Three Ways to Make Cookies Like Chef Grant at Secret Bay

For those craving the flavors of Secret Bay, we’re bringing Chef Grant’s top tastes to you. Per the request of a past guest who has been missing Secret Bay’s chocolate chip cookies, our executive chef has graciously shared his go-to recipes so you can indulge in a little bit of paradise at home. Be sure to share your goodies on social and tag us @secretbay. Happy baking! 

Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookies 

Ingredients

• 1 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
• ½ cup cocoa powder
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ½ cup butter, room temperature
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• ¾ cup creamy peanut butter (not all-natural)
• ½ cup unsalted peanuts
• 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
• Coarse sea salt for sprinkling cookies

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350° F. Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk flour, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. 
3. In a large bowl, beat butter and sugar with an electric mixer on medium-high speed. Beat in eggs and vanilla. Beat in peanut butter until just combined. Beat in dry ingredients until just combined. Stir in peanuts and chocolate chips.
4. Drop 1 heaping tablespoon of cookie dough (I used a cookie scoop, but spoons are just fine) two inches apart (as they will spread). Top each cookie with a few sea salt crystals.
5. Bake cookies for 12–14 minutes, until the edges are firm. It’s okay if the centers are a tad soft. They’ll firm up as they cool. Transfer to a wire rack to cool. Cool completely before storing in an airtight container, for up to 5 days.

Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ingredients

• 2 1/8 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 ½ cups regular semisweet chocolate chips
• 1 cup large bittersweet chocolate chips
• 1 ½ cups walnuts, finely chopped (Optional) 
• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1 cup light or dark brown sugar, tightly packed
• ½ cup white sugar
• 2 eggs
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Directions

1. Heat oven to 375° F.
2. Sift flour, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
3. Mix together chocolate chips and chopped nuts. Set aside.
4. All medium speed unless otherwise noted: In a standing mixer, with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugars until well mixed and light. Scrape down the sides. Add one egg. Mix for 5 seconds. Scrape down the sides. Add a second egg. Mix for 5 seconds. Scrape down the sides. Add vanilla. Mix for 5 seconds. Scrape down the sides.
5. You’re going to add the sifted flour mixture in 4 batches, stopping before adding the final batch. For the first 3 batches, mix at low speed just to combine, scraping down the sides between each addition. When you get to the final batch of flour, add the chocolate chip/nut mixture. They will get a bit crushed. That’s okay. Mix until there’s barely a trace of flour visible. Don’t over-mix. Sometimes, it’s better to be safe and do the final bit of mixing by hand.
6. Set up a sheet pan with a Silpat or parchment paper. Bake one tray at a time or they will all cook at different rates. Make them spherical, not flat. The cookie size is up to you. I find the bigger they are, the better ratio you have between gooey interior and crisp exterior. 2 ounces is about right for that. 
7. Leave a few inches between the raw cookies. Place sheet pan in the oven. They cook very fast at this temp. I never set a timer. I just hang around the oven and drink tea. They’re done when they’re brown and crispy on the outer border and raw in the very middle (8 to 10 minutes). Remove sheet pan. Allow to cool for a few minutes, then, with a spatula, transfer cookies to a cookie rack to cool. If you’re not going to eat them right away, they should be frozen.
8. If you’re not baking them off right away, portion them out with an ice cream scoop, place them on a sheet pan, and freeze. Once firm, store them in a Ziploc bag. Works great to bake them off when they’re frozen.

Chocolate & Coconut Quinoa Cookies 

Ingredients

• 1 ½ cups whole wheat flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon baking powder
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• ½ cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
• ¼  cup sugar
• ¼ cup light brown sugar
• ¼ cup honey
• 2 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• ½ teaspoon almond extract
• 1 cup cooked quinoa, cooled
• ½ cup desiccated coconut (unsweetened)
• 1 cup dark chocolate chunks or chips

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375° F and line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
2. Whisk together the flour, salt, baking powder, and baking soda.
3. With a stand or electric mixer, cream butter, sugars, and honey until light and fluffy. Add eggs, vanilla, and almond extract, and mix until pale and fluffy, about 2 more minutes. 
4. Mix in flour mixture, 1/2 cup at a time. Stir in quinoa, coconut, and chocolate. 
5. Plop spoon size balls of dough onto sheets an inch or so apart, and bake until golden, 12 to 15 minutes. Cool on wire rack.