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Chocolate Chunky Cookies

Another recipe from Pinehurst Inn Bed & Breakfast in Bayfield, Wisconsin.

If you like Chunky candy bars, you will love these cookies. I was always a fan of Chunkies, even though I was not a fan of nuts, I think it was the raisins. In the last few years, I have learned to really enjoy nuts and I find myself incorporating them more and more in my cooking and baking. In trying to capture the Chunky bar in a cookie, I started with a triple chocolate cookie recipe, but soon learned that the chocolate was just too overpowering such that the flavor of the raisins and nuts was lost. I went through several batches that just did not accomplish what I was looking for. I then started playing around with a less intense chocolate cookie dough, then adding chocolate chips, raisins, and walnuts, until I found the flavor and texture I was looking for. In the cookies pictured, I used candied walnuts as we had some left over from the walnut, pear, bleu cheese salad (one of my favorite salads) we enjoyed the other day. Using candied walnuts gives the cookies more depth of flavor. You do not need to use candied walnuts in this recipe, toasted walnuts will work and be delicious.

Thank you for checking out this recipe. We hope you enjoy these cookies as much as we do and that they help you travel down memory lane when Chunky candy bars were displayed prominently at the grocery store check out lane. I think it is time for some cookies and milk–YUM!

Becky (and Mike)

Prep Time: 1 Hour
Cook Time: 11 Minutes
Total Time: 1 Hour and 11 Minutes
Servings: 36 cookies

Ingredients:

  • CANDIED WALNUTS:
  • 1 cup walnuts, rough chopped
  • 1 TBLSP butter, melted
  • 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 TBLSP brown sugar
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1/4 tsp cinnamon
  • pinch cayenne pepper, optional
  • COOKIE DOUGH:
  • 1 cup brown sugar
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 1/4 cups (2.5 sticks) butter, softened
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 TBLSP vanilla extract
  • 2 3/4 cups all purpose flour
  • 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 1 1/2 tsp baking soda
  • 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
  • 1 cup raisins

Instructions:

  1. For candied walnuts, mix melted butter and 1/2 tsp vanilla in medium bowl. Add walnuts and stir to coat walnuts in butter mixture. In small bowl, mix brown sugar, salt, cinnamon and cayenne pepper, then add to walnut mixture and stir to thoroughly coat walnuts with brown sugar mixture. Heat pan on stove using medium heat, add walnut mixture and stir until sugar melts and slightly caramelizes (about 5 minutes). Watch carefully so nuts do not burn. Remove from stove, stir, and let cool.

    For this recipe, you can simply use 1 cups of rough chopped toasted walnuts (or other favorite nuts). We prefer the candied walnuts (it adds to the depth of flavor), but either will result in a delicious cookie.

  2. For cookie dough, cream butter and sugars together in stand mixture fitted with paddle attachment until smooth (about 3 minutes), scraping sides as necessary. Add eggs one at a time, then add vanilla, and mix until well combined.

  3. In separate bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, salt, and baking powder. With mixer on low, add flour mixture in 3 batches, mixing in between each batch until combined. Add cooled candied walnuts, chocolate chips, and raisins and mix by hand just until incorporated. Chill dough for at least 30 minutes.

  4. While dough is chilling, preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line sheet pans with parchment paper (or a silpat). Using a cookie scoop or spoon, scoop about 1.5 TBLSP of dough, roll into ball and place on prepared pan. Place dough about 2 inches apart on pan. Bake at 350 for 9 to 11 minutes. Cool cookies on pan. It is now time to Enjoy!

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