I think we can all agree that the best part of staying at a DoubleTree is the chocolate chip cookies.

I mean, sure, vacation is great. But those gooey, delightful desserts—all chocolaty and warm after a long flight or road trip—are one of the greatest joys of traveling.

Except now, you don’t even have to travel to get one (well, you might have to embark on a journey from your couch to your kitchen). DoubleTree shared its secret recipe for those iconic cookies, and I had to test them and report back.

Before moving ahead, take a quick look at this cookie salad recipe perfect as a sweet side.

What Do I Need to Know About This Recipe?

I tested this recipe for my family and followed every last step right down to the fussiest detail—including the extremely difficult direction to “Let the cookies cool on the baking pan for 1 hour.”

1 hour?

That timer was TORTURE as the house was filled with the smell of golden brown buttery cookies with melted chocolate.

But was it worth it?

My husband was the first taste-tester. He took a bite and I asked what he thought as he was still chewing. He could only pause and hold his hand up, motioning that I needed to wait. He required a moment of silence while he ate that first cookie.

His verdict: “These are the best cookies I’ve had in a very long time.”

One bite and I heartily agreed. They may be the only chocolate chip cookies we bake from now on. Crispy on the outside, tender on the inside, with the perfect ratio of walnuts and chocolate chips, these cookies checked every box on our scorecard. If you’re running out of time and having guests over, then we’ve curated a list of the best store-bought chocolate chip cookies.

The Famous DoubleTree Cookie Recipe

This recipe makes 26 vacation-worthy cookies.

Ingredients

• 2 sticks butter, softened
• 3/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
• 3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1-1/4 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 2-1/4 cups flour
• 1/2 cup rolled oats
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• Pinch cinnamon
• 2-2/3 cups Nestle Toll House semisweet chocolate chips
• 1-3/4 cups chopped walnuts

Tools You’ll Need

Instructions

Step 1: Cream the butter and sugars

Cream butter, sugar and brown sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer on medium speed for about 2 minutes. Be sure to scrape the sides of the bowl so everything is incorporated.

Add eggs, vanilla and lemon juice, blending with mixer on low speed for 30 seconds, then medium speed for about 2 minutes, or until light and fluffy, scraping down bowl.

You may be tempted to skip the 1/4 teaspoon of lemon juice—but don’t! Lemon juice in cookies gives a tiny hit of acidic balance to the buttery richness and also helps the cookies to rise perfectly.

Step 2: Add the dry ingredients

With mixer on low speed, add flour, oats, baking soda, salt and cinnamon, blending for just about 45 seconds and then STOP as soon as the dough is just blended.

Add the chocolate chips and walnuts and let the mixer start the incorporation, but finish stirring by hand to ensure the cookies aren’t overmixed.

Step 3: Portion out the dough

Preheat oven to 300°F. Portion dough with a scoop (about 3 tablespoons) onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper about 2 inches apart. In a pinch, I used a 1/4 cup measuring cup to scoop the cookie dough and just filled it about 3/4 full for each cookie.

Step 4: Bake!

Bake for 20 to 23 minutes, or until edges are golden brown and center is still soft. Remove from oven and cool on baking sheet for about 1 hour.

We cheated and tried to test a cookie before the hour timer went off just to see what would happen. The cookies are so delicate when they first come out of the oven, it fell apart in our hands. But after they had a chance to cool, the cookie texture was flawless.

However, truly impatient cookie bakers might get away with a taste test somewhere after 30 minutes and still have a cookie hold together enough to pick up.

Also check out these different types of chocolate chip cookies you’re not baking (yet!)

Editor’s Tip: You can freeze the unbaked cookies. To bake, preheat oven to 300°F and place frozen cookies on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet about 2 inches apart. Bake until edges are golden brown and center is still soft.

DoubleTree Hotels for Bakers to Visit

Want to hit the road and try a DoubleTree cookie straight from the source? Here are sweet cities that bakers will love!

The post I Made the 35-Year-Old DoubleTree Cookie Recipe (It’s Still Good After All This Time) appeared first on Taste Recipes.

To taste the real deal, stop at several local spots on the Surry Sonker Trail and experience the many flavors of the Carolina sonker for yourself. No road trip in your future? Make this blueberry sonker recipe at home and you’re an hour away from blueberry heaven!

