A lifetime of testing and tasting qualifies me to say they are unequivocally the BEST chocolate chip cookies EVER. Crispy on the edges, chewy in the center, and salty sweet at the height of perfection!
When faced with choosing a recipe to start this blog project, this was an easy choice. This is the original cookie from the North End of Boston’s Volle Nolle Cafe, which had a cult following for it’s tiny space on Hanover Street. We were lucky to live in the North End for many years, and after moving out of the city, Volle Nolle was one of the places I missed most. The small cafe, owned by Tori Crowell, was a grab and go spot for me, and I went back for cookies as often as I could after we moved. One day, she offered me the recipe as I lamented my cookie commute – she grabbed a sharpie and in 4 seconds scribbled the ingredients on a sheet of parchment right on the counter. I carefully transported the precious paper home and immediately framed it – it sits on my counter to this day, making it easy to share with friends who often ask for the recipe. No eggs – it’s not a mistake. This also makes it a safe dough to eat raw…
The ingredients are straight forward and the key is the salt – that tablespoon in the batter helps, but I sprinkle Malden sea salt flakes on top of the dough before baking as well – it’s a texture thing on top of the flavor.
Sea Salt Chocolate Chip Cookies
Equipment
- Stand or hand held mixer.
Ingredients
- 3.5 sticks butter room temp
- 1 cup white sugar
- 1 cup brown sugar, packed
- 2 Tbsp Pure Vanilla Extract
- 4 Tbsp Heavy Cream
- 4 Tbsp Light Corn Syrup
- 3.5 cups AP flour
- 1 Tbsp Kosher Salt
- 1.5 tsp baking soda
- 24 oz chopped good dark chocolate
- 2 Tbsp Malden Sea Salt flakes
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees, and position two racks in the middle of the oven.
- Combine the first three ingredients in a stand mixture with paddle attachment. Mix well until smooth and creamy. Combine next three ingredients (cream through vanilla), then add to the butter and sugar, mixing thoroughly. Whisk dry ingredients in a bowl, then slowly add to the dough, mixing minimally until combined. Stir in the chocolate chunks by hand.
- Scoop cookies into 2 tbsp sized balls, sprinkle with malden sea salt and bake for 11-12 minutes. Tap the pans on the counter when done, to flatten the cookies a bit. Let cool and enjoy! Cookies will be best within a day, but will keep for several days in airtight container.