Giant Double Chocolate Cookies

These cookies never seem to make it onto the blog even though I’ve baked them several times.  We like them a lot so that doesn’t have anything to do with it.  The reason they’ve never been posted is because I find them impossible to photograph.  Generally speaking, I think any foods that are this dark in color are hard to capture, but these cookies were particularly tough.  I estimate I’ve taken about 150 shots of them and hated them all.  Finally, I decided I wasn’t going to hold out on you guys anymore, no matter how much the pictures make me cringe. Shane also insisted I get over it and share them since he was a big fan.

These are some of the biggest cookies I’ve ever made – they definitely live up to their name.  Their dark color comes from the addition of cocoa powder, and they’re also jam-packed with chocolate chips.  I’ve switched things up and made the recipe substituting peanut butter chips for the chocolate chips; I think I preferred that version, but Shane liked the pure chocolate ones best.  Shane and I both thought these cookies were best warm when the chocolate chips inside were gooey and the centers were soft.  That doesn’t necessarily mean you need to eat them all right when they come out of the oven though.  We found 10 or 12 seconds in the microwave recreated that fresh from the oven flavor and texture.  I rarely never have trouble finishing my dessert, but these cookies are giant and so rich that I couldn’t eat an entire one in a single sitting.  Shane didn’t have the same problem, but he runs 30-40 miles a week so he’s pretty much entitled to eat whatever he wants without any judgment from me 🙂

Giant Double Chocolate Cookies
from Annie’s Eats via My Baking Addiction (who adapted from Parsley, Sage, Desserts and Line Drives)

1 cup (2 sticks) cold unsalted butter, cut into cubes
1 1/4 cups sugar
2 large eggs
1/2 cup dark cocoa powder (I used Hershey’s Special Dark)
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
2 1/2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 F.  Line two baking sheets with parchment.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 3-4 minutes.  Scrape down the sides of the bowl.  Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition, stopping to scrape the sides of the bowl as needed.  Add the cocoa powder and beat to incorporate.  Mix in the flour, baking powder and salt, beating just until incorporated.  Add the chocolate chips and beat briefly to begin to distribute them.  Remove the dough from the bowl and transfer to a work surface.  Knead briefly to distribute the chocolate chips throughout the dough.

Divide the dough into 12 equal pieces – I weighed mine and they were between 3.75 and 4 oz each.  Roll each into a ball and place on the prepared baking sheets (I wouldn’t do more than 6 to a sheet).  Flatten each ball of dough slightly into a disk.  Bake for 16-20 minutes, or until the edges are set.  Cool on the baking sheets for 5-10 minutes then transfer to wire racks.

Makes 12 huge cookies