Chocolate White Chocolate Chip Cookies

Merry Christmas! I write this post after a busy 14 hour night shift on the oncology floor. I wish I had the holidays off, but alas, not this year again (although better than the medical ICU last year).

My program director writes weekly “letters” to the Internal Medicine program department, and recently he spoke about describing people as “crunchy, crispy, crusty, or cooked” after fatigue and long hours of work. I found this description rather charming, as this somehow made me think of Christmas cookies.

Although the long hours are rough, and I am extremely sad this is the first time ever not spending Christmas with my parents and siblings, I’m happy to have B and Nike here with me and celebrate our own little Christmas.

And although it’s not fun to spend all the holidays in the hospital, to keep things in perspective, it’s even less fun for my cancer patients to spend the holidays in the hospital. Cancer does not honor the holidays, and sadly, I did sign death certificates and moved some people to the ICU on Christmas.

On to more cheerful topics, I gave up a day’s nap to make some “crunchy, crispy, crusty, or cooked” cookies with B. I do love the crunchy ones but saved half to underbake for B. I realized I’ve never made double chocolate cookies on the blog, and this travesty had to be immediately remedied. These Chocolate White Chocolate Chip Cookies are adapted from Ina Garten.

I originally made these cookies for a friend’s Christmas potluck, but B loved these cookies so much he actually made a separate dish for the potluck so we could save the cookies for ourselves!

Making Christmas cookies is a huge Uy tradition, so this is my connection with my family, even if we’re across the USA. Another dear tradition is the holiday Christmas letter, titled the “B&N Chronicles” which I managed to email out to friends and family just before my night shift.

As I came home from another oncology night shift, B and I ate Christmas brunch (and cookies and milk), opened presents under the tree, and called family, all in the setting of a lovely white Christmas.

I have to return to the hospital again tonight, but it’s nice to have a normal family holiday moment and celebrate the season together. Hoping you all have a wonderful Merry Christmas! Enjoy these delicious cookies – chocolate lovers will not be disappointed!

Chocolate White Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ingredients
1/2 pound unsalted butter, room temperature
1/2 cup light brown sugar
3/4 cup granulated sugar
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
2 extra-large eggs at room temperature
2/3 cup good unsweetened cocoa
2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 cup white chocolate chips, extra for toppping

Directions
With an electric beater, cream the butter and both sugars until light and fluffy. Add in vanilla, eggs, and cocoa; mix well. Add the flour, baking soda, salt and hand stir until just combined (avoid overbeating). Fold in the white chocolate. Chill the dough in the freezer for 30 min of 2 hours in the fridge.

When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Roll dough in 1 inch balls on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, trying to avoid handling the dough to much. Flatten the dough slightly with your hands. Optional: chill again

Bake for 15 minutes (the cookies will seem underdone). Remove from the oven and let it cool. Enjoy!