Grandma Mala's Signature Chocolate Chip Cookies
My Grandma Mala's signature chocolate chip cookies are perfectly nutty, chocolatey, and somehow crumbly without being hard. There's a reason that Grandma Mala became low-key famous for these cookies within her vast social circle- in short, they're simply perfect. What makes them extra special is that the recipe, along with Grandma Mala, survived the Holocaust and now serves as a symbol of strength, resilience, and hope!
Equipment
- stand or hand mixer
- mortar and pestle for the walnuts (optional)
- baking sheet
Ingredients
- 4 eggs, at room temperature (this is important)
- 1½ cup granulated sugar
- 1 cup vegetable oil (I use avocado oil)
- 1½ cup matzah cake meal
- ¾ cup potato starch
- ½ cup walnuts, chopped or ground (I like a combination of the two, so I use a mortar and pestle)
- 5 oz chocolate chips (I like to use semisweet, but this is a personal preference)
- pinch kosher salt
Instructions
- Whip the eggs with a mixer (using a whisk attachment) on high for 3 minutes. Slowly add the sugar while the mixer is still running. Once the mixture has taken on a creamy consistency (takes about a minute), slowly add the oil while the mixer is still on. Run for another minute or so.
- Add the potato starch and cake meal, and mix (using a spatula attachment, not whisk) on low at first so the dry ingredients don't fly everywhere, then gradually increase the speed to medium.
- Once the dry ingredients are fully incorporated, stop the mixer and add the walnuts and chocolate chips. Mix on low until fully incorporated and well distributed.
- Put plastic wrap or beeswax wrap over the surface of the dough in the mixing bowl, and put into the refrigerator to chill for at least 30 minutes, ideally 4+ hours (I like to chill it overnight).
- Once chilled, preheat the oven to 350°F. Fill a drinking glass with ice water. Dip a dinner spoon into the ice water, then scoop out about a Tbsp of dough. Keeping it mounded, press the dough onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Dip the spoon into the ice water in between cookies, leaving about an inch between the dough mounds, and continue until the baking sheet is full. You will likely need two baking sheets to do the entire batch.
- I like to bake the two cookie sheets separately, otherwise the cookies on the bottom don't brown properly. Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until golden brown. Cool for 30 minutes (interestingly enough, these are the only cookies I know of that aren't better warm).