*** White House Chocolate Cookies Chip ***
- makes about 70 cookies -

Molasses keeps the chocolate chip cookies chewey for more than a day. It also gives them a more intense brown sugar flavor than Toll House-type cookies. These cookies are baked @ 400 degrees for a good reason: high heat browns the outside while keeping the inside moist and almost gooey. Don't overbake these, or they will overbrown on the outside and dry out on the inside.

- 3 cups plus 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 2/3 cup packed light brown sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1/4 cup molasses
- 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
- 2 cups (one 12-ounce bag) chocolate chips
- 1 cup chopped walnuts

1) Combine the flour, baking soda, and salt in a medium mixing bowl.

2) In a separate bowl, cream together the butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar until thoroughly combined. Beat in the eggs, molasses, and vanilla. Stir in the flour mixture until just incorporated, then stir in the chocolate chips and walnuts. (I did this all by hand though the original recipe would instruct us to use the paddle attachment on an electric mixer. I assume the usage of the electric mixer stops when we are asked to incorporate the flour mixture.) Place the bowl in the refrigerator and allow the dough to chill for 1 hour. This allows for easier handling later.

3) Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Line several baking sheets with parchment paper.

4) Drop heaping tablespoons or #40 ice cream scoops of the dough 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheets, flattening them slightly by hand. (Ball of dough may be placed next to each other on parchment-lined baking sheets, frozen, transferred to zipper-lock plastic freezer bags, and stored in the freezer for up to 1 month. Place frozen cookies on prepared sheets as above, and defrost on the counter for 30 minutes before baking)

5) Bake until just light golden, 8 to 10 minutes. Cool the cookies for 5 minutes on the baking sheets before using a metal spatula to transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely. Chocolate Chip Cookies will keep in an airtight container for 2 to 3 days.