Hello, Chocolate Lovers!

The Cook & Kitchen Staff are celebrating Valentine's Day with fourteen of our most delicious chocolate-coated, cocoa-concocted recipes from our Chocolate Lover's Collection.

Today we're offering you a version of a recipe that is rumored to have been first prepared in the kitchen of a Whitman, Massachusetts, country inn. Circa 1937, the first chocolate chip cookie emerged gooey and warm from the oven.

The Kitchen Staff does not recommend that you serve a 62-year-old cookie. A fresh batch is a better gift for your Valentine this year.

Pre-heat oven to 375-F degrees and lightly grease two or three cookie sheets or spray with a non-stick oil.

Sift all-purpose flour and baking soda into a large mixing bowl. Blend in the whole wheat flour. Set aside.

In a medium-sized mixing bowl, beat together softened butter, sugars, eggs, melted chocolate, and vanilla extract until fluffy, about 3 to 5 minutes.

Stir in the flour mixture, about a third at a time, until well blended. Add chocolate pieces and nuts, and mix until thoroughly combined. You may need to use a wooden spoon, or your hands, to make sure the chips and nuts are evenly distributed throughout the cookie dough.

Drop rounded tablespoonfuls onto greased cookie sheets. Bake for about 12 minutes, or until cookies feel firm. Remove to wire rack to cool. May store in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks or freeze for up to 2 months.