Whiskey and Rye Chocolate Chunk Cookies by Janie's Mill

Janie’s Light Rye and especially Dark Rye add deep, rich, spicy notes to anything, and are particularly wonderful in this chocolate chunk cookie recipe, adapted from a similar recipe in Bon Appetit. As with most chocolate chip cookies, these taste even better if you make them a day ahead of time and store the dough in an airtight container in the refrigerator. 

Yield: 16 large cookies

Ingredients:

• 1½ cups chocolate wafers (preferably 72% cacao), divided (you may also use chocolate chips if you don’t have wafers)

  2 cups Janie’s Mill All-purpose flour

  ½ cup Janie’s Mill Dark Rye flour

  ½ teaspoon baking soda

  1½ teaspoons kosher salt

  ¾ cup (1½ sticks) plus 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, room temperature

  1/2 cup dark brown sugar

  1/2 cup granulated sugar

  1 large egg

  1½ teaspoons vanilla extract

  1 Tablespoon Bourbon or Rye Whiskey (Our friends at Black Band Distillery in Peoria, IL make a terrific bourbon, as well as a rye whiskey, using organic grains from Janie’s Farm.)

  1 teaspoon flaky sea salt (optional)

Instructions:

1. Pulse half of the chocolate wafers in a food processor until pea-sized pieces form. [Omit this step if you are using chocolate chips.]

2. Whisk All-purpose flour, Rye flour, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl.

3. Using an electric mixer, beat butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar in a large bowl, scraping down sides of bowl as needed, until light and fluffy, 3–4 minutes. Add egg, vanilla, and bourbon and beat until fully incorporated, about 1 minute.

4. Reduce speed to low and slowly add dry ingredients, mixing just to blend. Fold in chopped chocolate and remaining chocolate wafers.

5. Make 16 balls of dough, about ¼ cup each, and transfer to a rimmed sheet. Wrap tightly with plastic wrap and chill at least 3 hours or up to 1 day.

6. Position rack in middle of oven and preheat to 350°.

7. Divide dough balls between 2 parchment-lined baking sheets, spacing 3" apart. Flatten each ball to about ¾" thick and sprinkle with sea salt.

8. Bake cookies, rotating sheets halfway through, until golden brown around the edges, 14–18 minutes (cookies will firm up as they cool).

9. Let cool slightly on baking sheets, then transfer to wire racks and let cool completely.