Chocolate Chip Cookies

I haven't made chocolate chip cookies since college. To be honest, I wasn't actually making them at that time either, because my friend Sarah, a genuine American, was usually in charge of baking them for a bunch of hungry people who - who knows why - would always manage to answer the call. Cookie calling, friend coming. It's the unwritten, always effective rule.

Still the same friend tought me that in order to fully enjoy the cookie, you have to grab one right out of the oven, when the chocolate is practically melted and the cookie is still warm and soft, put it in a glass, cover it with milk, stir and go. You can repeat the process with the second batch, and for those of you who have a strong stomach, even with the third or fourth. You know the deal.

And the same friend, who obviously knows what she's talking about, told me that another must-do of the Operation Cookie is making the dough and eat it raw by the spoonful. And this is such a popular habit that some famous ice-cream manufacturers, such as Haagen-Dazs or Ben & Jerry's, began selling a Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough flavour. It's like a star-and-stripe version of our Stracciatella.

This recipe comes once again from that place in Berkeley I already told you about, a mix between an artisan egg-pasta shop, a bakery and a coffe shop/breakfast place. It's slightly different from more traditional recipes because of the amount of nuts and the rolled oats, which give the cookies a characteristic texture and create the illusion of a healthy snack. Don't worry though, these are neither healthy nor light, especially if you eat the dough raw or if you melt them in a big glass of milk when they're still warm.


Chocolate Chip Cookies
for approximately 30 cookies

butter, at room temperature 225 gr.
sugar 160 gr.
brown sugar 160 gr.
vanilla extract 1 teaspoon
eggs 2
all-purpose flour 290 gr.
rolled oats 110 gr.
(of which 35 gr. need to be finely ground)
baking powder 1 teaspoon
pinch of salt
pecan 170 gr.
chocolate chips 350 gr.

Cream butter with sugar, brown sugar and vanilla extract. Add the eggs, one at a time. Sift flour with baking powder and add it to the dough. Add ground oats and salt and mix well. At the end, add the remaining rolled oats, chopped pecans and chocolate chips.
Refrigerate the dough until cold (you can also make it two or three days in advance).
Form small balls, a bit larger than a walnut shell, press them slightly between your hands, then place them about 2 inches apart on a baking sheet covered with parchment paper.
Bake the cookies at 380 for about 12-15 minutes, until they turn golden-brown. Right out of the oven, they will be very soft, but they turn crunchy once they cool down.