Chocolate-Chocolate Chunk Cookies

One thing I adore about the return of cool fall weather is baking. And this week Laurel and I busted out our first batch of fall cookies. We decided to try something new: the chocolate-chocolate chunk cookies from Lori Longbotham's Luscious Chocolate Desserts. Despite being a little concerned about the consistency while we were making them (the batter was rather loose, not like typical cookie dough that you can roll in your hands), the cookies turned out divine -- rich, chocolate-y, and distinctly reminiscent of its baked good cousin the brownie. I highly recommend you make a batch this weekend.
Here's the recipe, with my typical annotations.

Chocolate-Chocolate Chunk Cookies

From Lori Longbotham's Luscious Chocolate Desserts

Ingredients

11 ounces bittersweet or semisweet chocolate (split), chopped (I used semisweet chocolate chips to save on chopping)

3 Tbl. unsalted butter

1 teaspoon instant espresso powder (optional; I skipped this)

1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar

2 large eggs

1 tsp vanilla extract

1/3 cup all purpose flour

1/4 tsp. baking powder

Pinch of salt

1 cup chopped toasted hazelnuts and/or pecans (I was out of pecans so subbed in walnuts -- untoasted since I was trying to keep up with Laurel. I also didn't have enough walnuts -- clearly it's time for us to hit the grocery store -- but it didn't matter; they turned out great.)

1/4 cup cocoa nibs (optional; we skipped, again due to my barren pantry)

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Longbotham recommends setting one rack in the middle of the oven and putting the cookie trays in one at a time, but I positioned to accommodate two racks (to save time), knowing I'd have to keep an eye on the alternating racks of cookies. Longbotham recommends buttering 2 baking sheets but I recommend using a Silpat mat. You don't need to spray or butter the mat and the cookie bottoms always come out perfect.

2. Melt 8 ounces of the chocolate with the butter and espresso powder (if using) in a heatproof bowl set over a saucepan filled with about an inch of simmering water. Whisk until smooth and remove from heat.

3. Beat the sugar, eggs, and vanilla with an electric mixer on medium speed in a large bowl until smooth and well blended. Whisk in the chocolate mixture. In a separate bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, and salt and add to the wet ingredients, stirring until just blended. Stir in remaining 3 ounces of chocolate, the nuts, and cocoa nibs (if using). (Laurel did all of the mixing without an electric mixer.)

4. Drop the batter. Longbotham recommends using a scant ¼ cup for each cookie, about 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheets (this spacing is important because the cookies do spread a lot), rendering 8 cookies on the first sheet and 7 on the second. However, I found this batter to be quite loose. So I made the cookies smaller because I was concerned about spread and the ability to get them off the baking sheet; I used about a tablespoon or less of batter per cookie, fitting 12 cookies per tray.

5. Bake cookies about 10-12 minutes, until the tops are slightly cracked and the surface has a dull sheen. Cool the cookies on the baking sheets for a few minutes, then transfer to racks to cool completely.

The cookies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days, but believe me, they won't last that long.

Image credits: Christine Koh