My summertime blues.

The weather has turned here in Seattle. Maybe just temporarily, but for the past week it's been a full-on Seattle summer. Impromptu BBQs, shoulder-to-shoulder walks around Greenlake and day drinking on my favorite Bottlehouse patio. Though somehow, even with the warmer temps and much-needed Vitamin D, I'm having an unusual case of seasonal depression - the opposite, in fact, of the typical Seattleite. The longer days and sunnier skies remind me of a different time - memories of last summer and the way things were. A stark difference from the summer that lies ahead.

So even on this gorgeous evening, when I should be out in the sun and enjoying every last drop of daylight, I just stayed put.

I needed to bake.

Without a plan or even a craving, I went to the cupboard to see what I was working with. What inventory could I turn into a little goodness? I went straight for the comfort food. The classic chocolate chip cookie. But lurking in the cupboard and typically reserved for a little salad topping....hazelnuts. Why not, right? I looked at Hugo and thought, "let's go nuts."

Chocolate Chip + Hazelnut Cookies

• 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 3/4 cup brown sugar, packed
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 2 large eggs
• 2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 1 cup hazelnuts, roughly chopped (You can substitute with any nuts or just leave them out all together.)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F

Combine the flour, baking soda and salt in a small bowl. Beat the butter, sugar(s) and vanilla extract in a large mixer until creamy. Add in the eggs, one at a time, combining well between each addition. Gradually add in the flour mixture. Fold in chocolate chips and nuts, making sure to get a nice, even distribution throughout the cookie dough. Drop/spoon onto an ungreased baking sheet. (I use a pretty big spoonful!)

Bake for 10-12 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on the baking sheets for a few minutes and then transfer cookies to wire racks to cool completely.

If summertime blues are such a thing, this classic sweet was the perfect cure for me tonight.