Lucca's Chocolate Chip Cookies

July cookies, my birthday gift to you

My eldest and I love to bake together. Not long ago, we got the idea to come up with our own recipe for Chocolate Chip cookies. Now, you should know, I am lactose intolerant, and don't really care for sweets, so all of my recipes that have dairy in them are heavily critiqued by my boys (big and small). This recipe is a result of those comments on I can't even think how many attempts at the 'perfect' recipe.

If you feel so inclined, feel free to brown half the butter. Then just add it to the butter-sugar mixture prior to creaming, and continue with the recipe.

Also, the last time we made this recipe, I had the inspiration to scoop the dough into the balls, and then refrigerate them. You can place them all on one sheet, super close together. Then when you are ready to bake, preheat the oven, and set the chilled dough balls onto the lined baking sheets. So easy! No more wrestling with hard dough! It worked so well; I am always going to do this from now on.

Lucca's Chocolate chip cookies

40 cookies

Ingredients

2 3/4 cup (12 oz) flour

1 tsp soda

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

1 cup (8 oz) unsalted butter, softened (half browned or not, up to you)

1/2 c granulated sugar

1 cup dark brown sugar

1 tsp salt

2 tsp vanilla

2 eggs room temp

1/4 cup malted milk powder

1 1/4 cup bittersweet chocoltae chips

1 1/4 cup pecans, toasted and chopped

Flaky salt, optional

Directions

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together butter with sugars. Add eggs, salt and malted milk powder. Whisk for 30 seconds. Set aside for 2 minutes. Repeat whisking and resting twice. Add vanilla and mix well.

Meanwhile, during your rest periods, in a small bowl combine flour, baking powder and baking soda. Set aside.

Toast and chop nuts and measure chips. Set aside.

After your series of whisking and resting periods, add flour to the butter mixture, and using a rubber spatula, stir to combine. Once mostly combined, add nuts and chips. Stir well to combine. Cover and refrigerate for at least one hour; a longer rest is even better. (see note above for scooping prior to chilling, if you'd like a slightly easier scooping option).

When you are ready to bake the cookies, preheat oven to 375. Line baking pans with parchment. Scoop chilled dough onto pans using 2 T cookie scoop. Sprinkle each cookie with flaky salt, if desired. Bake 13 - 15 minutes or until lightly browned, rotating sheet in the middle of time. Remove from oven and cool on pans for 2 minutes. Then remove from pan and allow to cool completely. Enjoy!