Ultimate Chocolate Chip Cookies

Wow! These are huge monster size cookies, thick, soft, and chewy.

Thanks to http://www.visionsofsugarplum.com/. I do believe we have ourselves a WINNER. What drew me to this recipe were her secret tips.

1. Brown the butter. *
2. Use coconut oil ( I didn't have coconut oil, I used vegetable oil instead).
3. Use yeast and baking soda for the leavening. *
4. Use flaky sea salt (I didn't have flaky sea salt, I used regular salt instead).
5. Use Ghiradelli bittersweet chocolate chips (I usually have Ghiradelli in my
pantry but I was all out. Instead I used Nestle).
6. Toast the walnuts (I didn't have walnuts, I used pecans instead).
7. Bake at a higher temperature - 375 degrees (I didn't).

* Well, it looks like I only did 2 out of 7 her secret tips. The cookies were divine as is. So it makes me wonder how much more spectacular they could have been. The only other thing I did change to her recipe was adding about 1/4 cup of butter flavored Crisco. I found the cookie dough to be dry and unable to form into cookie shapes.

Ingredients:
1/2 cup unsalted butter
2 & 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon active dry yeast
3/4 teaspoon flaky sea salt
1/4 cup coconut oil
3/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg
2 teaspoon vanilla extract (I used 1 teaspoon of vanilla and 1 teaspoon of coconut extract)
1 & 1/2 cups dark chocolate chips
3/4 cups coarsely chopped walnuts, toasted

Directions:
1. Melt butter in a small saucepan over medium heat; continue to cook the butter, whisking frequently, until it starts to brown and foam, about 2 to 3 minutes. Set aside.

2. In a medium sized mixing bowl, sift together flour and baking soda; stir in yeast and salt until combined.

3. In a large mixing bowl, using a mixer on medium speed, beat browned butter, coconut oil, brown sugar and granulated sugar until well combined and grainy, about 1 minute. Beat in egg and vanilla until well combined. Reduce mixer speed to low and gradually beat in flour mixture until just combined; stir in chocolate chips and walnuts with a wooden spoon, until combined. Chill dough in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.

4. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Generously butter a cookie sheet.

5. Drop 1/4 cup measures of dough onto cookie sheet, forming into large mounds, and bake for 12 to 14 minutes, or until golden. Cool for 2 minutes before transferring to wire racks.