Just like our Chocolate Midnight Cake, these cookies are so dark as to be almost black. Dark Chocolate Cookies are a wonderful cookie for an ice cream sandwich, crisp but still a little chewy, and they pair nicely with many flavors.
AT A GLANCE:
MAKES: about 50 cookies
CHILLING TIME: At least 2 hours or up to overnight
SHELF LIFE: 5 days
INGREDIENTS:
- 2⅔ cups (12 ounces) unbleached all-purpose flour
- 8 ounces (2 cups) Dutch-processed cocoa powder, measured then sifted
- 4½ teaspoons baking soda
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1¾ cups plus 2 tablespoons (15 ounces) unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 1 cup packed light or dark brown sugar
- 3 large eggs
INSTRUCTIONS:
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt and set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, combine the butter and both sugars. Mix on medium-high speed until lightened in color and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Scrape down the bowl and, with the motor running, add the eggs one at a time, completely mixing in each egg before adding the next. Scrape down the sides of the bowl, add the flour mixture, and mix on low speed just until the dough comes together, about 30 seconds.
- Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and chill until the dough is firm, at least 2 hours or up to overnight.
- When you’re ready to bake, position racks in the top and bottom thirds of the oven and preheat the oven to 350°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or nonstick mats.
Scoop up 2 tablespoons of dough (we use a 1-ounce ice cream scoop) and form the dough into a ball. Repeat until all the dough has been shaped. Place the balls 2½ inches apart on the baking sheets. Flatten the balls slightly with the palm of your hand so that they’re about ½ inch thick. - Bake for 5 minutes, and then rotate the baking sheets top to bottom and front to back. Continued to bake until the cookies are slightly cracked on the surface and feel dry and slightly firm in the center, 5 to 6 minutes longer. (If they feel airy, like a soufflé, they’re not ready). Let cool for a minute on the baking sheets, then transfer to a rack. Bake the remaining dough balls. Let cool completely and then store in an airtight container.
TIP:
- Sometimes having 50 cookies in your kitchen is more temptation than you want at one time! If that’s the case for you, try what we do when making cookies at home: After mixing the cookie dough, shape the dough into balls and line them up snugly on a parchment paper–lined baking sheet. Freeze until solid (about an hour), then transfer to a zip-top storage bag and store in the freezer. They last for weeks this way, and you can bake as many or as few as you like at a moment’s notice. When you’re ready to bake, arrange the dough balls on the baking sheet and let them sit at room temperature to thaw slightly before putting them in the oven. This method will work for any of the cookies in this
book.
MAKE IT YOUR OWN:
- Add 1 teaspoon peppermint extract after adding the eggs.
- Add 2 cups coarsely chopped white chocolate after mixing in the flour.
