Chocolate chunk cookies are sweet, crispy and a super dunker
Kicking back with a homemade cookie while you sip a cup of coffee is a perfect way to relax.
It’s certainly one of the tastiest. Cookies with coffee — dunked or not — are an obvious pairing.
To enjoy this duo you can stop at an area café and order your favorites — “a caramel macchiato with extra cream, and a rich and buttery sugar cookie, please” — or you can make lots of great cookies at home.
We asked Karen Herrera, co-owner with her husband, George, of Sugar & Flour Bakery Café, for a recipe. Specializing in cookies, Sugar & Flour has been in business since 2009; it’s at 5721 Broad St. in Greendale.
She shared her recipe for chocolate chunk cookies, which is her favorite as well as a favorite of her customers. It’s always on the menu, while other cookies rotate on and off.
“This cookie is one we’ve had every day since we opened our bakery,” she said. “It’s a variation of my mother’s recipe, and it’s my all-time favorite chocolate chip cookie.”
For this cookie, as well as great cookies in general, she said good-quality, fresh ingredients make all the difference.
“The better and the fresher the ingredients, the better the final results,” she said.
For this recipe she uses a top brand of chocolate chips and makes chocolate chunks from Callebaut chocolate; she even makes sure the Rice Krispies that give this cookie its crispy texture are fresh.
The café was added in 2017. In addition to cookies — the main bakery item — they also make a small selection of breads and breakfast pastries, including muffins, scones and croissants. Breakfast and lunch, served from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m., focuses on eggs, sandwiches, salads and soups.
“Everything is made from scratch,” she said.
The café also makes decorated cookies for baby showers, birthdays, wedding showers and other parties.
In a very large bowl, cream butter and granulated sugar until fluffy.
Add eggs and vanilla, mixing until well incorporated and fluffy.
In a separate bowl, whisk flour, baking soda and salt together.
Gradually add dry ingredients to butter mixture and beat just until incorporated. Add chocolates and rice cereal and mix by hand until well-incorporated, but do not overmix.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Scoop scant 1⁄4-cup portions of dough onto parchment-lined cookie sheets, setting them about 2 inches apart. You will be able to get about 8 pieces of dough on each cookie sheet.
Bake in preheated oven 10 to 12 minutes or until light golden.
Remove from oven and let cool completely before removing to a wire rack.
Note: We use Callebaut brand of bittersweet chocolate, roughly chopped into 1⁄2-inch chunks.
Try This at Home brings the expertise of local chefs into your kitchen via a recipe, technique or tips. To suggest a chef or a restaurant or bakery recipe to feature, email Joanne Kempinger Demski at joanne.demski @jrn.com.