i like watching people eat chocolate. they close their eyes and their faces become entirely unguarded. at that moment, i steal a little bit of their pleasure. shhh...don't tell anyone. intent on making the ultimate dark chocolate cookie, i decided to create a mash-up of my go to chocolate chip cookies from the ny times and my favorite chocolate crackles. the result is a cookie with the intensity of the fudgiest brownie, but a lighter, smoother texture. nearly every bite yields a chunk of chocolate, be it milk or semisweet, a couple of which melt into luscious chocolate rivers. for a moment you might close your eyes and drink it in just like augustus gloop, on his way to oblivion.....
oh, don't mind me. i'm just watching you.
chocolate-chocolate chunk cookies(makes 4-5 dozen, depending on the size of your cookies)
8 ounces semisweet chocolate (64-66%), melted over a double broiler and cooled to room temperature
1 3/4 cups cake flour
1 1/2 cups bread flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup (8 ounces) unsalted butter, softened
2 cups firmly packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2/3 cup dutch-processed, unsweetened cocoa
3 large eggs, at room temperature
8 ounces milk chocolate, chopped into chunks (1/4 inch - 1/2 inch)
8 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped into chunks
1/2 cup granulated sugar (organic cane sugar is extra sparkly)
Place oven racks in top and lower third of the oven and preheat to 350. Line two insulated cookie sheets with parchment paper or a silpat baking mat.
Combine the cake flour, bread flour, baking soda and salt in a medium mixing bowl and whisk to combine.
Place the butter, brown sugar, and vanilla in the bowl of a stand mixer (alternatively, use a large mixing bowl and hand mixer). Sift in the cocoa powder. Beat for 5 minutes at medium speed. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a spatula. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating briefly to combine between additions. Add the melted, cooled semisweet chocolate and beat until combined. On low speed, add the dry ingredients in 3 additions, until all the flour has been incorporated. Fold in the chocolate chunks using a spoon.
Shape 1 - 1 1/2 tablespoon balls of dough, gently rolling between your hands. Coat each ball with the granulated sugar by rolling back and forth in a bowl. Place the balls 1 1/2 inches apart on the cookie sheets. Bake for 10-12 minutes, until the tops are cracked. Alternate the cookie sheets halfway through. Let cool for a few minutes on the cookie sheets before gently removing to a cookie rack to cool completely.
notes
* these cookies entirely depend on the quality of the chocolate you use. i prefer vahlrona chocolate and cocoa powder here. scharffenberger makes for an even more robust chocolate flavor. callebut and ghiaradelli are good alternatives.
* make sure the melted chocolate has cooled adequately or your chocolate chunks will melt in the warm batter.
* love these with a minimal sprinkle of sea salt on top before baking
* you can make the cookie dough balls ahead of time and keep them in an airtight container in the fridge for a day or two. i bring them to room temperature and re-roll them in sugar before baking.