Double Chocolate Cookies for St. Valentine’s Day

These insanely delicious, chewy cookies are for die-hard chocoholics only.

Yield: About 3 dozen cookies (depending on how large you make them)

Prep Time: about 15 minutes

Bake Time: about 12 minutes

Total Time: about 27 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons unsalted butter (2 1/4 sticks), softened
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 cup  light brown sugar
• 2 eggs
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cups unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 12 ounces chocolate chips or chunks (I used mini semi-sweet chocolate chips, but milk chocolate or bittersweet would be scrumptious too) + (optional) additional chocolate chips for topping

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.  Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, or if you don’t have any (like me), spray it with cooking spray.

2. Put the softened butter in a large bowl, along with both the sugars.

2. With a stand mixer (or hand mixer), beat sugar and butter together on medium speed until creamy. As you can see, my mixture is more crumbly than creamy – the results of not waiting long enough for my butter to soften!

3. Add one egg and beat until combined, then add second egg and beat.

4. Pour in the vanilla extract and mix until combined.

4. Add the baking soda and salt, one at a time, beating until well combined after each addition.*

*Note: The original recipe (and most other cookie recipes) instructs you to put the baking soda and salt in a separate bowl with the flour and cocoa powder in a separate bowl, for mixing purposes.  If you like, feel free to take that extra step! My adaption makes for less dishes to wash.

5. Measure out the flour carefully* and add to the mixture 1/4 cup at a time, beating on low speed.

*Adding too much or too little flour can result in less than chewy, moist cookies.  Too much can make cookies hard and crumbly; too little can make them flat and crisp. To ensure proper measuring, spoon the flour into the measuring cup and brush off excess with a knife.

6. Once the flour is almost, but not completely, incorporated, add the cocoa powder 1/4 cup at a time and beat on low speed.

7. Add the chocolate chips (lots and lots of them!) and stir gently, just until combined.

OPTIONAL STEP: At this point I chilled my cookie dough overnight.  Chilling cookie dough makes for thicker, chewier cookies. The cookies are wonderful even without chilling, so you can skip this step if you like.

8. Using a cookie scoop (or an ice cream scoop, like the one below), scoop cookie dough onto baking sheet, placing each ball about 2-3 inches away from each other.

9. (This is an optional step.) Here’s a trick I use to make cookies look even more delicious! Gently press several chocolate chips on top of cookie dough balls. I used large bittersweet chocolate chips, but feel free to use any kind.

10. Bake each batch of cookies for 10-12 minutes.  I baked mine for exactly 11 minutes, resulting in crispy exteriors and fudgy, chewy interiors.

11. When cookies are done, let them cool for 5 minutes on the baking sheet. Then transfer them to a wire rack until fully cooled.  Oh, and then transfer them to a plate.

12. Enjoy -preferably with a nice tall glass of milk.

Source: Slightly adapted from Inspired Taste