soft-baked chocolate chip, nutella and walnut cookies.

To say that I'm obsessed with finding the perfect chocolate chip cookie might be off an accurate description by a valley's breadth.

I've tried so many variations, documented on this blog and otherwise, that I can hardly keep track. In fact, I can't remember all of the recipes I've tried before. I can't really recall which "secret ingredient" works best- cornstarch, corn syrup, bread flour...

Perhaps the only way to investigate the best formula for a go-to chocolate chip cookie recipe is to try all those ingredients again. This recipe, contains corn syrup. Like the name suggests, these are soft-baked versions and are rounded and puffy as opposed to their more butter-laden counterparts, which bake up flatter and crisper.

I like these because they are thick and almost slightly chewy. I could have retrieved the cookies from the oven a few minutes earlier if not for the fact that I forgot that coloration comes less easily to cookies of this kind. Because of the lesser amount of sugar in this recipe, it would be harder for the cookies to brown. Even waiting for the slightest shade of brown would send the cookies on their way into the perils of the overbaked realm. Put simply, I waited for the cookies to get too brown and they were a tad overbaked. The edges were a little dry but thankfully, the centres were still moist. Not quite gooey, but that could be achieved with faster reflexes- attack the cookies barely moments out of the oven.

I wanted to have nuggets of nutella suspended in the cookies like chocolate chips but I was overzealous in stirring the cookie dough and most of the nutella chunks blended into the dough. Deja vu much? To avoid this problem, pay careful attention to the special instructions in the recipe below.

Soft-Baked Chocolate Chip, Nutella and Walnut Cookies
adapted from Martha Stewart
makes 16 large-ish cookies

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup dark-brown sugar
1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
1/4 cup light corn syrup
2 large eggs
2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips
nutella, room temperature
1 cup chopped walnuts, toasted

Using a teaspoon, drop tiny blobs of nutella onto a lined baking sheet. Freeze until rock solid, about 30 minutes.

Whisk the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt together in a bowl.

Cream the butter, brown sugar and corn syrup until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs and vanilla extract. Stir in the flour mixture. Fold in the chocolate chips and toasted walnuts. Stir in the nutella chunks. Be careful not too work the dough too energetically or the nutella would blend into the dough. Portion out the dough onto a lined baking sheet and refrigerate overnight.

Preheat oven to 350F.

Bake cookies for about 10 to 12 minutes or until their surfaces no longer appear shiny.