Ina Garten’s Chocolate Chunk Cookies is an excellent, make-again cookie recipe with chocolate chunks and walnuts.
This recipe comes from Ina Garten’s Barefoot Contessa Parties cookbook. That cookbook is so old (2001), but it’s still one that I reach for once in a while when I’m entertaining. Ina’s Gorgonzola Sauce for roast beef tenderloin is pretty much the most amazing thing you’ll ever eat! It’s a bonus that this cookie recipe happens to be in the book. Ina Garten’s Chocolate Chunk Cookies are delicious!
Ina Garten’s Chocolate Chunk Cookies:
There isn’t actually anything magical in this cookie recipe that makes it stand out more than others. It’s just a good one. There’s a little more brown sugar than white, lots of vanilla extract and Ina asks you to use extra-large eggs (which I don’t always do).
The chunks of choice are semi-sweet chocolate chunks. You can certainly use any variety of chocolate. And chocolate chips work just fine. Adding chopped walnuts is optional. Chopped pecans would be good too!
Essentials needed for baking cookies:
- You need a cookie scoop! I like to keep this cookie scoop set on hand because you’re covered for all cookie sizes.
- I bake all of my cookies on sheet pans. They’ll last you forever, and you can cook other things on sheet pans like Sheet Pan Roasted Veggies and Sausage.
- Of course, you must also have a set of cooling racks that you can use for both cookies and cakes.
The lovely thing about cookies is that you can make them into whatever size you want. If you want smaller cookies, use a smaller scoop. If you want to make monstrous-sized cookies, that’s okay! In the original recipe for Ina Garten’s Chocolate Chunk Cookies, she asks you to use a small ice cream scoop for these cookies, but any scoop will do. The bake time will vary based on your size decision.
These cookies happen to be extra delicious when served warm and dipped in milk!
They are a soft and chewy cookie, rather than being hard and crisp (unless you bake them too long!) The walnuts provide some texture and crunch, if you use them.
How to freeze cookies:
Allow cookies to cool completely. For best results, freeze the cookies in a single layer. Then move them to a large freezer zip baggie and squeeze as much air as you can out of the baggie. Alternately, you can freeze them in a sealed, freezer-safe container. Cookies can be frozen up to six months.
Ina Garten is a pretty good authority for trusted recipes. Her chocolate chunk cookie recipe is repeated often at my house, and I love her chicken chili and Italian Wedding Soup too!
Ina Garten’s Chocolate Chunk Cookies
These are soft and chewy chocolate chunk cookies!
Recipe Details
Prep Time: 15 minutes mins
Cook Time: 15 minutes mins
Chill Time:: 1 hour hr
Total Time: 1 hour hr 30 minutes mins
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Keyword: chocolate chunk cookies, ina garten
Servings: 40 cookies
Calories: 161kcal
Author: RecipeGirl.com (shared from the Barefoot Contessa Parties! cookbook)
Ingredients
- 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 1 cup packed light brown sugar
- ½ cup granulated white sugar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 extra-large eggs, at room temperature
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1¼ cups semi-sweet chocolate chunks
- 1½ cups chopped walnuts (optional)
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper, or use silpat mats.
In a large bowl, use an electric mixer to cream the butter and two sugars together until light and fluffy. Add the vanilla, then the eggs, one at at time, and mix well.
Sift together the flour, baking soda, and salt and add to the bowl mixing on low speed, just until combined. Stir in the chocolate chunks (and walnuts, if using).
Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate until the dough is firm (1 to 2 hours or more).
Scoop out the dough by the heaping tablespoonful onto the prepared baking sheets, using a 1¾-inch-diameter ice cream scoop or a rounded tablespoon. Dampen your hands and flatten the dough slightly. Bake for 10 to 13 minutes (the cookies will seem underdone in the middle and lightly browned on the edges). Remove from the oven and let cool slightly on the pan, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Nutrition
Serving: 1cookie, Calories: 161kcal, Carbohydrates: 16g, Protein: 2g, Fat: 10g, Saturated Fat: 5g, Trans Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 23mg, Sodium: 92mg, Potassium: 70mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 10g, Vitamin A: 167IU, Vitamin C: 1mg, Calcium: 16mg, Iron: 1mg
