THE NEW YORK TIMES "BEST CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES," ADAPTED

I'm always up for a new chocolate chip cookie -- how about you? This recipe uses a little less butter along with some nut paste (hazelnut paste, peanut butter, etc.) Since I still have a bag of almond meal in the freezer, I thought I would use that for the nut paste.

I used Nestle Chocolatiers, 62% cacao bittersweet chocolate chips.  They are exquisite in this cookie, enhanced by a teaspoon of my "coffee essence*."

The cookies are big, fat, tender and flavorful. They are NOT crispy on the edges --and the crumb is too tight and dense to call it cakey, but it's not chewy and it's not the typical chocolate chip cookie crumb.  I think the almond meal drew too much moisture out of the other ingredients. I also used Ultragrain (30% whole wheat) flour, which may have affected the texture, even though it's not supposed to.

Not to worry. They're all gone. It was those 62% cacao chocolate chips. Who could resist them? I will try making these again with paste, not meal and regular all-purpose flour and report back to you. For now, while these were not the best, they were very, very enjoyable....burp.

"The Best Chocolate Chip Cookies"

Adapted from The New York Times

Rating: 8 out of 10

INGREDIENTS: 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter

1 cup sugar (I used 1/2 cup sugar + 1 Tbsp. Stevia)

1/2 cup light brown sugar

1/4 cup unsweetened hazelnut paste, peanut butter, or other nut butter (I used 1/4 cup almond meal)

2 large eggs

1 tsp. pure vanilla extract

1 tsp. coffee essence*(my addition)

2-1/3 cups flour (I used Ultragrain, which is 30% whole wheat)

1 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. sea salt

12 oz. bittersweet chocolate, chopped (I used Nestle Chocolatier Bittersweet chocolate chips)

1/2 cup chopped nuts (optional) (I used toasted chopped walnuts)

Heat oven to 375F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper. In bowl of electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream butter & sugars. (Note: I always make cookies by hand. The mixer has a way ofoverheating the dough, causing the cookies to rise in the oven, then fall when they cool. Mixing by hand ensures the cookie will stay fat after cooling.) Add nut paste, beating till smooth.  Beat in eggs, vanilla and coffee essence, scraping down the bowl as needed.

In another bowl, combine flour, baking soda and salt. Gradually add dry ingredients to butter mixture using low speed until the dough comes together. Stir in chocolate and nuts. Drop heaping tablespoons of dough 2" apart onto prepared cookie sheets, flattening them slightly by hand. Bake till lightly browned and toothpick returns with just a few crumbs after being inserted near center. Cool completely on wire rack. Yield: 4 dozen

(Note: I used my big ice cream scoop for 6 cookies, and my small ice cream scoop for 12 cookies. I preferred the big cookies -- they were more scone-like.)

*Coffee Essence: Combine equal parts of coffee brandy and instant coffee. Refrigerate till used. Use this as a flavoring in chocolate chip cookies, chocolate cakes and brownies and see the chocolate flavor come alive!