Fudgy walnut brownie cookies

Is spring break coming up for your kids? Do you need something to do to distract them while they’re not in school? And feed a chocolate habit while you’re at it? Here you go then – this easy cookie recipe from "One Bowl Baking" by Yvonne Ruperti. It’s easy because you only need one bowl to melt chocolate and mix the dough in. The original recipe calls for walnuts but my brain doesn’t process nuts as an ingredient in most of my cookies and this was no exception. Instead, I doubled down on the chocolate chips.

Be generous with the chocolate chips but reserve some for the outside. Meaning, once you’ve formed the cookie dough into dough balls and before you freeze them, press some chocolate chips around the outside of each dough ball. You can make them look like little porcupines with the pointy end of the chips sticking out or you can embed them more firmly into the dough ball. Either way, they’re going to taste good and you can’t go wrong.

As (almost) always, freeze them first until they’re firm, at least a couple of hours or overnight before baking them. Then they won’t spread as much and you’ll have thick, fudgy cookies. Don’t overbake these! I know, I sound like a broken record with every cookie recipe I post but I find you can’t say it often enough because inevitably someone will bake cookies “until they’re done.” No. Just no. Bake only just until the middles no longer look shiny and raw and the edges have only just begun to show dry cracks. You’ll thank me later, I promise.

It’s best to let these cool completely so they can set properly. You don’t want them to be too mushy. Once they’re completely cooled, or just barely lukewarm if you really can’t wait, enjoy the fudgy brownie-like texture of these moist cookies.

Fudgy walnut brownie cookies
From "One Bowl Baking" by Yvonne Ruperti

4 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into cubes
4 ounces unsweetened chocolate, finely chopped
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 large eggs
1 cup (5 ounces) all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 cup walnuts, optional (I substituted chocolate chips)

1. In a large heatproof bowl, set over a pan of hot water, heat the butter and unsweetened chocolate to just melted, stirring frequently.

2. Stir in the sugar, salt, and vanilla. Stir in the eggs, one at a time, then stir to combine.

3. Mix in the flour and baking powder, stir to combine.

4. Stir in half the walnuts, if using, or chocolate chips.

5. Scoop the batter into 12 balls. Sprinkle the remaining nuts or chocolate chips over the top of each cookie. Freeze until firm, several hours or overnight.

6. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a sheet with parchment paper. Evenly space the cookie dough balls on the sheet. Bake until the cookies are puffed, cracked and barely set, about 8 minutes. Do not overbake.

7. Let cool on the pan for 5 minutes then transfer to a wire rack to cool.

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