Chocolate Chip Cookies

Chocolate Chip Cookies

    • 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened

    • 1/3 cup granulated sugar

    • 1/3 cup light brown sugar

    • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla

    • 1 egg

    • 1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour

    • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda

    • 1 teaspoon coarse Kosher salt, divided

    • 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

    • 1/4 teaspoon dried orange peel

    • 1 tablespoon crushed candied ginger (optional)

    • 1 cup bittersweet chocolate chips or chopped chocolate

With an electric mixer, beat the butter, sugars and vanilla until well combined, 1-2 minutes. Beat in the egg. In a separate bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, salt, nutmeg and orange peel. Stir into the batter until moistened. Stir in the candied ginger and chocolate chips.

Cover and refrigerate overnight.

Preheat the oven to 350. Shape rounded tablespoons of dough into balls and flatten slightly with your palm. Space two inches apart on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Sprinkle each with a tiny pinch of additional salt.

For very soft cookies, bake only for 7-8 minutes, just until pale golden and set around the edges, but still gooey in the middle. If you like, garnish the tops of the cookies with a few more chocolate chips. Let cool on the baking sheet for 2-3 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely until set, before storing.

Yields about 2 dozen cookies.