Alison Roman is famous for her Chocolate Chunk Shortbread recipe, but before that she had a good chocolate chip cookie recipe that included powdered sugar and egg yolks. These are Salty Chocolate Chunk Cookies which get their name from the sprinkling of sea salt on top.
This recipe is kind of a hidden gem, and a great way to use up egg yolks if you happen to have a couple of spare ones around. The yolks plus the cornstarch in the powdered sugar help give the cookies a nice shape, while the baking powder & soda combo make the cookies crinkly and crunch out the outside with tender centers.
Best Type Chocolate
This is what I consider kind of a lean dough -- one that can hold up well to really melt-y high cocoa butter chocolate (chopped bars) or good quality chocolate wafers or Guittard Super Chips. Use whatever chocolate you like, but the type mentioned works better with this dough than regular semisweet chips.
Also, for the best tasting cookies, age the dough for 24 to 48 hours. It really improves the flavor. But even if you bake right away, the cookies will still look nice.
A medium size scoop, you should get about 22 to 24 dough balls. Here's a picture of one of the pre-scooped balls to give you an idea of how much salt I use. But use however much you like
Recipe
Salty Chocolate Chunk Cookies
Ingredients
- 8 tablespoons butter, salted or unsalted, softened (114 grams)
- ½ cup granulated sugar (100 grams)
- ¼ cup powdered sugar (30 grams)
- ¾ cup light brown sugar (150 grams)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste
- 1 large egg, room temperature (50 grams)
- 2 large egg yolks
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour (195 grams)
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt (Morton)
- 2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
- flaky sea salt
Instructions
- These cookies taste much better when made with dough that's been chilled overnight. If you plan on baking a few right away, you can preheat the oven to 375F.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the butter and all three of the sugars for 3-4 minutes. Add the egg and the egg yolks and beat just until blended, scraping down the side of the bowl. Continue beating for another 3-4 minutes or until batter is very fluffy. Beat in vanilla.
- Mix together all of the dry ingredients, then add to the batter. Beat at one of the lower speeds until blended, then stir in the chocolate chips.
- On a plate lined with plastic wrap, foil or wax paper, drop medium size cookie scoops (or large tablespoons) of dough. Cover and refrigerate until cold, at least 2 hours but ideally a day or two. The longer you chill the dough, the browner your cookies will be.
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
- Arrange chilled balls of dough on parchment lined baking sheets (or just use one sheet and bake as many balls of dough as you plan to eat). You can bring them to room temperature of bake from cold. Sprinkle some sea salt on top before baking.
- Bake on center rack for about 12 minutes or until cookies are brown around the edges.
- Let cool for 3 minutes on the baking sheets, then transfer to wire racks to cool slightly before serving.
Michelle P. says
These look so good! A girl can never have too many chocolate chip cookie recipes!
Jennifer says
I baked these last night and they turned out really well. I used the Hershey's semisweet melts for the chips.
I never know how much salt to sprinkle on; I worry I'll make them too salty and tend to under-salt, I fear.
Sue says
Mmmmm. These look like a must try!
Tierney M. says
I made these this weekend (although I didn't add the extra salt) and I think I've found my new favorite CC cookie recipe. These were so easy and came out with perfectly crisp edges and chewy centers - the perfect cookie imho!
Thanks for the recipe.
Paula B. says
Eating these yummy delights right now. Recipe came together nicely - great dough. A little tricky on the baking time as I like to make a somewhat smaller cookie. Mine came out with dark bottoms while centers were not quite done. Tried a different pan and had better luck. Did rotate halfway through and took out at eight minutes. May try the rest of the dough tomorrow, baking at three fifty. Definitely, a flavorful cookie and am looking forward to trying them again soon with a variety of add-ins.
Katrina says
I made something earlier that had two egg whites. Haven't baked a GOOD treat for so long, I think I'll make these (for everyone else, of course, yes, you can weep for me now). jk
Paula B. says
Another believer in the soothing qualities of baking (and eating cookies). Now, when to squeeze in making these??? It is a long weekend for us and we do have that important game going on here in New England! I may make these right now..... thanks!
Anna says
Gloria, go for it! i put some frozen dough mounds in the freezer and plan to bake them later today. I suspect the dough that has been frozen and thawed will produce even prettier cookies.
Cookie Sleuth says
I must try this!
gloria says
I love cookies with cracks and bumps! These look great....maybe state fair material???
KAnn says
I noticed this recipe at Epicurious, too. It sounds like it is a winner!
Katrina says
Those do sound like good ones. They look great, too.
Kara D says
I just baked these cookies - http://www.annies-eats.com/2013/01/11/chocolate-chip-cookies-with-nutella-brown-butter-and-sea-salt/ - which are similar with the extra egg yolk. They're very delicious, too! I will have to try this Epicurious recipe soon. Your picture is definitely appealing!