Chocolate Chip Cookies with White Chocolate and Dried Cherries

I made these cookies for a friend of ours whose mother passed last week. I was trying to come up with something to say how very sorry I was about her loss….but the words just wouldn’t come together. I mean…are there really any words?

The truth is, I’m not really good with words. I cook…I bake and that’s how I communicate how I feel towards my family… ‘I love you’, ‘I care about you’…. ‘I’m proud of you’…and ‘I’m sorry’. Then I knew the only way I could show how much I cared, was to bake.

Then I started thinking of myself…and my relationship with my mother growing up. She didn’t bake much, but when she did, it was special. She made just the basic things, and chocolate chip cookies were one of them. Strangely, I didn’t like chocolate as a child (gasp—I know…crazy considering I would move mountains just to have it) but she would always be sure to make a few of the chocolate chip cookies without the chocolate…just for me.

So when I think of ultimate comfort and memories with my own mother, I think of those really cherished moments I spent watching her bake….and the special cookies she would make just for me.

I sought out one of Dorie’s recipes, because I was sure it would be a hit. (PLUS- I'm in TWD and that book is ALWAYS on my counter! What would you expect???)

I even added my BEST ingredients: my cherished fleur de sel, good gourmet chocolate chips, white chocolate chips, dried cherries, powdered vanilla, and an extra splash of my homemade vanilla extract.

The end result? Amazing cookies. Hands down, one of my favorite chocolate chip cookies. Soft, chewy, and full of flavor. The Fleur de Sel makes them I think...but the rest of the ingredients aren't too shabby!!

So bake away….it shows you care ;)

“My Best Chocolate Chip Cookies”
Recipe derived from: “Baking From My Home to Yours” by Dorie Greenspan

Ingredients:
2 1/8 cups all purpose flour
1 ¼ teaspoon fleur de sel sea salt
¾ teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon vanilla powder
2 sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup sugar
2/3 cup light brown sugar, packed
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
2 eggs
12 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips
¾ cup white chocolate chips
½ cup dried cherries, chopped


Directions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees, line two baking sheets with silicone mats (use parchment if you don’t have silicone mats).

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, baking soda and vanilla powder. Set aside.

In a stand mixer with the paddle attachment (or hand mixer), beat butter until creamy. Add both sugars and beat on medium speed for about 3 minutes until fluffy. Add vanilla then eggs one at a time letting them fully incorporate after each addition. Put the mixer on low and gradually add the flour mixture just until it’s mixed in. Fold in the chocolate chips, white chocolate chips and dried cherries with a rubber spatula.

Using a cookie spoon or rounded tablespoon to form dough into little balls then place onto the cookie sheet. Space them about 2 inches apart. Bake about 10-12 minutes. Let the cookies cool down for about a minute then remove with a spatula and cool on a cooling rack. Be sure to cool the baking sheets in between batches!

For best results: Refrigerate the dough for an hour before baking. They seem to spread less.

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