These simple, delicious cookies (from BraveTart) are not made with your standard, everyday chocolate chip morsels, but instead are chock full of coarsely hand-chopped chocolate bar pieces, so I guess technically, they should be called chocolate chunk cookies.They come out of the oven (which, by the way, is the best time to eat them) chewy with crispy crunchy edges. One of the best things about these cookies, besides the speed and simplicity of the preparation, is that you can use a wide variety of chocolates…any kind you like. For these, I chopped up a dark chocolate bar, a milk chocolate bar and milk chocolate with hazelnut bar. The cocoa butter in the chocolate bars thickens the dough and flavors it so the cookies don’t taste, and the dough doesn’t behave, the same as if store-bought chocolate chip morsels were used…and that’s a good thing because they end up tasting way better, with a great, but subtle, butterscotchy flavor.
Now, depending on the type of chocolate you buy, these cookies could end up being pretty expensive, but I found that with this recipe, even a good quality, but relatively inexpensive chocolate, still turns out a fantastic batch of cookies. The bars in the pictured cookies were bought at Aldi and they were only a couple of dollars each. I’ve also made them with much more expensive chocolate (like Callebaut, Guittard, Scharffen Berger, or, one of my go-to favorites, good-old American Ghirardelli). Of course, like with all baking, a better quality ingredient will almost always yield a better finished product. If you use a better quality (and better quality usually translates to more expensive) chocolate it may melt a little better and may give you more intense, chocolaty flavor, but no matter what kind of chocolate you use, these cookies always seem to turn out great and invariably are much better than anything you can buy in the store.
And if you like dunking, these cookies, when dunked in your morning coffee, will blow you away. They might not make the most nutritious of breakfasts, but I guarantee, after a couple of dunks, you will start your day with a smile.
Quick and Easy Chocolate Chip Cookies Recipe
Ingredients
- 14 ounces assorted dark, milk or white chocolate (not commercial chips), roughly chopped (2 1/2 cups; 395g)
- 12 1/2 ounces all-purpose flour (2 3/4 cups, spooned; 355g)
- 8 ounces unsalted butter (2 sticks; 225g, soft but cool, about 65°F)
- 7 1/4 ounces white sugar (1 cup; 205g)
- 8 ounces light brown sugar (1 cup, gently packed; 225g)
- 1/2 ounce vanilla extract (1 tablespoon; 15g)
- 2 teaspoons 8g Diamond Crystal kosher salt, plus more for sprinkling; for table salt, use about half as much by volume or the same weight
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 large egg (about 1 3/4 ounces; 50g, straight from the fridge)
- 1/8 teaspoon grated nutmeg
Instructions
- Make the Dough: Adjust oven rack to middle position and preheat to 350°F (180°C). Set aside a handful of chopped chocolate (about 2 ounces; 55g) and place the remainder in a medium bowl. Sift flour on top and toss together. Combine butter, white sugar, brown sugar, vanilla, salt, baking soda, baking powder, and nutmeg in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Mix on low to moisten, then increase to medium and beat until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. With mixer running, add egg and continue beating only until smooth. Reduce speed to low, add flour/chocolate all at once, and mix to form a stiff dough.
- Portion the Dough: Divide in 2-tablespoon portions (about 1 1/2 ounces or 40g each) and round each one into a smooth ball. (If you like, portioned dough can be refrigerated in a heavy-duty zipper-lock bag up to 1 week, or frozen 6 months. Stand at room temperature until quite soft, about 70°F or 21°C, and proceed as directed.)
- To Bake: Arrange portions on a parchment-lined half sheet pan, leaving 2 inches between cookies to account for spread. Garnish each with reserved chocolate and a pinch of kosher salt. Bake until puffed and pale gold around the edges but steamy in the middle, about 15 minutes. For crunchy cookies, continue baking until golden, 3 to 5 minutes more. Cool directly on baking sheet until crumb is set, about 5 minutes. Enjoy warm or store in an airtight container up to 2 days at room temperature.
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