Dark Chocolate and Walnut Cookies

Growing up on an organic farm in PEI, Chef Adam Loo would run across the field to visit his nana, always wondering what freshly baked cookies she had tucked away in her tins. Chocolate chip was his favourite. This memory inspired a passion that would eventually lead to the creation of a signature version at his Ada Culinary Studio's Grab & Go in downtown Charlottetown. And yet, the question lingers: is it the rich aroma that draws cookie lovers in, or the irresistible taste that keeps them coming back?  Maybe it’s both—or maybe it’s something more: a taste of home, baked into every bite.

Source: Let Rise: Stories from a Small Town Cook by Chef Adam Loo  / Pownal Street Press

Yield: 14 to 18 cookies

Ingredients

• 1 cup salted butter
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 2/3 cup brown sugar (packed)
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 2 large eggs
• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 2 cups dark chocolate chips
• 2 1/2 cups walnuts

Directions:

1. Cream butter and both sugars in a mixer.
2. Add vanilla and eggs, fully incorporate.
3. Scrape bowl and mix.
4. Add the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Mix, but just slightly—do not overmix.
5. Add chocolate chips and walnuts and mix until just incorporated and flour is mixed in well.
6. Portion each cookie to desired size and back at 350°F until slightly browned, but still soft in the middle.