Chocolate Chip Cookies with Sea Salt

Welcome to your monthly Love & Flour blog post. What used to be multiple blog posts per week and then one blog post per week and then one blog post every two weeks is now a random assortment of recipes I post whenever the fancy strikes. Funny how your priorities shift as time moves forward and your interests change.

I never for a minute take for granted my luxury of pursuing whatever those interests may be. From shooting pool (I’m terrible) to water color painting (I’m actually not half-bad) to, most recently, learning HTML and CSS (I’m back to terrible), I’ve always kept myself busy with side projects.

Sometimes that side project is also a blog. A blog that has connected me to people who I can now call friends and allowed me to participate in events I feel strongly about, like Cookies for Kids’ Cancer.

Cancer sucks. Cancer always sucks. It especially sucks when a young person has to fight that battle. In October, a month where we see a lot of pink for breast cancer awareness, let us also extend our attention to the kids and their families dealing with a disease no one should have to deal with and the ways we can help put an end to it.

In 2015, OXO will donate up to $100,000 to Cookies for Kids’ Cancer through product proceeds, bake sale matches, and other fundraising efforts. One of those other fundraising efforts is this blog post. OXO will be donating $100 to Cookies for Kids’ Cancer for each blog post dedicated to this campaign in October (up to the $100,000 commitment.) One chocolate chip cookie recipe  + one blog post = $100.

At face value, a chocolate chip cookie recipe is probably less than exciting. I have shared no less than seven chocolate chip cookies recipes here on this blog, and we all have our go-tos. Still, I lean towards thinking you can never have too many recipes for this classic.

What makes this recipe a little different than most is a bit of hazelnut extract, a dash of cinnamon, and a sprinkle of salt. As far as chocolate chip cookie recipes go, it is on the top of my list. And to help my cookies along, OXO generously sent me a non-stick half sheet pan, a medium cookie scoop, and a cookie spatula. (Thanks OXO!)

To help us all “bake a difference”, OXO is dedicating a portion of the proceeds of specially-marked baking products to benefit Cookies for Kids’ Cancer. Just look for the green sticker above when making a purchase. OXO will also match proceeds from registered bake sales as part of their $100,000 commitment. More details on how you can get involved are available at the Cookies for Kids’ Cancer website.

Cookies for Kids’ Cancer is a recognized 501c(3) public charity duly incorporated under the laws of the state of New Jersey. Your donations are tax deductible to the fullest extent allowable by law. 100% of proceeds raised by Cookies for Kids’ Cancer fund pediatric cancer research.

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Chocolate Chip Cookies with Sea Salt

Author slightly adapted from Sugar Rush by Johnny Iuzzini

Ingredients

• 1 cup (2 sticks) cold butter, diced
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 cup light brown sugar, packed
• 3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon hazelnut extract
• 1 large egg
• 2 large egg yolks
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 cup whole wheat flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 ground cinnamon
• 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 14 ounces (roughly 2 cups) bittersweet chocolate chips
• Maldon sea salt for garnish

Instructions

1. Beat the butter and sugars until a thick paste forms. You want to beat the mixture until no butter lumps are visible, so using a stand mixture helps here.
2. Reduce the mixer speed to low and add the vanilla and hazelnut extracts followed by the egg and then the egg yolks, one at a time, mixing well after each egg addition.
3. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flours, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and kosher salt.
4. Slowly add the the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients in the mixing bowl and mix until just combined.
5. Fold in the chocolate chips.
6. Scoop balls of cookie dough and place them approximately two inches apart on parchment-lined cookie sheets.
7. Use the bottom of a glass to slightly flatten the cookie dough balls and sprinkle them with the Maldon salt.
8. Bake for approximately 12 minutes until the cookies are just set and slightly browned.
9. Remove from the oven and allow to set for 10 minutes before transferring to a rack to cool completely.
10. Store the cookies in an airtight container. The cookies are best enjoyed within three days of baking.
11. parchment-lined baking sheets
12. Bake at 350 degrees F for

Notes

The original recipe calls for 1/4 teaspoon almond extract and 1 cup cake flour instead of the 1/4 teaspoon hazelnut extract and 1 cup whole wheat flour I use. If four dozen cookies is simply too many cookies to bake in one fell swoop, not to worry, the dough freezes great.