Very chocolate chocolate cookies

For my friend’s baby shower this month, I decided to bake some cookies. And what mother-to-be (and, actually, father-to-be, as well) doesn’t like chocolate cookies?

These are a little messy but very easy to make, believe me – I was able to fit them in on a workday evening between work and ice cream.

I got this recipe from David Lebovitz but it’s actually Clotilde’s (of chocolate & zucchini) original recipe; the technique suggestions are David’s.

You’ll need:

• ½ cup (70 g) all-purpose flour
• ½ cup (55 g) whole-wheat flour
• ¼ cup (25 g) unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder (I used Green & Black)
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• 5 ounces (140 g) bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, chopped in chip-sized chunks (here I also used Green & Black)
• ¼ cup (30 g) cocoa nibs (I used French chocolate pipettes)
• ½ cup, plus 1 tablespoon (125 g) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• ½ cup (100 g) (packed) light brown sugar
• ¼ teaspoon sea salt
• 1 teaspoon vanilla and/or chocolate extract (I used vanilla)
• optional: cinnamon salt or fleur de sel – these were great topped with fleur de sel!
  

1. Preheat the oven to 350F (180C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper or silicone baking mat.

1. In a small bowl, sift both flours, cocoa powder and baking soda together.

2. In a clean, dry bowl set over a pan of simmering water (or in a microwave, like I did to save time! time it well and use the right chocolate and it’s easy), melt half of the chocolate (2½ oz, 70g), then let cool to room temperature. Mix the other half of the chocolate chunks a bowl with the cocoa nibs.

3. Beat the butter with an electric mixer, or by hand, just until smooth. Beat in the sugar, salt and vanilla or chocolate extract.

4. By hand, stir in the melted chocolate, then the flour-cocoa mixture. Then finally the chocolate chunks and nibs.

5. Scoop the dough into rounded teaspoons and place evenly-spaced on the prepared baking sheet. Sprinkle with cinnamon salt or fleur de sel, if desired, then bake for 10-12 minutes or until the cookies take on a slightly dry sheen to the top.

They may feel soft, but don’t worry; they’re firm up just fine when cool. The cookies will be very chocolatey while they cool so don’t try to move them too early!