Chewy Cornmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

You say it's National Chocolate Chip Cookie Day?! My plan was to post these cookies before I even found out about the holiday. Let's call it foodies' intuition...

After last Monday's optimism, the week turned out unexpectedly overcast and rainy off-and-on. So when last Tuesday's "homemade dinner" date night with Boyfriend came around, the menu included something ooey-gooey-carby that I'd like to call Old Bay shrimp macaroni and cheese. HOLY MOLEY. The dish lived up to my expectations and imagination--and I'd gladly make this every week, if only there was an automated shrimp de-veining tool on the market. That task is way too tedious!

For dessert (how could we possibly have room for dessert?!), I baked a few of these chewy cornmeal chocolate chip cookies from some reserved dough in my freezer.

Yes, chewy chocolate chip cookies with cornmeal. 



I'm going to let you in on a little personal aspiration of mine: I want to bake cookies using only local ingredients. And maybe/probably do it professionally? My dream is much bigger than local cookies (true calling = breakfast), but I figured I should start small. Small, like adding local cornmeal to an all-American cookie.

It happened...and they're good, like really good. The (local) butter, 2 types of chocolate, and a killer cookie recipe base also helped. The cornmeal doesn't affect the flavor; but man, does it add some t-e-x-t-u-r-e. It's a fun contrast to the the melt-y and smooth chocolate, and it actually seemed to subtly tone-down the overall cookie sweetness.



Do yourself a favor, and freeze half a dozen dough balls for later like I did. That way you can have these amazing cookies--freshly baked--whenever you want without dirtying a single bowl! (It's also perfect for when your significant other decides he wants dessert at 10:30PM and the kitchen's still a mess from dinner...too typical.)

I think these cookies are best the day after baking them. It allows the cornmeal to soften up a bit more. That being said, they are still wonderful fresh out of the oven...super soft, chewy, melty. Although, are you really surprised? A chocolate chip cookie is always a winner, hence: National Chocolate Chip Cookie Day.



Bake, dunk, eat, and be merry!

Chewy Cornmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

Adapted from this recipe

Servings: ~2 dozen

1 1/2 cup bread flour

1/2 cup, plus 2 tablespoons cornmeal

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

3/4 cup butter (softened to room temperature)

1 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1 egg, plus 1 egg yoke

1/2 teaspoon vanilla butter & nut extract*

1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup milk chocolate, chopped
*If you choose to omit vanilla butter & nut extract, use a full 2 teaspoons of plain vanilla extract.

• Combine flour, cornmeal, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl and set aside. In the bowl of a standing mixer, cream together butter and sugars on high for 3-4 minutes (stopping to scrape down sides halfway through). Add in egg, yoke, and vanillas; and mix until incorporated. 

• Add dry ingredients and mix slowly to incorporate. You may want (need) to finish combining by hand with a wooden spoon. Lastly, stir in chocolate chips and chunks until scattered throughout the dough.

• Using a cookie dough scoop (or measurement tool of your choice), shape dough into balls and slightly flatten out the tops. Lay dough balls flat in a gallon ziplock bag and refrigerate overnight (12-24 hours). 

• When ready to bake, remove dough from fridge and preheat oven to 325 degrees. Evenly space cookies on baking sheet, lined with a non-stick mat or parchment, and bake for 8-10 minutes. The edges should be only slightly brown and center will look light and puffy. Allow cookies to cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes and then move to cooling rack to finish cooling. Store in an airtight container for up to 1 week.