Chocolate Chunk Cookies

Servings: 36
Source: Fine Cooking No. 23 Best of Fine Cooking
Chopping your own chocolate into chunks gives the pieces a welcome lack of uniformity: some bites yield especially big “”chips.”

Ingredients
9½ oz (2 cup plus 2 Tbs.) unbleached all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
½ tsp table salt
½ lb (1 cup) unsalted butter, softened at room temp
¾ cup granulated sugar
¾ cup plus 2 Tbsp very firmly packed light brown sugar
2 lg eggs
½ tsp pure vanilla extract
9 oz bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
2½ oz milk chocolate, coarsely chopped

Directions
Position a rack in the center of the oven and heat the oven to 350ºF. In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, baking soda, and salt to blend. Using a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment (or in a large bowl with a hand mixer), beat the butter and sugars on medium speed until light and fluffy, 4 to 5 minutes. Scrape the bowl with a rubber spatula. Beat in the eggs and vanilla until thoroughly combined, about 2 minutes. Scrape the bowl again. With the mixer on low speed, slowly blend in the flour mixture until incorporated, about 30 seconds. Fold in the chopped chocolate with the spatula, making sure all the flour and butter are thoroughly combined.

Drop the dough by rounded tablespoonfuls about 3 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheets. Bake until the cookies are golden brown on the edges and slightly soft in the center, about 15 minutes. Let the cookies cool on the sheet for 1 minute before transferring them to a rack to cool.

The cookies can be stored in an airtight container for to three days.