Double Dark

I feel the best recipes of all things ' cookies ' must include extra doses of goodness , and be the epitome of absolute guilt free indulgence - soft-baked , thick , chunky and as indulgent as indulgent can be with chewy centers, slightly crisp edges, and oodles of melty chocolate in each glorious bite. And if its brown butter and dark Chocolate , its definitely all heart :)

Grab your Kitchen staples !

Things you will need

• 1/2 cup ( Approx 110 g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature OR you can use brown butter too

• 1/2 cup (100g) granulated sugar

• 1/2 cup (100g) packed light or dark brown sugar

• 1 large egg , at room temperature

• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

• 1 cup (125g) all-purpose flour

• 2/3 cup (55g) natural unsweetened cocoa powder

• 1 teaspoon baking soda

• 1/8 teaspoon salt

  1 Tablespoon (15ml) milk (any kind, dairy or non)

• 1 and 1/4 cups (225g) semi-sweet chocolate chips, plus a few more for optional topping

• 01 tsp of espresso coffee powder

Why Pre - Marinate the dough ? - Marinating, or resting, cookie dough is a small step that makes a big difference. As the dough sits, the flour absorbs moisture and the flavours deepen, creating richer, more complex cookies. Chilling also firms up the butter, helping cookies bake with crisp edges and soft centres. The dough hydrates evenly, improving both texture and structure. In the end, a little patience turns a simple cookie into something truly special

Steps to Follow

• In a large bowl using a hand-held or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar together on medium high speed until fluffy and light in color, about 3 minutes. Add the egg and vanilla extract, and then beat on high speed until combined. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed.

  
  

• In a separate bowl, whisk the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda , coffee powder and salt together until combined. With the mixer running on low speed, slowly pour into the wet ingredients. Beat on low until combined. The cookie dough will be quite thick. Switch to high speed and beat in the milk, then the chocolate chips / dark chocolate of choice . The cookie dough will be sticky and tacky. Cover dough tightly and chill in the refrigerator for at least 3 hours and up to 3 days. Chilling is mandatory for this sticky cookie dough.

  
  

• Remove cookie dough from the refrigerator and allow to sit at room temperature for 10 minutes. If the cookie dough chilled longer than 3 hours, let it sit at room temperature for about 20 minutes. This makes the chilled cookie dough easier to scoop and roll.

  
  

• Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C). Line large baking sheets with silicone baking mats. Set aside.

  
  

• Scoop and roll dough, a heaping 1.5 Tablespoons in size, into balls. To ensure a thicker cookie, make the balls taller than they are wide (almost like a cylinder or column). Arrange 2-3 inches apart on the baking sheets. The cookie dough is certainly sticky, so wipe your hands clean after every few balls of dough you shape.

  
  

• Bake the cookies for 11-12 minutes or until the edges appear set and the centers still look soft. Tip: If they aren’t really spreading by minute 9, remove them from the oven and lightly bang the baking sheet on the counter 2-3x. This helps initiate that spread. Return to the oven to continue baking.

  
  

• Cool cookies for 5 minutes on the baking sheet , top with sea salt . The cookies will slightly deflate as they cool. 

  
  

• Cover leftover cookies tightly and store at room temperature for up to 1 week.

And another reader, Aditi , commented: “Love these. I’ve made them too many times to count...I’ve made them with dark chocolate chips, white chocolate, nuts, coconut, nuts in the middle and in so many ways. It’s just a perfect chocolate cookie. ★★★★★