How long does it take to make cookies, start to finish?  Pruitt and I decided to challenge ourselves one night.  Our motivation: a half-baked order of cookies (pun intended) from a late-night cookie vendor that will go unnamed.  Instead of a dozen warm cookies, raw cookie dough conformed to the takeout box.  Not even we can avoid the temptation of door-to-door cookie delivery but we had been (figuratively) burned.  We were determined to prove we could finish a tasty batch faster than the delivery time.

We came up with this recipe on the spot, primarily to use up the cranberries in my pantry.  Unlike other cookie recipes, it’s not necessary to bring your butter to room temperature before whipping, though slicing the butter will make it easier to beat in the sugar.  Also, did I mention this is a SINGLE-BOWL RECIPE?!  It’s a great go-to cookie recipe since it’s easy to adjust or double.  If your mix-ins aren’t very sweet (e.g. toasted nuts, shell-covered chocolates, etc.), you can increase the amount of sugar.

So how long did it take us?  About 20-25 minutes for warm cookies, which beats subpar cookie delivery any day.

Do you have a go-to cookie recipe?  Tell us in the comments!

One-bowl Chocolate Chip Walnut Cookies
Yields: about two dozen (24) cookies

Ingredients:

1 stick unsalted butter (if cold, slice into 1cm pats)

2/3 cup brown sugar

1 egg

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 1/4 cup flour

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp ground nutmeg

1/2 tsp salt

1 cup chocolate chips

1 scant cup toasted walnuts, cooled and chopped

1/2 cup dried cranberries

Preheat oven to 375F. Set aside a cookie sheet with parchment paper or a silicon mat.

Add butter and sugar to the bowl of a stand mixer.  Using the paddle attachment, beat on medium until well combined and fluffy.  Scrape down the sides of the bowl and add the egg and vanilla extract.  Beat until well incorporated.
Drop in flour, salt, baking soda, and nutmeg.  Beat on low until small clumps of dough start to form but dry spots are still visible.  At this point, you can remove your bowl from the stand mixer.  Add chocolate chips, cranberries, and walnuts (or other mix-ins).  Fold in with a spatula or spoon until dry spots are gone and the mix-ins are distributed throughout the dough.

Using an ice-cream scoop (or spoons), shape dough into 1-1.5” mounds and arrange on cookie sheet, leaving about 1-2” around each mound.

Bake for 8-10 minutes, until edges are golden brown.  Remove cookies from the oven and let them rest on the cookie sheet for 3-5 minutes before placing them directly on a cooling rack.

Cookies will keep in an airtight container for 2-3 days.  Any leftover dough (ha!) can be kept in the fridge for 2-3 days.