Salted Chocolate Chip Cookies

Sweets and treats are not my thing. I’m a savory, salty guy to the core. But with it being the holidays, I felt the need to do some baking. And if I was going to bake, I planned on finding a way to incorporate my favorite ingredient: salt.

Salted sweets are nothing new and seem to be the trending craze right now and maybe for a good reason. The sweet, combined with the crunch from the salt, is hard to beat. If you have a nice flaky fluer de sel, go that route. It will give the cookies a nice bite, but isn’t overly salty. And if you have any mini-sous chefs running around, this is the perfect energy zapping recipe. Put the stand mixer away and get out the old spatula and whisk. And make sure you have copious amounts of milk ready when the timer on the oven goes off.

The Goods:

• 4 ounces (yes, a whole stick) salted butter, at room temperature. If using unsalted, add 1/2 teaspoon of salt to the mix.
• 1/3 cup packed dark or light brown sugar
• 1/3 cup maple sugar
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1 large egg, at room temperature
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 1/3 cup  flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon flaky sea salt or kosher salt for topping
• 1 1/3 cups coarsely chopped bittersweet or semisweet chocolate

The Steps:

1. In the bowl, beat the butter and sugar just until smooth and creamy.
2. Beat in the egg and the vanilla.
3. In a small bowl or measuring cup, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt (if using unsalted butter).
4. Stir the flour mixture into the beaten butter until combined, then mix in the chopped chocolate.
5. To bake the cookies, preheat the oven to 350ºF. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.
6. Form the cookie dough into balls, slightly smaller than a golf ball. Place them evenly spaced apart on the baking sheets, and press down to flatten them.
7. Bake the cookies for 12 minutes or until tops of cookies are slightly brown.
8. Remove from oven, sprinkle with salt while still hot and let cookies cool.
9. Pour a big glass of milk and prepare for a cookie coma.