Double chocolate cookies with sea salt

Just a few coarse crystals of sea salt catapult the intense rich flavor of these dark chocolate cookies into a new realm.

When my pal Kathy came over to meet Baby Whipped, she brought an enormous offering of food. Being the baking goddess behind the blog Stresscake, it is no surprise that her bag of goodies was one creative surprise after another. She brought two potpies along with two, small ramekin sized pot pies for Mini Whipped. Also tucked in her bag of tricks was a ziplock full of chicken steam buns for the freezer, which have proved to be perfect snacks and quick lunches. And finally, the sign that shows me that she is truly my kind of gal… a bag of frozen cookie dough – dark brown, nearly black little spheres of double chocolate cookie dough, just waiting to be whisked into my toaster oven in those moments of need.

(Confession time: I just stopped writing this post to go to my freezer and eat a ball of cookie dough… I have a problem.)

I have never tasted anything that Kathy had her hands on that was short of delicious. I am trying to stop begging/harassing her into opening her own bakery. I suppose that just because I want her to have a bakery doesn’t mean she should be waking up at wee hours to work the ovens and spread her taste treats far and wide. I mean, MAYBE she shouldn’t change her entire life so I can have her sweets at my beckon call whenever I need them. For now, I’ll just try to be happy that her double chocolate cookies are an arm’s reach away in my freezer drawer.

Kathy instructed me to sprinkle sea salt atop each little beauty before baking. I have determined that it is indeed these few crystals of salt that take these cookies from delicious to fabulously perfect. There is something about salt against chocolate that amplifies the flavor of the chocolate to an ultra addicting level. These cookies are rich so I suggest you make them bite-sized. They are an amazing compliment to a strong cup of coffee and provide just the satisfaction your sweet tooth needs after a meal.

Don’t skimp on the good chocolate. Make sure to search out some quality ingredients. And, use coarse sea salt, not table salt. Good luck… I’m off to eat another frozen ball of dough. Ugh

Double chocolate cookies
Courtesy of Stresscake
Makes about 3 dozen

1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
1/2 cup Dutch-process cocoa powder
1/2teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 pound 60%+ bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped (4 ounces)
1/4 pound 60%+ bittersweet chocolate, roughly chopped into ¼” chunks or chips (4 ounces)
1/2 cup unsalted butter (4 ounces/1 stick)
1-1/2 cups sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract (or chocolate extract if you have it)
1/2 teaspoon large flake sea salt

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F and line 2-3 sheet pans with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.

Melt the first 1/4 pound of finely chopped chocolate with the butter. You have two options: Double boiler method: in a heatproof bowl over simmering water, stirring until fully melted. Microwave method: in a microwave safe bowl, 45 second bursts at 50% power, stirring between bursts until fully melted. (My preference.)

Let the chocolate cool slightly while you sift together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl. Set aside.

Transfer the melted chocolate to the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and on medium, add the sugar, eggs, and vanilla and mix until combined.

Reduce speed to low; gradually mix in flour/cocoa mixture.

Add the chocolate chunks/chips and stir on low until just combined. Note: the dough can be frozen up to two months at this point. Easiest is to shape it into balls, freeze on a sheet plan then transfer to a Ziploc once frozen. Or shape into logs, wrap tightly in plastic then slice-n-bake. Frozen dough’s can go right from the freezer to the oven, just add a few minutes to the baking time.

With a small ice cream scoop (1-inch) or a teaspoon, scoop Tablespoon size balls of dough and space cookies 2 inches apart on prepared sheet pans. Note: I refrigerated the dough overnight, which made it very firm and rather difficult to scoop. As shown in the pictures here, I flattened each dough ball so the cookies would bake more evenly. If you use room temp dough, you don’t have to do the flattening part as they will spread nicely in the oven.

Sprinkle a small pinch of sea salt on top of each cookie.

Bake 12 minutes, rotating sheets halfway through baking – top to bottom and front to back. The cookies will be quite soft coming out of the oven – once cool, they should be crisp on the outside but still soft on the inside. Adjust baking time if necessary.

Let cool on pans then carefully remove and place on serving tray.

Cookies will keep for a few days, tightly wrapped.

Caroline Lubbers blogs at Whipped, The Blog.

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