Death by Cookie

Death by Cookie - made dough November 3, 2018, adapted from Hugs and Cookies

You gotta love the title of this recipe, right? What a way to go, I always say. And, once you try this cookie, it would be the way to go.

I amped up the death rays on this one by adding dollops of Nutella to the batter so that when you scoop it out, the large swaths of Nutella remained intact and once the cookies are baked and you bite into one, you get both the punch from the chocolate chips and the puddles of Nutella throughout the cookie.

Since this is a fudge cookie, you want to just barely bake it and you definitely want to let it cool to room temperature for maximum fudgy texture. Eat it while it’s still too warm and it’ll just be mushy. Wait until it’s just room temperature and the chocolate chips will still be soft but the cookie will have set enough to make it fudge, not mush. Trust me, it’s worth the wait.

1 cup plus 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour

1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
8 ounces semisweet chocolate chips
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
5 tablespoons unsalted butter
3/4 cup light brown sugar
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 cup dark chocolate chips
1/2 cup milk chocolate chips
1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips
Nutella, optional but recommended

1. Sift together flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl; set aside.
2. Melt the 8 ounces of chocolate chips either in the microwave or in the top half of a double boiler set over hot water. Stir until smooth. Cool slightly.
3. In a small bowl, whisk the eggs and vanilla; set aside.
4. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter until smooth. Beat in the brown sugar and granulated sugar until combined.
5. Mix in the beaten egg-vanilla combination until just combined. Add the melted chocolate and beat until combined. Add the dry ingredients on slow speed and mix until just combined. Do not overmix. Fold in the chocolate chips. If adding Nutella, dollop over cookie dough.
6. Chill dough for at least 30 minutes then portion into golf-ball-size dough balls, leaving swirls of Nutella, if using. Cover and chill or freeze for a couple of hours or overnight.
7. When ready to bake, preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper and evenly space frozen dough balls. Bake for about 10 minutes or until the edges have just set. Middles will appear soft. Cool on baking sheets for 5 minutes then remove to wire racks to cool completely.