Chunky Monkey Cookies

Step 1

Heat the oven to 375°F. Scatter the walnuts over a baking sheet and toast in the warming oven until fragrant, 10 to 15 minutes. Roughly chop the walnuts while they're still warm and set aside.

Step 2

Combine the granulated sugar and brown sugar in a large mixing bowl. Mix with a spoon or spatula until thoroughly combined and no lumps of brown sugar remain. Add the softened butter to the bowl and work it into the sugar until you form a gritty, sugary paste. Mix in the eggs, one at a time, until no more egg whites remain. Stir in the vanilla extract.

Step 3

Whisk together the salt, baking soda, and flour in a small bowl. Add this to the wet ingredients in the mixing bowl, and stir gently until you've formed a thick dough and you see no more dry flour. Add the chocolate chunks, banana chips, and chopped walnuts, and use a folding motion to incorporate them into the dough. It's OK if some of the chunky pieces fall out.

Step 4

Use a cookie scoop or tablespoon measure to portion ping pong ball-sized gobs of dough (roughly 2 tablespoons) onto a parchment-lined baking sheet, spaced an inch or so apart. If any chunky pieces fell out while you were making the dough, press them gently into the tops of the cookies (or just use some extra leftover pieces if you'd like a chunkier appearance!). Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, until the cookies look puffed and the edges are turning a darker shade of toasty brown.

Step 5

Let the cookies cool for about 5 minutes on the baking sheet, then transfer them to a cooling rack to cool completely. As they cool, the cookies will collapse into craggy, cracked, chunky cookies. Continue baking the cookies in batches until all the dough has been used.

Step 6

These cookies are best the day they are made, but will keep in an airtight container for about a week.