Greetings from Dublin!

Well, actually, I’m writing this on Friday while sitting at my kitchen counter in Massachusetts. But, ever the planner, I wanted it to be ready to just hit “publish” because on Saturday I’d be flying to Ireland and England for a trip with my mom!

So, as you read this, I am either at Guinness learning how to pull a pint, or, if you happen to be reading later in the week, hanging out with the wonderful Cate Laporte-Oshiro at Oxford, who I haven’t seen in far too long.

But anyways, the cookies.  Look at these melted pools of chocolate and try to tell me you don’t want to make them:My aunt Anne is always sending me recipes that she thinks I’ll like or that she’s made with my little cousins, who actually did a guest post awhile back. I’ve made a couple of them on here before, like the extremely addicting haystacks, and the rest live in a special folder in my email dedicated to things I definitely need to make when I get the chance.

This week, I had one of those elusive chances when I was trying to decide what to bring to a cookout with some friends from college. Nothing says cookout dessert like chocolate chip cookies, but I didn’t have the time to go through the process of the Best Chocolate Chip Cookies, and I wanted something a little more adult (as much as such things can be adult).

Thus, the addition of sea salt was a big draw for me. I am a sucker for salted chocolate anything, so why I never thought of adding it to chocolate chip cookies is beyond me.

Fortunately, Anne’s recipe came to mind and I decided to give it a shot. It’s quick, you probably have just about everything in your pantry anyways, and the payoff is huge.

First, beat the butter, granulated sugar, coconut sugar, and brown sugar on medium high speed in a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment for about 5 minutes, or until light and fluffy. If you don’t have coconut sugar and don’t want to go find it, don’t despair – just add some more of the granulated and brown sugars instead. The coconut sugar just gives it a little more texture.

Add the egg and vanilla and beat until incorporated. Beat in the baking soda and salt to combine. Add the flour and beat on low speed until just combined. If you leave some flour on the sides of the bowl for now, that’s ideal. Add the chopped chocolate and fold in with a rubber spatula until well incorporated. I used Green & Black’s 70% Dark Chocolate because it is one of my favorites to eat on its own, and therefore, I decided, would make an excellent chocolate for cookies.
Drop the dough by the rounded spoonful onto a parchment lined cookie sheet about an inch and a half apart. Sprinkle with sea salt flakes. Bake at 360°F (yes you read that right) for about 10 minutes or until edges are golden. Remove from oven and allow to cool on cookie sheet for five minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.Because of the little melted chocolate pools that result from using regular chocolate in baking, you really do want to let them cool and solidify before transferring to an airtight container. Or you could just eat them in their warm melty goodness.

Store them either at room temperature or in the fridge, depending on your preference. There’s something extra satisfying about a chilled chocolate chip cookie.

Enjoy!

Sea Salt Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
• 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 2 tablespoons coconut sugar
• 3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons brown sugar, packed
• 1 large egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
• heaped 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 3/4 cups flour
• 1/2 pound dark chocolate, cut into chunks
• flaky sea salt, for topping

Directions:

1. Beat butter, granulated sugar, coconut sugar, and brown sugar on medium-high speed of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment for about 5 minutes, until light and fluffy.
2. Beat in egg and vanilla extract to incorporate.
3. Beat in baking soda and salt to combine.
4. Stir in flour using low speed until just combined.
5. Using a rubber spatula, fold in chopped chocolate.
6. Drop by rounded spoonful onto a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Sprinkle with sea salt.
7. Bake at 360°F for 10 minutes or until golden around edges, soft in middle. Cool five minutes on baking sheet before transferring to wire rack to cool completely.