When it comes to cookies, you just can’t beat a rich, chocolate chip cookie. I love them just about any way, so long as they are either soft or chewy. Crunchy chocolate chip cookies are not welcome in my house. And although I do love a chocolate chip cookie in it’s purest form, I just can’t help but add all kinds of delicious goodies to make them even more special, especially around the holidays. These are a version of our favorite chocolate chip cookie, the tropical chocolate chip cookie. For these I added dried cherries, used dark chocolate, and added walnuts instead of almonds. They are beyond amazing.
I made a double batch of dough for these cookies. Half of the dough went in the freezer for later use, and the other half I made 3 dozen cookies for the first annual Great Food Blogger Cookie Swap. It’s a super fun even hosted by my two amazing and talented food blogger friends, Julie of The Little Kitchen & Lindsay of Love and Olive Oil. In the event each person send 1 dozen cookies to 3 separate recipients, and receives 3 surprise cookies from 3 different bloggers.
If you would like more information on how to participate in the Great Food Blogger Cookie Swap next year, click here for information
Yield: Serves 4
2 1/4 cups AP flour
1 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
2 sticks butter
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 cups dark chocolate chips
1/2 cup flake sweetened coconut
1/2 cup chopped dates
1/2 cup chopped chopped walnuts
1/2 cup chopped cherries
Cream butter and sugars in a stand mixer together until light in color. Add eggs and beat until light and fluffy. Sift flour, baking soda and salt together in a separate bowl. Add flour mixture to butter, eggs and sugar and beat until just combined. Add vanilla and mix until combined. Then add chocolate chips, dates, cherries, coconut and walnuts. Mix until just combined. For best results, refrigerate cookie dough for about 2 hours before baking.
Drop cookie dough by the tablespoon on cookie sheet and bake at 375 degrees for 10 minutes. Be sure to use parchment paper. After cookies have baked, let stand on cookie sheet 2 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack.
After cooling, store cookies in an airtight container.
