1 cup butter, softened
1 1/2 cups white sugar (or a combination of white and brown)
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
2/3 cup cocoa powder
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

In large bowl, beat butter, sugar, eggs, and vanilla until light and fluffy. Combine the flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt; stir into the butter mixture until well blended. Mix in the chocolate chips and walnuts. Drop by rounded teaspoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheets.

Bake for 8 to 10 minutes in the preheated oven, or just until set. Cool slightly on the cookie sheets before transferring to wire racks to cool completely.

Stacy's Notes: Made June 2011. Wanting to make cookies to use my new Williams Sonoma gold tone cookie sheets! I halved the recipe and it made about 12-14 medium cookies. I used a mixture of brown and white sugar (1/4 c brown, 1/4 cup white and then just eyeballed the last 1/4). I creamed the butter and sugar first in my Kitchenaid, before adding the egg and vanilla. Did use chopped walnuts (1/4 cup or so) and about 3/4 cup of chips. I put the dough in the freezer for just a couple of minutes while I chopped the nuts. Used a regular tablespoon to drop them by, onto parchment lined sheet pans. Baked about 10 minutes in my oven (took them out at 8 and they wouldn't come off the pan without being doughy and splitting).

More Notes: Made again June 2013, to try in my new oven! I didn't realize I had made these before, knew I had made some similar, but not these. This time, I used all white sugar, 1/4 cup chopped walnuts and a whole cup of chocolate chips. Used my small cookie scoop, and got 2 dozen small cookies. Used my 2 goldtone pans, but this time, I had two Silpat liners to use instead of parchment! Tried them first at 8 minutes in the new oven, turned it off and put them back for 2 more minutes, so 10 total.