As far as chocolate cookies are concerned, these contenders are a heavyweight – with the chocolate content in one batch weighing in at just under 2 pounds.
Despite this, they are not overly dense or fudgy in texture, just perfectly crisp and chewy with a rich chocolate flavour.
Not quite the cookie for a school lunch box but perhaps a nice treat after an afternoon full of activity and a big pile of veggies for dinner.
Ingredients
453 grams/1 pound semisweet chocolate, chopped
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
4 large eggs, at room temperature
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup all-purpose flour, sifted
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
340 grams/12 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips
In a large bowl set over a saucepan of simmering water, melt the chopped chocolate with the butter, stirring a few times, until smooth, about 7 minutes.
In another large bowl, using a handheld electric mixer, beat the eggs with the sugar at medium speed until thick and pale, about 5 minutes. Beat in the vanilla and salt. Using a rubber spatula, fold in the melted chocolate, then fold in the flour and baking powder. Stir in the chocolate chips. Scrape the batter into a shallow baking dish, cover and freeze until well chilled and firm, about 1 hour.
Preheat the oven to 350° and line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Working in batches, scoop 2 tablespoon size mounds of dough onto the prepared baking sheets, about 2 inches apart. Bake for about 10 minutes, until the cookies are dry around the edges and cracked on top. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheets for 10 minutes, then transfer to a rack to cool completely before serving.
Yield: around 30 cookies
Notes: The texture of these cookies will differ depending on the cocoa content of the chocolate you use – semi sweet is my favourite but feel free to experiment.
Source: Belinda Leong for Food & Wine
© 2012, Michelle. All rights reserved.
