Big Chocolate Chip Cookies

Source: Reprinted with permission to recipegoldmine.com by Brittin Fisher, DNA Studio - "There's a Chef in My Soup" by Chef Emeril Lagasse

If you're a chocolate nut like me, these cookies are the way to go! They're chock-full of three different chocolate chips: semisweet chocolate, milk chocolate, and white chocolate! Oh yeah, baby-I bet you can't eat just one!

Yield: About twenty-seven 4-inch cookies

2 1/4 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup light brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 large egg, cracked into a small cup or saucer
1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup milk chocolate chips
1/2 cup white chocolate chips
1 cup chopped, toasted walnut pieces (optional)

Tools: Measuring cups and spoons, medium mixing bowl, electric mixer, rubber spatula, large spoon or plastic spatula, tablespoon, 3 nonstick baking sheets, plastic turner, wire racks

1. Heat the oven to 350 degrees F.

2. Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt into a medium bowl and set aside.

3. Place the butter, granulated sugar, and light brown sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer and cream the ingredients on high speed (page 24). Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula.

4. Add the vanilla and egg and mix on medium speed.

5. Add the flour mixture and mix on low speed just until batter is stiff-don't overdo it!

6. Turn off the mixer and, using a large spoon or plastic spatula, fold in the chocolate chips and the walnuts, if desired.

.7. Using a tablespoon, scoop about 2 spoonfuls of the dough into a ball and place on a baking sheet. Repeat with remaining dough, keeping the scoops about 2 inches apart. Using your fingers or the back of the spoon, press down on each ball of dough to slightly flatten. You should get about 9 cookies on each sheet.

8. Bake until golden brown, about 20 minutes. (Depending on the size of your oven, you may need to do this in batches.)

9. Using oven mitts or pot holders, remove the cookies from the oven and transfer with a plastic turner to wire racks to cool. Repeat with the remaining sheets, if necessary.

It's important that you try to make the cookies about the same size, so that they're all finished baking at the same time!

Be careful handling the hot baking sheets!