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A pinch of nutmeg and a sprinkling of salt amplify the butterscotchy flavor of chocolate chip cookies. while a blend of milk and dark chocolate chunks provide alternating bites of creamy sweetness and bitter intensity. You can bake the cookies until they're golden brown and crunchy, but I prefer to pull them while they're still a wee bit pale so they stay soft and fudgy, crisp only around the very edges. See photos on pages 28 and 33.

**BROWN BUTTER:** Ready for a total knockout? Up the butter to 10 ounces (2 1/4 sticks) and use 2 eggs. In a 2 quart stainless steel sauc jer, melt the butter over medium-low heat. Increase to medium and simmer, stirring with a heat-resistant spatula, while the butter hisses and pops. Continue cooking and stirring, scraping up any brown bits that form on the bottom of the pan, until butter is golden yellow and perfectly silent. Pour into the bowl of a stand mixer, mak- ing sure to scrape up all the toasty brown bits, and cool until semi-solid and opaque. Proceed with the recipe as directed, incorporating the second egg after the first.

**DOUBLE CHOCOLATE:** For soft cookies with a brownie-like chocolate intensity, reduce flour to 6 ounces (1 1/3 cups) and sift with 6 ounces (2 cups) Dutch-process cocoa powder, such as Cacao Barry Extra Brute. Prepare dough as directed, but flatten each portion into a 3/4-inch disc. Bake 8 minutes for small cookies, 10 min- utes for large.

**HOMEMADE FAMOUS AMOS:** Hypercrisp and crunchy, these bite-sized cookies get an extra layer of flavor and crunch from 4 ounces (1 cup) toasted pecans. Chop along with the choco- late, and proceed with the recipe as directed. Divide into 1 tablespoon (3/4 ounce) portions and bake until golden, about 15 minutes. Makes 64 cookies.

**MALTED MILK CHOCOLATE:** This variation is best with a blend of milk chocolates, one fairly Intense and the other a touch milky, such as a mix of Endangered Species 48% and Valrhona's 32% Dulcey. Increase white sugar to 14 ounces (2 cups) and omit brown sugar. Along with butter, add lounce (4 teaspoons) barley maltsyrup and 2 1/4 ounces (1/2 cup) malted milk powder.

**MAPLE WALNUT:** Toss 6 ounces (1 1/2 cups) toasted walnut pieces with the flour and choc olate. Increase white sugar to 10 1/2 ounces (1 1/2, cups) and omit brown sugar. Along with the butter, add 4 teaspoon ground cinnamon and 3 ounces (1/4 cup) grade B maple syrup. For either size cookie, bake about 2 minutes longer than directed.

**WHITE CHOCOLATE MACADAMIA NUT:** Reduce chocolate to 9 ounces (1 2/3 ccup) of your favorite white chocolate, mixed with 7 ounces (1 1/2 cups) lightly toasted macadamia nuts.

**GLUTEN-FREE:** Replace the all-purpose flour with 4 ounces (3/4 cup) white rice flour, 4 ounces (1 cup) oat flour, and 4 ounces (1 cup) teff flour.

Chopped Chocolate Chip Cookies

(14 ounces) roughly chopped mixed dark

(12 1/2 ounces) all-purpose flour

sticks (8 ounces) unsalted butter

packed cup (8 ounces) light brown sugar

(7 1/4 ounces) white sugar

Diamond Crystal kosher salt (half as much if iodized)

baking soda

baking powder

vanilla extract

grated nutmeg

large egg

Adjust oven rack to middle position and preheat to 350°F. Set a handful of chopped chocolate aside. Place remainder in a medium bowl, sift flour on top (if using cup measures, spoon flour into the cups and level with a knife before sifting), and toss to combine.

Combine butter, brown sugar, white sugar, salt, baking soda, baking pow- der, vanilla, and nutmeg in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Mix on low speed to moisten, then increase to medium and beat until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. With the mixer running, crack in the egg and continue beating until smooth. Reduce speed to low, add flour/chocolate, and mix to form a stiff dough.

Divide into thirty-two 1/2-ounce (2-tablespoon) portions or sixty-four 34-ounces (l-tablespoon) por- tions. Arrange on parchment-lined aluminum baking sheet, leaving 2 inches between them. Sprinkle with reserved chocolate and a pinch each of kosher salt. Bake until the cookies are puffed and pale gold around the edges but steamy in the middle, about 15 minutes for large, 12 minutes for small. Or, for crunchy cookies, continue baking until golden, 3 to 5 minutes more.

Cool on the baking sheets until set, about 5 minutes. Enjoy warm, or store in an airtight container for up to 2 days at room temperature.

Thirty two 3-inch Cookies Or Sixty-four 2-inch Cookies