns the outside while keeping the inside moist and almost gooey Don't overbake these, or they will overbrown on the outside and dry out the inside.


3 cups plus 3 T all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter
softened
1 cup granulated sugar
2/3 cup packed light brown sugar
2 large eggs
1/4 cup molasses
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
2 cups (one 12 oz. bag) chocolate chips
1 cup chopped walnuts



Combine the flour, baking soda, and salt in a medium mixing bowl.

In the bowl of an electric mixed fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together the butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar until thoroughly combined. Beat in the eggs, molasses, and vanilla, scraping down the sides of the bowl once or twice as necessary. Stir in the flour mixture until just incorporated. Then stir in the chocolate chips and walnuts. Place the bowl in the refrigerator and allow the dough to chill for 1 hour.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Line several baking sheets with parchment paper or Silpat pads.

Drop heaping tablespoons or #40 ice cream scoops of the dough 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheets, flattening them slightly by hand. (Balls of dough may be placed next to each other on parchment-lined baking sheets, frozen, transferred to sipper-lock plastic freezer bags, and stored in the freezer for up to 1 month. Place frozen cookies on prepared sheets as above, and defrost on the counter for 30 minutes before baking.)

Bake until just light golden, 8 to 10 minutes. Cool the cookies for 5 minutes on the baking sheets before using a metal spatula to transfer them to wire rack to cool completely. Chocolate Chip Cookies will keep in an airtight container for 2 to 3 days.

Jami