So, okay — if you’ve ever sprung on to the lobby of a DoubleTree by Hilton hotel? You probably remember the cookie situation — like, the warm and delicious chocolate chip cookie they give you when you check in? It’s not a sad little mint, it’s a whole fresh cookie that suppresses how tired you are from whatever flight you’ve just gotten off.
And for years, the blogosphere has been kind of obsessed with them. They are these chewy soft, ultra-buttery cookies that awaken every nostalgic sense of the chocolate chip cookie. I don’t know if it’s the temp they hand them in, or just that traveling makes you emotional. But those cookies have, in the past few years, become almost legendary.
Why Now? Because Cookies Won’t Fix the World, but They Can Help
And apparently – I did not realize this until just now – DoubleTree had never officially shared the actual recipe. To be fair, it seems like a company would want to hold on to one of their biggest complimentary benefits. But, things are strange these days (total understatement), and people are stuck at home stress baking banana bread or like, cleaning their entire basements out with rage. So, Shawn McAteer, the senior VP and global head of DoubleTree by Hilton (what a lengthy title) said something like, “We know this is an anxious time for everyone. “A warm chocolate chip cookie may not solve all problems, but it definitely can provide a fleeting moment of comfort and joy.”
And honestly, he probably isn’t wrong. Cookies don’t eradicate pandemics or do anything of that futile scale, but they can measure deathly troubles into light of moments, ten minutes to be exact. So, DoubleTree thought it would be the right time to release their cookie recipe for the first time to the public. And honestly, it’s kind of the nicest corporate gesture that I’ve heard of in some time.
The Ingredient List — Nothing wacky, but don’t skip the lemon juice
Well, now that the recipe has been made available, here’s what you need. I’ll just list it out, even though I won’t pretend I didn’t have to reread the recipe like three times to make sure I didn’t miss anything.
- 1/2 lb. of butter (which is two sticks, but seriously I always forget, and have unbelievably Googled it every singleHS.
- 3/4 cup + 1 tablespoon of white granulated sugar.
- 3/4 cup of packed light brown sugar.
- 2 large eggs (preferring the lobster meat one, that look like the sad cracked eggs from the way back of the fridge).
- 1/4 teaspoons of vanilla extract.
- 1/4 teaspoon of fresh squeezed lemon juice, which sounds unholy in a cookie, but, i think I trust the culinary experts of the DoubleTree Hotel chain?
- 1/4 cup of flour.
- 1/2 cup of rolled oats not instant. Come on.
- 1 teaspoon baking soda.
- 1 teaspoon salt.
- Pinch of cinnamon. Literally a pinch. Do not, DO NOT just pour a teaspoon in there or you will end up making snickerdoodles.
- 2/3 cup of Nestle Tollhouse semi-sweet chocolate chips. It’s pretty darn specific, but I’m not here to judge.
- 3/4 cups of chopped walnuts, which you can totally omit if you’re anti-nuts, but they are in the formal recipe, so I put them in just to include it.
Mixing Everything Together without Making Cookie Cement
Okay, so if you’re like me and you haven’t touched the standup mixer since your mom gave it to you for graduation, you might be wondering what is it you’re supposed to do with this stuff. First, you’re going to cream together the butter, sugars, and brown sugar together at medium speed for about two minutes. Basically until it’s all light and sort of fluffy looking. I don’t know, but you will know.
Then you add the eggs, vanilla, and lemon juice – however, you aren’t going to go banging on the mixer just yet. You will want to start on low, do that for about 30 seconds so the yolks don’t fly EVERYWHERE. Then move up to medium and just let it beat for another two minutes so it can become all pale and airy. And scrape the bowl. For real. I forget every time and I’m stuck with butter lumps.
Now you put the dry stuff in: while on low speed, gradually add the flour, oats, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon into the mix. Let it go for about 45 seconds. Try not to overbeat it into cookie cement. It’s that frustrating line between “just combined” and “oops, gluten brick.” Once that is done, take the bowl off the mixer because we are going old-school and folding in the chocolate chips and walnuts by hand. It will be more work but it will help keep the texture right.
Portioning, Baking, and That Important Sitting Hour
Now that you are ready to make them actually look like cookies instead of, like, mutant dough blobs, use a scoop that holds about three tablespoons. Put them onto a parchment-lined pan with about two inches of space. (and, I know, you’re going to think they are too far apart, but they spread a lot in the oven)
But don’t try to move them immediately — let them sit on the baking sheet for about an hour, or they will collapse into sad-looking puddles. I know an hour feels like forever when your kitchen smells like heaven, but keep yourself distracted.
Freezing Dough for Cookie Emergencies
One nice thing: you can freeze the dough balls and then bake them straight from frozen – no thawing nonsense. Just put them on a baking sheet, still spaced apart, and do the same 300°F bake until the edges look golden and the center is soft. Instant cookie happiness on-demand.
Why This Recipe Feels Like a Tiny Gift Right Now
Honestly, since we are all stuck at home with too much time to kill, this is arguably the best chance to make your place smell like a bakery. There is something so comforting about pulling out fresh cookies from your own oven. It makes you feel just that little bit less like the world is imploding. So a big thanks to DoubleTree by Hilton for finally releasing the recipe. I can’t wait to hear about all the batches that are baked, half burnt, and still claimed as a success. Because homemade always beats out something you thought you only enjoyed in a hotel lobby.
