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12/10/2020

~ Dark Chocolate Chip & Coconut Mounds Cookies ~

IMG_7829When it comes to Toll House cookies, aka, chocolate-chip cookies in general, there are two kinds of people:  those who add nuts and, those who do not.  I'm a nutty kinda gal.  My husband is not a nutty kinda guy.  There's more.  When it comes to Toll House cookies, aka, chocolate chip cookies in general, there are two kinds of people:  those who prefer milk chocolate, and those who prefer dark chocolate.  I'm more of a milk chocolate kinda gal.  My husband is a more of a dark chocolate kinda guy -- neither of us will turn either down though.  That said, we are both lovers of coconut, so, with or without nuts, we both go crazy for my Almond Joy and Mounds cookies.    

Who doesn't remember the Peter Paul Candy Company's 1970's TV jingle:  Sometimes you feel like a nut, sometimes you don't, Almond Joy's got nuts, Mounds don't.  Ok, if you weren't of the era, you don't remember it, but the rest of us do.  Besides the packaging (blue for Almond Joy bars and red for Mounds bars), there's another, and very important, difference between these two candy bars too:  Almond Joys bars are coated in milk chocolate, Mounds bars are coated in dark chocolate.  I mention this because all the Almond Joy Cookie recipes I've seen recently call for semi-sweet chocolate morsels -- this is just plain wrong.  A wrong I am here to right -- today.

IMG_7727Almond Joys = milk chocolate.  Mounds = dark chocolate.

IMG_7734Almond Joy cookie recipes contain milk chocolate chips.  Mounds cookie recipes contain dark chocolate chips.  Got it?

IMG_77732 1/4  cups + 2 tablespoons unbleached, all-purpose flour

1  teaspoon each:  baking powder, baking soda and salt

1  cup salted butter, at room temperature, very soft (2 sticks)

3/4  cup granulated sugar

3/4  cup firmly-packed dark brown sugar

2  teaspoons each: pure coconut extract, chocolate extract and vanilla extract

2  large eggs, preferably at room temperature

20  ounces Nestlē dark chocolate chips

5  ounces sweetened, flaked coconut

IMG_7782 IMG_7782 IMG_7782 IMG_7782 IMG_7795 IMG_7798 IMG_7803~Step 1.  In a small bowl, stir together the dry ingredients:  the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and, salt.  In a large bowl place the butter, both sugars, and both extracts.  On high-speed of hand-held electric mixer, beat until creamy, about 3 minutes.  Beat in the two eggs, about 1 minute.  Lower mixer speed, add the flour and gradually incorporate it into the mixture, until a smooth, sticky dough forms.

IMG_7780 IMG_7805 IMG_7810 IMG_7814 IMG_7816 IMG_7818 2 IMG_7824~Step 2.  Using a rubber spatula, fold in the dark chocolate chips, followed by the coconut.  Using a 1 1/2" ice-cream scoop as a measure, drop cookies, well-apart, onto each of 5, parchment-lined baking pans (15 per pan).

IMG_7826 IMG_7826~ Step 3.  Bake, one-pan-at-a-time on center rack of 325° oven, 11-12 minutes, until light-golden. Remove from oven and cool cookies on pan, about 2-3 minutes prior to using a small spatula to transfer to a wire cooling rack, to cool completely.

For those times when you don't feel like a nut -- go Mounds:

IMG_7842For those times when you feel like at nut -- be Joyful:

IMG_7742Dark Chocolate Chip & Coconut Mounds Cookies:  Recipe yields 6 dozen 2 1/2"-round cookies.

Special Equipment List: hand-held electric mixer; large rubber spatula; 5, 17 1/2" x 12 1/2" baking pans; parchment paper; 1 1/2" ice-cream scoop; wire cooling rack; small spatula

6a0120a8551282970b0263e96d7872200bCook's Note:  For lovers of dark chocolate, ~ My Nestle Toll House Sea Salt & Caramel Cookies ~, and, ~ My Nestle Toll House Sea, Salt, Carmel, Pecan Cookies ~, are examples of one cookie made two ways: with and without nuts. When it comes to Toll House cookies, aka, chocolate chip cookies in general, there are two kinds of people:  those who add nuts (usually pecans or walnuts), and, those who do not.  I'm a nutty kinda gal.  My husband is not a nutty kinda guy.

"We are all in this food world together." ~ Melanie Preschutti

(Recipe, Commentary and Photos courtesy of Melanie Preschutti/Copyright 2020)

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