I first saw these Martha Stewart cookies on Steve’s Flickr photostream. His fiance Laura bakes and he takes photos of what she makes for her blog. So, I clicked through and loved how these cookies sounded. Chocolate on chocolate is what I am into. I have since made the recipe twice and each time they were the perfect brownie consistency and taste with melted chocolate pools on the inside. The first time I made the cookies was for my dad’s birthday and the second time was as a hostess gift for Alpana and Charles when they threw a party a few weeks ago.
Here’s what you need. Salt, vanilla, brown sugar, baking powder, flour, butter, eggs, and semi-sweet chocolate. It’s not too much. You should be able to handle it.
Weigh out 8 ounces of semi-sweet chocolate. I just used chocolate chips, since that’s what I had in the house. I never get the measuring right on the dot the first time, which is ok. That means I get to eat the chocolate, chip by chip, until the number says 8.00. Yes, I use a Weight Watchers-branded scale to measure my chocolate. Ironic, dontcha think?
Add the butter to the bowl.
Microwave for 20 seconds and stir. Not quite melted and smooth enough.
Microwave for 20 more seconds and stir. Lookin’ good now. If yours is still not melted enough, do 20 more seconds, but don’t go too far with this. You want the chocolate and butter melted but you don’t want to scorch it. Also, later on, if you happen to lick this bowl you might die and go to heaven. Butter? And chocolate? Yum!
Set aside that tempting chocolate for now. Mix together the dry ingredients. I always use a whisk. I’ve also lately been using coarse salt in baked recipes. I don’t know if you’re supposed to, but I like to taste a bit of a salt tang with my sweets and I think coarse salt is better at that.
In 12th grade I had met all my required credits for high school except for in English. So I took some easy Lit. class, took some easy home economics classes and worked in the afternoons on an internship program. I don’t remember much about the home ec class except that our instructor told us always to crack your eggs into a small bowl before adding to a recipe. I’ve never had a bad egg, but I always follow her advice anyway.
Dump the eggs, brown sugar and vanilla into your mixing bowl.
Kitchenaid action shot! Beat on high!
Add in melted chocolate.
Blend on low.
Dump in the flour mixture.
Mix til just combined. This means turn the mixer off as soon as things look blended. Don’t overbeat.
Measure out 12 ounces more of the semi-sweet chocolate. Feel free to eat a few chips.
Dump the chocolate chips into the chocolate batter. Lookin’ decadent already.
I don’t think you’re supposed to mix in the chocolate chips with the Kitchenaid. It kind of makes a funny noise. But I’m lazy, so I do.
Refrigerate the dough for about 15 minutes. Or 25 if you fall asleep, like I did. Oh, and yes, we do have a shelf in our fridge dedicated to beer (and one bottle of tonkatsu sauce). Yes, it is just a ploy to get our friends to come over and visit more often. Yes, it does work. Our friends are suckers.
Now that you’re rested up from your nap and the dough is set up more, it’s time to dig in.
Drop heaping tablespoons of dough 2-3 inches apart. I use this cookie scoop because it’s easier and my hands don’t get messy, but you can just use a regular spoon.
I always bake on silpat, but you can use parchment paper or a plain baking sheet if you don’t have a silpat mat.
Bake. This photo is all askew because I was drunk on the thought of how tasty these look…. and the smell.. omg!
Cool on a wire rack. If The Hawaiian was home I’d have had to slap his fingers away from these cooling cookies but luckily he was off watching March Madness at Messner’s.
I only had to try to control myself, which was not easy. Also? I need a manicure.
So delicious with an ice-cold glass of milk. These cookies, along with a fridge shelf full of beer, will win you over new friends!
Can you tell I’ve been reading The Pioneer Woman‘s cooking section a lot lately?
Martha Stewart’s Outrageous Chocolate Cookies
Makes about 2 dozen cookies.
8 ounces semisweet chocolate, roughly chopped
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
2/3 cup all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs
3/4 cup packed light-brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 package (12 ounces) semisweet chocolate chunks
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Heat chopped chocolate and butter in a microwave-safe bowl in 20-second increments, stirring in between, until almost melted; do not overheat. In another bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt.
In a mixing bowl, beat eggs, brown sugar, and vanilla on high speed until light and fluffy. Reduce speed to low; beat in melted chocolate. Mix in flour mixture until just combined. Stir in chocolate chunks. Refrigerate dough for about 15 minutes.
Drop heaping tablespoons of dough 2 to 3 inches apart onto baking sheets. Bake, rotating sheets halfway through, until cookies are shiny and crackly yet soft in centers, 12 to 15 minutes. Cool on sheets 10 minutes; with a thin metal spatula, transfer to racks to cool completely.
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