Fat Tuesdays: Chocolate Chip Walnut Cookies are the Devil

Summer is quickly approaching. And that means one thing: time to get snatched!

For all of you who follow me on the Interwebs, you know that I've been putting in a lot of work at the gym. (I checked into The New York Sports Club five days last week! That's a record for me).

But the results are slow going. And it's all (well, maybe not all) because of this damn cookbook!

I purchased this cookbook two winters ago. It's full of homey, decadent comfort food recipes that make emotional eating a sincere pleasure. The blueberry pancake, oven-fried shrimp and sloppy Joe recipes are among my favorites.

But you see the little red bookmark peeking out of the book? That's home to my favorite recipe of them all: chocolate chip walnut cookies - and y'all know I LOVE a good cookie.

*Drools*

Let me tell y'all something about these here cookies.

*Pulls up a chair and stays a while*

They're chewy but not too mushy. Firm but not too crunchy. Sweet with just the right hint of saltiness. When picked up, they leave just the slightest trace of butter on the tip of your fingers. When you bite into them, the trail of a melted chocolate chip is bound to stream from your lips.

*Slides out chair*

And on days when I've had a rough day, feel like being greedy or cheating on my diet (or all of the above), nothing says loving like a tray of these babies in the oven.

Sure, I could easily run to the supermarket and grab a bag of light-skinned Oreos or the prepackaged oven-ready cookie dough and call it a day. But there's something about rolling up my sleeves and getting my hands dirty in the kitchen that makes the extra calories and the actual cookie eating experience all the more worthwhile - plus everything tastes better homemade!

Well, I don't get my hands too dirty. The mixer does most of the work.

But here's the problem: now is no time to be celebrating a cookie recipe!

It's May! Beach season is right. around. the. corner. The average homemade chocolate chip cookie is about 120 calories - and that doesn't include the walnuts. And you know if I'm going to go through all of the trouble to make these bad boys, I'm surely going to eat enough of them. (I typically scarf down 5 to 7 cookies in one sitting - you do the math).

Me caught eating a cookie when I shouldn't have been. #DietFail

So, since it ain't no fun if the homies can't have none, I'm sharing the recipe with you!

I know. I'm evil.

Here's what you'll need. Consider yourself warned!

What You'll Need

Walnut pieces, 1 cup
All-purpose flour, 2 1/4 cups
Baking soda, 1 teaspoon
Kosher salt, 1 teaspoon
Unsalted butter, 1 cup at room temperature
Granulated sugar, 2/3 cup
Light brown sugar, 2/3 cup firmly packed
Large eggs, 1 whole plus 1 yolk
Light corn syrup, honey or maple syrup, 2 tablespoons
Pure vanilla extract, 2 teaspoons
Semisweet chocolate, 12 ounces, chopped into 1/2-inch chunks (I use a bag of Ghirardelli chocolate chips instead).

What To Do -- Featuring Commentary from Moi


Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Spread the walnuts in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet. Place in the oven and toast, stirring occasionally, until they are fragrant and toasted, about 10 minutes. Let cool then coarsely chop.

Yeah. I don't do all that. I just buy walnuts already chopped up and mix 'em in the dough. But let's continue...

In a bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda, and salt. In another bowl, using a handheld mixer on medium-high speed, beat together the butter and the granulated and brown sugars until the mixture is light in texture, about 3 minutes. Beat in the whole egg and egg yolk, then the corn syrup and vanilla. Reduce the speed to low and gradually add the flour mixture, beating just until smooth and stopping to scrape down the bowl as needed.

This would be a really great time to munch on the dough. *Smacks Lips*


With a spoon, stir in the chopped chocolate and chopped walnuts, distributing them evenly throughout the dough. Cover and refrigerate until cold, at least 2 hours or up to 6 hours.


Please. If I'm making these cookies, that means I'm looking for a quick fix! I don't have time to be letting dough chill in the fridge for 6 hours. I typically throw them bad boys in the over right away. And if I'm not fiending TOO MUCH, I'll let 'em chill in the freezer for 10 minutes before I toss 'em in!


Position racks in the center and upper third of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Line 2 rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper. Drop rounded tablespoonfuls of the chilled dough onto the baking sheets, spacing them about 1 inch apart.


I don't round nothing! Nor do I measure out a tablespoon of dough. I just grab and drop.


Place 1 sheet on each oven rack and bake, switching the pans between the racks and rotating them 180 degrees halfway through backing, until the cookies are lightly browned, 8-10 minutes.


WHAT?! I didn't even know this part of the recipe existed until I typed it out for this post. Listen, just sit them cookies on the damn tray and let them sit in there until they look done. This recipe says, 8-10 minutes. I leave mine in more like 13-15 minutes. I like the edges a bit crunchy and the rest of the cookie chewy.


Let cool for 3 minutes on the baking sheets, then transfer to wire racks to cool slightly before serving.

Um. There's never a "transfer" of the cookies around these parts. Two and a half minutes later, I'm eating the cookies straight off of the tray.

Easy, right?

Try it out and tell me what you think!