My New Love: Whiskey Rye Chocolate Chip Cookies

Whiskey and rye chocolate chip cookies. Really don’t think this one needs an explanation. It just needs to be. In my mouth.
 
The benefits of this cookie are pretty obvious. But what makes it my new favorite thing to eat is really in the details. It calls for chocolate chunks – not chocolate chips. It actually says to use these wafer things and chop them up, but I found Scharffen Berger chocolate chunks and was like, let’s just keep those whole. These cookies are also topped with sea salt mixed with vanilla bean. I know that sounds high maintenance – and it is – but it does add a nice little lip-smack to the cookie. Sea salt and chocolate isn’t anything new, but the vanilla softens the contrast a little.
 
This recipe is for 16 cookies. That’s because they are big ass cookies. Nobody complained – that’s not really a thing to say this whiskey rye chocolate chip cookie is just TOO big – but should you need to serve these to a large group of people and want to avoid the injuries that would surely result from the fighting over them, make the dough balls smaller before putting them in the fridge – I think they could be halved. Just set yourself aside twice as many cookies. 

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​The natural choice for whiskey in this one would have been rye, but I had a nice big bottle of bourbon ready to cook with, so I went with that. It didn’t hurt. But just to be sure, I need to make these again trying different whiskies. Several times. I also doubled the whiskey and it didn’t overpower with whiskey flavor, so this one can stand to have the vanilla extract to whiskey ration played with. 
 
This recipe is thanks to Bon Appetit. They had it in a Super Bowl slideshow of recipes, but I find it more appropriate for Valentine’s Day. Because I am in love with these cookies.
 
Ingredients: modified from Bon Appetit

• 1 ½ cups chocolate chunks
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• ½ cup rye flour
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• 1 ½ teaspoon salt
• ¾ cup plus 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
• ¾ cup dark brown sugar
• ¾ cup granulated sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 ½ teaspoon bourbon
• 1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise
• 1 teaspoon flaky sea salt

 
Instructions:

• Whisk all-purpose flour, rye flour, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl.
• Using an electric mixer on medium speed, beat butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar in a large bowl, scraping down sides of bowl as needed, until light and fluffy, 3–4 minutes. Add egg, vanilla, and bourbon and beat until fully incorporated, about 1 minute. Reduce speed to low and slowly add dry ingredients, mixing just to blend. Fold in chocolate chunks.
• Portion dough into 16 balls (about ¼ cup each) and transfer to a rimmed sheet as you go. Wrap tightly with plastic wrap and chill at least 3 hours or up to 1 day. (Suggestion here to make these smaller)
• Position rack in middle of oven and preheat to 350°. Scrape vanilla seeds into sea salt in a small bowl and mix to combine.
• Divide dough balls between 2 parchment-lined baking sheets, spacing 3" apart. Flatten each ball to about ¾" thick and sprinkle with vanilla salt. Bake cookies, rotating sheets halfway through, until golden brown around the edges, 14–18 minutes (cookies will firm up as they cool). Let cool slightly on baking sheets, then transfer to wire racks and let cool completely.

 

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