Dark Chocolate, Pistachio, Smoked Sea Salt Cookies

When I was making the bacon chocolate chip cookies in my previous post, I decided to take advantage of the process and make these cookies as well. My friend Jenn sent me a link to Joythebaker's recipe, which served as inspiration. I'll giver her credit for the flavor combo, but I'll take credit for the cookie recipe :-)

These were my favorite of the two. They are deliciously sweet and savory!

2 1/8 cups of flour
1/2 teaspoon of salt
1/2 teaspoon of baking soda
12 Tablespoons of butter, melted and cooled slightly
1 cup of brown sugar
1/2 cup sugar
1 egg
1 egg yolk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup of dark chocolate chunks
1 1/2 cups chopped pistachio (shelled of course)
2 tsp of smoked sea salt (mine was alder wood smoked, but any kind will work)

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees and place the rack in the center of the oven.

In a microwave safe bowl, melt the butter and set aside to cool slightly. In the bowl of a mixer, place both of the sugars and butter. Mix on medium high speed until slightly lighter in color and well incorporated. Add the eggs and vanilla and stir to incorporate. Add the remaining dry ingredients (except the chocolate chunks) and blend well to incorporate. Remove your bowl from the mixer and fold in the chocolate chunks. **I buy the large bars of dark chocolate from Trader Joes and cut my own chunks from the bar.

Use a 1/4 cup measuring cup to scoop out the dough and place on an un greased cookie sheet. Sprinkle each cookie with a couple of pinches of the smoked salt and bake for 15-18 minutes.


******Please note that I have had reports of people making these regular chocolate chip cookies and having them go flat. Two things: Firstly, check your baking soda, it does go bad over time and can effect the rise of your cookie. Secondly, these cookies do best when you make them big. If you use less than a 1/4 cup of dough per cookie, you need to crank up the heat to 350 and start checking them for doneness at 10 minutes. The baking temperature and time noted above are designed for a larger cookie.

Bacon, Chocolate Chip Cookies...Yep you heard me.

In order to convince a couple of co-workers to get something fairly important taken care of, in a somewhat timely manner (meaning on my time line :-)), I bribed them with cookies. Of course in my desire to please, I asked what kind of cookie they would like. Since they are three men, one of them says "I don't care, something with bacon". Ah ha! A challenge? Yes please!

Everything's better with Bacon, even your owies!

I vacillated between a peanut butter/bacon cookie and this one, but eventually settled on the bacon chocolate chip. It received rave reviews (especially from the guys), and I have even adjusted my recipe below based on a few suggestions and my own opinions. Mine didn't have enough bacon :-)

2 1/8 cups of flour
1/2 teaspoon of salt
1/2 teaspoon of baking soda
12 Tablespoons of butter, melted and cooled slightly
1 cup of brown sugar
1/2 cup sugar
1 egg
1 egg yolk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup of dark chocolate chunks

1 lb of bacon

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees and place the rack in the center of the oven.

Chop the bacon into a semi small dice, and place in a frying pan over high heat. Fry until the bits are light golden brown (remember that once they are cooking in the dough, they will brown a bit more as well, so don't over do them). Remove from the pan and drain on a paper towel. Set aside until cool.

In a microwave safe bowl, melt the butter and set aside to cool slightly. In the bowl of a mixer, place both of the sugars and butter. Mix on medium high speed until slightly lighter in color and well incorporated. Add the eggs and vanilla and stir to incorporate. Add the remaining dry ingredients (except the chocolate chunks) and blend well to incorporate. Remove your bowl from the mixer and fold in the chocolate chunks. **I buy the large bars of dark chocolate from Trader Joes and cut my own chunks from the bar.

Use a 1/4 cup measuring cup to scoop out the dough and place on an un greased cookie sheet. Bake for 15-18 minutes.

******Please note that I have had reports of people making these regular chocolate chip cookies and having them go flat. Two things: Firstly, check your baking soda, it does go bad over time and can effect the rise of your cookie. Secondly, these cookies do best when you make them big. If you use less than a 1/4 cup of dough per cookie, you need to crank up the heat to 350 and start checking them for doneness at 10 minutes. The baking temperature and time noted above are designed for a larger cookie.

The best chocolate chip cookies EVER!

I love me some cookies!  I don't have a huge sweet tooth, but cookies are my weakness.  I have searched high and low for a chocolate chip cookie recipe that has just the right combination of chew and crisp, and this one hits the nail square on the head.  The increase amount of brown sugar aids in not only the rich flavor, but the chewy texture.  The melted butter is a surprise, and the first time I've seen it called for in a cookie recipe.  Whatever the purpose is, it works!

These were my dad's favorite cookies, and every time I make them, I smile at the success in finding a chocolate chip cookie recipe that truly made him happy :-)  Cookie cheers to you Dad!

Dad's favorite Chocolate Chip Cookies

2 1/8 cups of flour
1/2 teaspoon of salt
1/2 teaspoon of baking soda
12 Tablespoons of butter, melted and cooled slightly
1 cup of brown sugar
1/2 cup sugar
1 egg
1 egg yolk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1-2 cups of chocolate chips.

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees and place the rack in the center of the oven.

In a microwave safe bowl, melt the butter and set aside to cool slightly.  In the bowl of a mixer, place both of the sugars and butter.  Mix on medium high speed until slightly lighter in color and well incorporated.  Add the eggs and vanilla and stir to incorporate.  Add the remaining dry ingredients (except the chocolate chips) and blend well to incorporate.  Remove your bowl from the mixer and fold in the chocolate chips.

Use a 1/4 cup measuring cup to scoop out the dough and place on an un greased cookie sheet.  Bake for 15-18 minutes.

**Note: this is the perfect time to use your silpat baking mats as mentioned on the "tools" page.

Fun ideas:
Use one cup of chocolate chips and 1 cup nuts of your choice.
Use one cup of chocolate chips, 1/2 cup of toffee bits and 1/2 cup nuts of your choice.
Use one cup of chocolate chips, 1/2 cup of toffee bits, 1/2 cup of shredded coconut.
Use one cup of chocolate chips, 1/2 cup of caramel pieces and 1/2 cup of coconut.

Enjoy!