Oh Boy, Treats!

Buddy and Maddie are so reliable. When we get home from work, they're always waiting, so happy to see us. They're so easy to please, just a few pats on the head, a little doggie talk, and they are on a wagging fest. Today, I made them treats.
I was on a roll so making cookies for the rest of the family was on the agenda. I've been itching to use a block of Scharffen Berger 62% cacao dark chocolate on a baked good and this is the perfect opportunity. On the SB website, they featured the best chocolate chip cookie, perfect for the ingredients I have on hand. Not owning a chipper, I wasn't too successful in turning the block of chocolate into small chips thus producing uneven chunks of deliciousness, but in the end, I think it worked out fine.


I also added toasted walnuts and whole dried tart cherries to the mix. The combination of the cherries and chocolate reminded me of a Cherry Garcia'esque cookie, very yummy!


My last tip is to not over bake these cookies. Keeping it under baked slightly lends to the chewiness of the cookie, and not so crispy although I must say, they were fabulous either way. Enjoy!

THE BEST CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES Adapted from the Scharffenberger website, the Baker's Dozen Cookie INGREDIENTS 2 cups all-purpose flour 1 teaspoon baking soda 1 teaspoon salt 12 tablespoons (1-1/2 ssticks) unsalted butter, softened 1 cup packed light or dark brown sugar 3/4 cup granulated sugar 2 large eggs, at room temperature 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1-1/4 cup semisweet chocolate chunks (approximately 8 ounces), try either our 62% Cacao Semisweet or our 70% Cacao Bittersweet 3/4 cup coarsely chopped toasted nuts (your favorite), optional PREPARATION Position racks in the center and top third of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees F. Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper. Sift the flour, baking soda, and salt into a medium bowl. Set aside. In the bowl of a heavy-duty stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter, brown sugar and granulated sugar on medium speed until well blended, about 2 minutes; scrape down the bowl. Beat the eggs and vanilla in a small bowl. Add to the butter mixture and blend well; scrape the bowl again. On low speed, add the flour mixture and beat until just mixed; scrape down the bowl. Add the chocolate and optional nuts and mix until incorporated into the dough. Drop rounded tablespoons of the dough onto the prepared sheets, spacing them about 2 inches apart. Bake, switching the position of the sheets from top to bottom and front to back halfway through baking, until the cookies are golden brown but the centers seem slightly underdone, about 13 minutes. Do not overbake or the cookies will be crisp throughout instead of chewy. Cool for a few minutes on the baking sheets, then transfer to wire cooling racks to cool completely. The cookies will crinkle as they cool. (Store at room temperature in airtight containers for up to 1 week.)