Chocolate Chip Walnut Cookies | Recipe

If you've been following along, you know that I often like to think of myself as a modern domestic goddess - one who deftly combines working, blogging, and whipping up a meal replete with delectable food photography all in one day. Whether or not this happens is another matter entirely, but, the point is I try. However, cooking has always been more my speed than baking. Cooking requires you to have tastebuds and a variety of chopping, stirring, and sauteing skills. Baking, on the other hand, is more of a precise science. A dash of salt here or cinnamon there, baking powder in lieu of baking soda, not enough butter or two much flour, all can lead to dessert disaster.

But not this time, folks! This time I got it right, and I am proud to say that everyone in my office finished these babies off within the day. I even made Charlie bring some to his work, which I wouldn't do unless I was confident they wouldn't kill anyone. Har har.

Click through to get the recipe for yourself - I promise I won't tell on you!

Ingredients:

8 ounces butter / 1 and 2/3 cup granulated sugar / 2 large eggs / 2 tsp vanilla extract / 1 and 1/2 tsp baking soda / 2 and 3/4 cup all purpose flour / 11.5-12 ounces (approx. 1 bag) semisweet chocolate chips / 3 cups chopped raw walnuts / 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper / 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Farenheit.

Make sure butter is softened (or melted in the microwave, if you're me) before you start. In a small to medium bowl, mix butter and sugar together until combined well.

In another small bowl, mix the eggs, vanilla extra, and baking soda together. Add eggs to butter and sugar mixture. Add cayenne pepper and nutmeg to taste, approximately 1/2 teaspoon each. Add just a dash of salt.

Transfer to large bowl. Gradually add flour until just combined with no lumps.

Add chocolate chips and walnuts. Stir until evenly combined.

Shape into 1-2" balls of dough and place evenly on a greased baking sheet. Approximately 12 will fit per average baking sheet.

Place 2 baking sheets in the oven and bake for approximately 8 minutes. Switch the sheets on the racks and bake for another 7-8 minutes until brown around edges and opaque in the middle.

Transfer to cooling rack and let sit before serving.

Baking notes:

If you want chewier-in-the-middle cookies, use 1 cup packed brown sugar and 2/3 cup granulated white sugar.

If you want less lumpy cookies, make sure to chop your walnuts instead of leaving them whole as I did here.

If you want to have any left over, only bring 2/3 of the batch to your office around the holidays.