 The Dessert Bible |
Double Chocolate Cookies
from The Dessert Bible
by Christopher Kimball
These cookies contain both semisweet chocolate and cocoa powder; hence they are double chocolate cookies. If you add chips as well (see variation below), they turn into triple chocolate cookies! Be absolutely sure to underbake these cookies. They should still be very soft and wet when taken out of the oven. Although 10 minutes is the proper baking time in my oven, all ovens are different, so I suggest baking a couple cookies as a test, letting them cool, and then judging the texture. Note that if you make smaller or larger cookies, this will dramatically affect the baking time.
MAKES ABOUT 20 COOKIES
8 ounces semisweet chocolate, coarsly chopped1 cup all purpose flour
1/4 cup Dutch-process cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened but still firm
3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
1/4 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon instant espresso powder
- Melt chocolate either in saucepan in a 250-degree oven for 15 minutes or in a glass bowl in a microwave oven at 50 percent power for 3 minutes, stirring after 2 minutes. If you like, chocolate can also be melted in the top of a double boiler. Set aside. Sift together flour, cocoa, baking powder, and salt onto a piece of waxed paper. Set aside. Heat oven to 350 degrees.
- In a large bowl, cream the butter with an electric mixer on high speed for 4 to 5 minutes, or until pale and fluffy. Add the sugars and beat additional 2 to 3 minutes, or until light and fluffy. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Lightly whisk and egg with a fork and then add to the creamed butter, beating 30 seconds. Repeat with second egg. Add vanilla and espresso powder and beat to incorporate for about 20 seconds. Add the melted chocolate and beat another 30 seconds. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add the dry ingredients and beat on the lowest speed until well mixed.
- Using a small ice cream scoop or a large soup spoon, make balls of dough about 1 3/4 inches in diameter (the size of a gold ball; smaller or larger cookies will dramatically impact the baking time). Place them on a parchment-lined cookie sheet. Bake about 10 minutes, rotating the cookie sheet halfway through cooking. The cookies should be very soft and appear undercooked when they are removed from the oven. Do not let the cookies become too browned on the bottom. Remove to a cooling rack to set and cool. Repeat with a new sheet of parchment paper until all the dough is baked.
WHAT CAN GO WRONG? Most folks make these cookies too small which mean that they bake faster and tend to be less moist on the inside. I suggest using balls of dough the size of a gold ball. You will be tempted to make them much smaller, which makes an inferior cookie. Also, chocolate cookies are much better slightly underbaked. They wull appear soft and almost raw when you take them out of the oven. They will firm up considerably as they cool. Also note that the less you bake chocolate, the more flavor it has.
TRIPLE CHOCOLATE VARIATION
Add 6 ounces of semisweet chocolate chips to the batter after the dry ingredients have been incorporated.
© 2000 by Christopher Kimball
© 2000 by Hachette Book Group USA |