THICK + CHEWY DARK CHOCOLATE CHUNK + PISTACHIO COOKIES

So far on The Vivid Kitchen I've shared two cookie recipes that are very near and dear to my heart: 1) the always popular and uniquely-flavored salted toffee and brown sugar cookies and 2) the classic winning combo of white chocolate and macadamia nut. Today, I am giving you a cookie that is a re-creation of one  that I had while on vacation.

Like I've said before, a couple of summers ago Alex and I traveled to Prague for the first time ever. Our hotel was smack-dab in the heart of the city center and although it was VERY touristy, we were beyond excited to be so close to everything. One day when we were walking back to our hotel, I noticed the most charming looking café, largely due to the desserts (including perfect chocolate chip cookies) that were on display in the window. Alex and I went in without hesitation and ordered half a dozen of the cookies to take back with us to the hotel. When we got back, we realized that we were actually given all different kinds of cookies: some with cranberries, some with walnuts... but our favorite pairing by far was one with chunks of chocolate and crunchy bits of beautiful, green pistachios. 

Up until that glorious moment in Prague, I had never had pistachios in my cookies and so it completely blew my mind. After that day, we went back to the same bakery a couple of times just in order to get more of those cookies before our vacation was sadly over. When we got back home a week or so later, I immediately set out to recreate the "Prague cookies" that Alex and I fell in love with. I needed to keep the consistency similar because that aspect was very important as to why we loved it, and therefore the cookies needed to be very thick and very chewy. In order to get that amazing chewy and dense texture, this recipe calls for melted butter instead of room temperature, as well as an extra egg yolk. As for the thickness of the cookie, this comes from chilling the dough; chilling the dough for at least an hour ensures that the cookies won't spread as much as not chilling the dough at all. Cookie science!

The one difference between my cookies and the Prague café cookies is the amount of chocolate and pistachios added to the dough. Unlike the Prague cookies, where it was more dough-centric with sporadic bites of chocolate chips or pistachios, my cookies are filled to the brim with both. If I'm giving you a chocolate chunk and pistachio cookie, then by all means, that is exactly what you'll be getting in every single bite! 

When making chocolate chip cookies at home, I actually don't use chocolate chips but instead get the HUGE dark chocolate bars from Trader Joe's. This chocolate bar, weighing in roughly over a pound, is a staple in my refrigerator, and when I'm not breaking off pieces of it for dessert, I am saving it for cookies and other baked goods. I like using chocolate bars for the chocolate component in cookies because I get to chop it up into all different shapes and sizes, which leads to some interesting (re: delicious) pools of chocolate in the cookies. If you're forever a true fan of chocolate chips, then of course feel free to substitute for them here. But please make sure they are dark chocolate chips, or bittersweet! 

Thick and Chewy Dark Chocolate Chunk and Pistachio Cookies

Makes about 25-30 cookies

Recipe adapted from Cook's Illustrated

Ingredients

• 2 cups plus 2 tbsp. all-purpose flour

• 1/2 tsp. baking soda

• 1/2 tsp. salt

• 3/4 cup (12 tbsp., 6oz.) unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly

• 1 cup light or dark brown sugar, packed

• 1/2 cup granulated sugar

• 1 large egg

• 1 large egg yolk

• 2 tsp. vanilla extract

• 3/4 cup unsalted pistachios, toasted and roughly chopped

• 1 cup (about 8oz.) dark chocolate chunks

• Flaky sea salt, to finish (optional)

Directions

1. In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.

2. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or in a bowl large enough for a hand mixer, mix the melted butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar for about 2 minutes.

3. Add in the egg, egg yolk, and vanilla extract. Mix until incorporated. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.

4. All at once, add in the flour mixture and carefully mix on low speed for about 10 seconds before turning the speed up to medium until everything is combined. Do not over mix. Using a spatula, fold in the chocolate chunks and pistachios. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.

5. Preheat the oven to 325°F. Line a baking tray with parchment paper, and using a spoon or a cookie scoop, scoop out 1-2 tablespoons of dough for each cookie. Bake for 10-12 minutes. Finish cookies with a sprinkle of flaky sea salt if desired. Allow the cookies to sit on the tray for a couple of minutes before transferring to a cooling rack. Enjoy!

SALTED TOFFEE + BROWN SUGAR COOKIES

I remember a very dark period in my life when I didn't care for toffee. I know, I know it's crazy to think that there are people in this world who don't like toffee, but they exist, and I sadly used to be one of them! I don't remember when I switched over to the other side (re: the happier side) but I kind of have a feeling that these salted toffee and brown sugar cookies had something to do with it.

I'm a pretty simple person when it comes to cookies: any kind that has chocolate in it I will most likely eat and love until the end of time. And any other kind of cookie that doesn't have chocolate in it like a peanut butter or sugar cookie are perfectly adequate in my opinion, but I don't usually go gaga over them. 

But with these non-chocolate cookies, I can and will eat 5 in a sitting without even thinking twice about it. The toffee just melts in your mouth, the texture is so chewy and addicting, and the juxtaposition between the brown sugar/toffee combo and salty topping is perfect. Who needs chocolate when a cookie can deliver all of this?