What Is Sonker?

Unlike fruit cobblers that have batter spooned in dollops over the filling, sonker recipes have a thick pancake-like batter poured over a hot, baked fruit base.

The heat from the fruit filling cooks the topping from below while the oven provides a gorgeous golden brown crunch on the top. The final result is a cross between a cake and a biscuit. Rumor has it that the name “sonker” comes from a Scottish word that means “saddle” and refers to how the smooth topping sits like a saddle over the baked fruit filling below.

Bakers from Surry County originally turned to these deep-dish fruit desserts to feed hungry farmhands because they were less fussy to make than pies and could be scaled up to serve a crowd. You can find sonker recipes made with apples, peaches, cherries and even sweet potatoes coming out of Southern ovens all year!

Learn more about the difference between cobblers, crisps, and crumbles.

North Carolina Sonker Recipe

This blueberry sonker recipe is inspired by the best sonkers on the Surry Sonker Trail. It makes 6 generous portions and is best served warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

Ingredients

For the filling:

• 6 cups (3 pints) fresh or frozen blueberries
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 cup water
• 3 tablespoons cornstarch

For the topping:

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup milk
• 8 tablespoons (1 stick) butter, melted
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Directions

Step 1: Prepare the filling

Preheat the oven to 350°F.

In a large mixing bowl, add the blueberries, sugar and salt. Give the berries a gentle stir to combine them evenly. If using frozen berries, there is no need to thaw them first, unless they’re all stuck together.

In a separate bowl, whisk together the water and cornstarch with a fork. Pour the mixture into the bowl of blueberries and gently toss to coat.

Step 2: Bake the filling

Pour the blueberry filling into a deep 8-inch square baking dish. Place the dish on a baking sheet lined with parchment to prevent the bubbling filling from creating a sticky oven spill.

Bake for 15 minutes for fresh berries and 30 minutes for frozen berries. Use a spatula to stir the filling, making sure to scrape the bottom of the dish. The cornstarch will begin to cling and you’ll want to combine it with the blueberries at the top of the mixture.

Smooth the filling back out into an even layer and bake for an additional 15 minutes for fresh berries and an additional 30 minutes for frozen berries. The filling should be hot and bubbling.

Step 3: Prepare the topping

While the blueberry filling is in the oven, prepare the sonker topping.

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon and salt.

Add the milk, melted butter and vanilla and whisk together until smooth. The mixture will look like thick pancake batter.

Step 4: Assemble the sonker

When the blueberry filling has finished its first bake, the fruit mixture should be hot and thick. Pour the sonker topping over the filling, starting at one corner and moving evenly over the surface. The batter will settle into place; there shouldn’t be any need to smooth it with your spatula. Be sure to scrape all the batter out of the bowl onto the filling.

Step 5: Bake for the last time

Bake the blueberry sonker for an additional 35-40 minutes or until the top is golden brown and a toothpick comes out clean when pricked in the center of the topping. You may wish to rotate the pan in the oven halfway through baking so that the top is evenly browned.

The sonker is best the day it’s baked. Serve warm with vanilla ice cream!

Blueberry Sonker Recipe Variations

Want to take your sonker up another notch? Try one of these fun variations.

• Add a dash of almond extract to the fruit filling before you bake it.
• Sprinkle in a few blackberries and raspberries for a triple berry sonker.
• Sprinkle a tablespoon of cinnamon sugar over the batter before baking for a sparkling crust.
• Serve with peach-flavored ice cream for an extra fruity treat.

The post North Carolina Sonker Is the Dessert Recipe You Haven’t Tried Yet appeared first on Taste Recipes.

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon canola oil
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 3 to 4 tablespoons red curry paste
• 1/2 teaspoon sugar
• 1 small eggplant, cut into 1-inch pieces (about 4 cups)
• 3 cups cubed peeled butternut squash, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 1 medium sweet red pepper, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 1 medium green pepper, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 1 can (15 ounces) garbanzo beans or chickpeas, rinsed and drained
• 1 carton (32 ounces) vegetable broth, divided
• 1 can (15 ounces) crushed tomatoes
• 1 can (13.66 ounces) coconut milk
• Chopped fresh cilantro
• Optional: Lime wedges and hot cooked rice