Totally Chocolate Chocolate Chip Cookies

Totally Chocolate Chocolate Chip Cookies - made December 5, 2010 from Big Fat Cookies by Elinor Klivans (book #19)

Sometimes a good chocolate chocolate chip cookie is hard to make, even harder than a regular chocolate chip cookie.  So much of their flavor and texture depends on the type of chocolate that goes into making them chocolate cookies.  Some chocolate cookies are like brownies in cookie form as they're so fudgy.  Others really are like chocolate chip cookies but are chocolate instead of brown sugar butter cookies.  I tried out this recipe from Big Fat Cookies and really liked it.  I used Pernigotti cocoa to get that rich, dark chocolate taste and they came out with crisp edges (once you let them cool) and the middles are wells of near-molten chocolate goodness.

Chocolate cookies are one of the few things I consciously try to time in the oven since you can't really go by how brown the edges are to see if they're done because - hello - the whole cookie is "brown" even before you bake them.  If you do forget how long they've been in there (which I've been known to do too often), you can also go by appearance.  The cookies should appear dry on top, or at least not look like they're still wet batter.  The good thing with chocolate cookies is it's also okay to underbake them since they'll set once the chocolate cools.  They do have a tendency to be a bit more fragile than your typical cookie, especially if underbaked, but they'll taste better underbaked than overbaked.  Just let them cool enough so the cookie stays whole when you lift it up from the baking pan - probably at least 10 minutes.  Which is how long you should give any cookie before you start chomping.

Despite how fabulous these are, regretfully, I can't recommend them for sending in care packages.  They'll crumble if your mailing box is handled roughly.  It won't affect the taste but still, it's a bit disappointing to your recipient to get a box of cookie crumbs.  So save them to enjoy at home and with your nearby friends.

2 2/3 cups (16 ounces) semisweet chocolate chips

1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour

¼ cup unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

½ teaspoon salt

½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, slightly softened

½ cup packed light brown sugar

¼ cup granulated sugar

1 large cold egg

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1.        Position a rack in the middle of the oven.  Preheat the oven to 325˚F.  Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.

2.       Melt 2/3 cup of the chocolate chips in the top half of a double boiler over barely simmering water.  Stir until melted and smooth.  Set aside to cool slightly.  You want it cool enough not to melt the butter mixture you’ll add it to later but not so cool that it hardens again.

3.       Sift the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt into a medium bowl and set aside.  In a large bowl, using an electric mixer on medium speed, beat the butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar until smoothly blended, about 1 minute.  Stop the mixer and scrape the sides of the bowl as needed during mixing.  On low speed, mix in the melted chocolate chips until blended.  Add the egg and vanilla, mixing until blended, about 1 minute.  Add the flour mixture, mixing just until incorporated.  Mix in the remaining 2 cups chocolate chips.

4.       Using an ice cream scoop or measuring cup with ¼-cup capacity, scoops mounds of dough onto the prepared baking sheets, spacing the cookies 3 inches apart.

5.       Bake the cookies until they crack slightly on top and a toothpick inserted in the center of a cookie comes out with moist crumbs, not wet batter, about 18 minutes.  Cool on the baking sheets for 5 minutes then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

6.       The cookies can be stored in a tightly covered container at room temperature for up to 4 days.