Anatomy of a Perfect Chocolate Cookie

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So I was asked to make ‘chocolate chocolate cookies’ and quickly found that there are as many variations on that as there are on chocolate chip cookies, including with and without flour (both good). I finally found one I loved at the website Crispy Waffle (love that name). Making it a few times consecutively I found that the author’s conclusion that milk chocolate was resulting in a cookie that was too sweet was not my experience. The dutch cocoa and bittersweet chocolate did result in a dark cookie that I liked, but using semi-sweet chocolate chips made them edgy and almost bitter. So I went back to milk chocolate chips, and being a vanilla addict, I was compelled to make it a triple-chocolate/triple-vanilla cookie, by adding more vanilla extract (tablespoon instead of a teaspoon) as well as two other kinds of vanilla (vanilla powder and the seeds of a vanilla bean). To retain and amplify my chocolate flavor, I added a teaspoon of Dave’s Coffee Syrup, which is a favorite addition to nearly any chocolate thing I make. Now in danger of being too smooth, I found a final topping of sea salt kept the cookie well-balanced.

Also, perhaps due to the addition of more liquid (coffee syrup, vanilla)  I found I needed 15 minutes to get the right soft, chewy texture at 325 degrees. At 13 minutes the cookies barely set up and were living in the dangerous limbo between cookie dough and cookie. I’m not saying my oven is properly calibrated, so you’ll have to experiment for yourself if you want something more akin to a brownie-lava like thing or soft and chewy cookie.

Cookie Name Still Under Development: Cookie Cube, Triple-Triple? makes about 20 cookies using a 1 and 1/3 scoop

• 4-5 ounces bittersweet chocolate (I have a big block so this is at best an estimate).
• 1 stick sweetened (unsalted) butter
• 2 large eggs
• 1 tsp of Dave’s Coffee Syrup (or you can substitute actual coffee)
• 1 1/4 cup white sugar
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 1 tsp vanilla powder
• Seeds of 1/2 vanilla bean
• 1 cup all-purpose flour, sifted
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 to 1 1/2 cups milk chocolate chips
• 1/2 cup Dutch-process cocoa
• heavy 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• pinch of flaky sea salt for the top

1. Preheat your oven to 325 degrees.  Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper. 
2. In a medium bowl, whisk to combine the flour, cocoa powder, vanilla powder, baking soda, chocolate chips and salt. Set aside.
3. Melt the butter and 4 ounces of bittersweet chocolate together. I did this in a microwave, so yes, I’m a hack.
4. Mix the chocolate and butter until it combines—from a greasy wet mess to something dark, brown and satin-y.
5. When cool, add the vanilla and coffee (or coffee syrup). Whisk thoroughly.
6. In your stand mixer, combine the eggs and sugar and beat at medium speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.  
7. Add the chocolate/coffee/vanilla mixture until well combined.
8. Add the flour and stir by hand.  Maybe one or two “pulse” mixes to ensure everything is well mixed. Don’t OVERMIX!
9. I used the 1 1/3 scoops which I found gave me about 20 cookies. If you use a smaller scoop you’ll likely need to adjust the time in the oven, too. 
10. Bake for 15 minutes.   Cookies are best ‘underbaked’ so they are chewy.  When you take them out of your oven, depending on their condition, yo might want them to cool on the cookie sheet (more cooking) or remove them.  Again, it’s a personal choice. Everyone in my house wants to eat them as soon as they can be picked up (about five minutes).