Recipe: One Pot Chocolate Chip Cookies

ONE POT CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES

"These cookies have a chewy, chocolaty inside and a sugary, slightly crisp outside. To guarantee their special texture, I use the same technique that keeps my fudge brownies moist: melting the butter in a saucepan. And there's only one pot to clean up. Friends of my children beg them to bring along these cookies whenever they head out on a road trip. They have been to Girl Scout campouts, ski weekends, family reunions, and even went along on an eighth grade field trip to Washington, D.C. They really get around. See the Big Cookies variation at the end of the recipe."

8 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 4 pieces
1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon table salt
1 large egg
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips - Feel free to substitute white chocolate or bittersweet chocolate chips.
1/2 cup coarsely chopped nuts (optional) - Walnuts or pecans are my favorite. No need to toast.

Position an oven rack on the middle rung. Heat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line 2 cookie sheets with parchment or nonstick baking liners (I like the Silpat).

Put the butter in a medium saucepan and set over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the butter is melted. Slide the pan from the heat and add the brown sugar and granulated sugar. Whisk until no lumps remain. Set aside to let cool, about 5 minutes.

In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, and salt. Whisk until well blended; set aside.

Once the butter mixture has cooled, add the egg and vanilla and whisk until blended. Pour in the flour mixture and stir with a rubber spatula until blended. Stir in the chocolate chips and the nuts, if using.

Using a small ice cream scoop (about 1 2/3 inches/4.25cm in diameter) or 2 tablespoons, drop scant 2 tablespoon mounds of the dough onto the prepared cookie sheets, arranging them about 1 1/2-inches apart. (May be frozen at this point.)*

Bake 1 sheet at a time (make sure to use a cooled sheet for the second batch) until the cookies are light golden around the edges and puffed, about 12 minutes. If these cookies are overbaked, they won't come out chewy. Transfer the cookie sheet to a rack to cool for about 10 minutes. Using a spatula, lift the cookies from the sheet onto a rack and let cool completely.

STORAGE:
Layer the baked and cooled cookies between parchment or waxed paper in an airtight container. They can be stored at room temperature for up to 5 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months. You don't even need to thaw them completely. They're just as delicious cold.

*TO FREEZE THE COOKIE DOUGH:
At this point, the loaded cookie sheets can be slipped into the freezer until the cookies are frozen, about 1 hour. Then transfer the cookies to heavy-duty freezer bags and freeze for up to 3 months. To bake, remove from the freezer, arrange on lined cookie
sheets, and leave on the counter to thaw slightly while the oven heats.

BIG COOKIES VARIATION (makes 10 cookies):
In general, my children Alex and Tierney like their cookies on the big side. To appease their ever growing appetites, I scoop up 1/4 cup portions of this cookie dough, arrange them about 3 inches apart on the prepared cookie sheets, and flatten the mounds slightly with lightly floured fingertips. Bake 1 sheet at a time until the cookies are light golden around the edges and puffed, about 13 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool as directed for the regular sized cookies.

Makes 26 cookies
Source: The Weekend Baker by Abigail Johnson Dodge