Chocolate Sea Salt Cookies

 

People of all ages love this modern take on the classic chocolate chip cookie. The overall nutritional profile of this anytime treat is boosted with the addition of whole grain flours and mineral salt. There is no "extra" salt in this recipe, however the type of salt is more pronounced in flavor, due to the natural minerals. Small bits of chocolate balances the toothsome texture with a sweet and salty finish.  
Also known as "Circles of Love".

 

1 1/4 cups all purpose unbleached flour

3/4 cup whole wheat pastry flour

1/4 cup whole wheat flour

1/4 cup graham flour

1 teaspoon baking soda
1 scant teaspoon Himalayan salt, fine pink

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 cup butter

3/4 cup Florida Crystals cane sugar

3/4 cup brown sugar

2 large eggs

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1 cup mini chocolate chips

1 cup nuts of your choice, optional

Bring all ingredients to room temperature before starting. Twenty minutes is generally a good amount of time - the butter needs only to yield to the pressure from one finger to be sufficiently softened.

Place baking rack in center of oven and preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Prepare standard sized cookie sheet by lining with parchment paper. Set aside.

In a medium mixing bowl, combine all flours, baking soda, salt and cinnamon, whisking briefly, and set aside.

 

Using a stand mixer, install the paddle attachment. Place butter and sugars in the mixing bowl, and turn speed to "medium". Cream the butter and sugars together until fully incorporated and slightly fluffy - this will take about four minutes.  To ensure even mixing, stop the mixer and scrape down the sides of the mixing bowl with a spatula at the two minute mark.

Turn speed on mixer down to "low" and add one egg. As the egg pulls away from the wall of the mixing bowl, stop the mixer and scrape down the sides of the bowl. Continue mixing on "low", allowing to fully incorporate. Repeat with the second egg.

Add vanilla extract.

Continuing to mix on speed "low", add 1 cup of the flour mixture at a time, briefly increasing and then decreasing the speed to fully incorporate the flour, without overworking the dough.  Turn off machine and scrape down the sides of mixing bowl. 

Turn speed on mixer to "stir", and pour in the chocolate chips, and optional nuts. This should only take about ten seconds. Remove bowl from mixer and stir the dough by hand with a spatula, until they are all evenly incorporated.

 

Using a #40 sized cookie scoop (1 2/3 tablespoons), or two spoons, place mounds of cookie dough on cookie sheet, with a couple of inches of space between them.

 Note: If the dough is very soft at this stage and does not retain its shaped when scooped,  refrigerate for fifteen minutes, or until slightly firm. This will help the cookie dough release from the cookie scoop or spoons more easily, and will help the cookies retain their shape while baking. A too-soft cookie dough will spread undesirably when baking, that much is guaranteed.

Flatten each scoop gently with your fingers to about 2/3 inch thick; there will now be about 1 inch of space between the cookies. A standard sized cookie sheet will hold one dozen cookies (3 cookies vertically x 4 cookies horizontally).

Bake for 6 minutes and rotate the pan. Check for doneness is 5 more minutes. 

If cookies still appear puffed and moist, continue to cook for at least another minute. They are technically finished after the cookies fall a bit, and the exterior of the dough looks dry.  You can continue to bake to desired darkness. When cooled, the lighter cookies will be brown around the edges with a soft and chewy center, and the darker will yield a more uniformly caramelized and crispy treat. (All shades are delicious, and I often cook each sheet pan differently, on purpose, knowing that people have different preferences.)

Store in an airtight container, or in the fridge for up to one week.

If you don't need all the cookies at once, you can flash freeze the unbaked dough. To do this, portion the dough onto a cookie sheet. There is no need to allow space in between them since you are not baking them. Freeze for an hour, or until they are solid. Then they can be transferred to a freezer bag to save room.

When ready to bake, bring to room temperature, generally about twenty minutes. Flatten each scoop gently with your fingers to about 2/3 inch thick and proceed with baking as directed.

 

Yield: Three+ dozen 

Revised from my original recipe published April 19, 2011