So the next time you're at the grocery store and you find yourself in the baking aisle right near the chocolate chips (I find myself here more often than not), grab a bag or two of toffee bits, make sure you have a good supply of brown sugar, and for the love of God don't forget the precious flaky sea salt. I know I'm a bit zealous with my sprinkling of sea salt on baked goods (evidence #1 and evidence #2), but trust me on this one: you NEED the salt on top. 

Salted Toffee and Brown Sugar Cookies

Yields about 25-30 cookies, depending on size

Recipe adapted from Everyday Annie

Ingredients

• 2 cups all-purpose flour

• 2 tsp. baking soda

• 1/2 tsp. salt

• 1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon

• 1/4 tsp. ground ginger

• 3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks, 6oz.) unsalted butter, room temperature

• 1 1/4 cup brown sugar (any kind works)

• 1 large egg, room temperature

• 2 tsp. vanilla extract

• 1 cup toffee bits

• Flaky sea salt, to finish

Directions

1. In a bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and ginger. Set aside.

2. Using a hand mixer, or in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and brown sugar together until light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and add the egg and vanilla extract. Mix until combined and scrape the bowl again.

3. Add the dry ingredients to the stand mixer and mix on low until just combined. Fold in the toffee bits with a spatula. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate the dough for 30 minutes.

4. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a baking tray with parchment paper, and using a spoon or a cookie scoop (I use the medium size), scoop out 1.5-2 tablespoons of dough for each cookie.

5. Bake the cookies for 8-10 minutes, rotating the cookie sheet halfway through. The cookies are done when the edges are set and slightly browned, with the center still soft. Do not overbake! Once taken out of the oven, sprinkle with flaky sea salt and allow the cookies to sit on the pan for about 5 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack.

WHITE CHOCOLATE MACADAMIA NUT COOKIES

This past weekend, I celebrated the birth of a very special person in my life... MY DAD. Martin is the one who gave me my chin (ugh), my long legs (yay) and a very nice life filled with 100% of his support in all things I do. I don't want to embarrass him by praising him too much, BUT he is literally the hardest working person I know, will go above and beyond to help others out before he would even think to do something for himself, and makes me laugh every time I talk to him on the phone (every day). Also, he's responsible for introducing me to films that I would have never watched if it weren't for him (The Cabin Boy, Kung Pow: Enter the Fist, Bio Dome... and many other great, GREAT movies). 

On top of all of these amazing attributes, my dad really likes his sweets. Whenever I bring him something I baked, he'll usually give me a hard time about the dessert not being good or not wanting any of it, but before I know it he'll have eaten the whole thing and wants more. Typical dad stuff.

Since we celebrated my dad's birthday by going to a Dodgers game on Saturday and the Grand Prix on Sunday, I wanted to bake him something that was very travel-friendly and not going to sit in the car for hours. Enter these amazingly delicious white chocolate macadamia nut cookies.

White chocolate macadamia nut cookies (which I will refer to as WCMC from now on in order to keep my sanity) are often overlooked in the cookie world. Most people would probably name off at least five types of cookies on their list of favorites (chocolate chip, peanut butter, Oreos, etc.) before even thinking of WCMC. Maybe it's because white chocolate (which is technically not chocolate due to the lack of cocoa solids) isn't as popular among other types of chocolate, but in my eyes all chocolates are equal: I will eat and enjoy all of them equally. When combined with macadamia nuts, which also are delicious and very fragrant, you have a match made in cookie heaven. So with that said, these cookies are REALLY good and smell more amazing than any other cookies I've ever baked, I swear! WCMC need to be appreciated more, ok? Ok.

White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Cookies

Recipe adapted from Sally's Baking Addiction

Yields about 30 cookies

Ingredients

• 2 cups plus 2 tbsp. all-purpose flour

• 1/2 tsp. baking soda

• 1/2 tsp. salt

• 3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature

• 1 cup packed brown sugar, light or dark

• 1/2 cup white sugar

• 1 large egg, room temperature

• 1 large egg yolk, room temperature

• 2 tsp. vanilla extract

• 3/4 cup white chocolate chips

• 3/4 cup toasted macadamia nuts, chopped

• Flaky sea salt to finish (optional)

Directions

1. Whisk flour, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl and set aside.

2. Using a stand mixer with the paddle attachment or a hand mixer, cream the butter and sugars on medium speed until it is light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the egg, egg yolk, and vanilla extract to the bowl and mix again on medium speed until incorporated, about 1 minute. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.

3. With the stand mixer/hand mixer off, add the flour mixture all at once to the bowl and mix on low speed for 10 seconds, and then turn to medium and mix until incorporated. Don't over mix!

4. Fold in the chocolate chips and nuts with a spatula.

5. Cover with plastic wrap and let the dough sit in the fridge for at least 1 hour, or overnight if wanted.

6. After chilling, turn on the oven to 325°F. Using a spoon or a cookie scoop (I use the medium size version) scoop out about a tablespoon and a half to two tablespoons of dough onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Keep the dough cold in between batches.

7. Bake in the oven for about 10 to 12 minutes, or until the edges of the cookies are golden brown. The centers of the cookies will still look soft and puffy. Sprinkle with flaky sea salt if desired. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for a few minutes before transferring to a wire rack. Enjoy!