From my mom, I inherited curly hair, a love of cycling and the outdoors, and exceedingly high standards for cookie recipes. Our original chocolate chip cookie recipe–the one that I brought to nearly every childhood sleepover, and continue to make to this day–is so impossibly perfect that for many years, we made no other. When the bar is perfection, all other cookies simply fell short.
That is, until we hit on these bad boys. I seem to remember us first having them when I was in high school–so in the mid-2000s. (This also would explain why a deep dive on Bon Appétit’s website hasn’t turned up the original recipe.) They are magnificently crisp on the outside, yet somehow slightly chewy and fudgy within. And though the recipe calls for sweet chocolate, the finished product is somehow just slightly bittersweet.
They earned their place on our cookie rotation, and they continue to earn a reverent silence from all true chocolate lovers who try them—including, I hope, you!
Note: in order to finely chop the chocolate, this recipe requires a food processor.
Six months ago: I celebrated Julia Child’s birthday in Lyon by making a (ridiculously easy) plum clafoutis
One year ago: Raspberry-Nut Valentine Cookies
Bittersweet double-chocolate cookies
My mom’s notes indicate this recipe came from Bon Appétit, but I can’t find the original recipe online
Makes about 3 dozen 3-inch cookies
Ingredients
5 oz (141g) sweet chocolate, broken into pieces
1/2 cup (103g) firmly packed brown sugar
1/2 cup (100g) white sugar
1/2 cup (110g) unsalted butter, cubed, room temperature
1 egg
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 cup minus 2 tablespoons (118g) all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
pinch of salt
1 cup (6oz/170g)) semisweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup (55g) pecan halves or pieces (if halves, roughly chop)
Instructions
Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 350F (176C).
In a food processor, combine chocolate and sugars and chop using 6 on/off turns, then process until chocolate is as fine as sugar, about 1 minute, stopping as necessary to scrape down the sides of the food processor. Add butter and blend 30 seconds. Add egg and vanilla and blend 1 minute. Add flour, baking soda, and salt. Top with chocolate chips and pecans and mix using 2 on/off turns. Run spatula around inside of processor and blend again, using 2 on/off turns.
Scoop dough into a container and freeze for at least 30 minutes. (Is this step painful when you’re experiencing intense cookie cravings? Yes. But it prevents your cookies from spreading excessively and flattening out what is already a thinner cookie.)
Press the chilled dough into balls and place on an ungreased baking sheet, about 1 1/2 inches apart. Bake 10 minutes. Cool for a few minutes on the baking sheet, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Notes
Dough will keep in an airtight container in the freezer for a couple of months. When you need a cookie fix, just scoop the frozen dough into balls, place on baking sheet, and bake as instructed, keeping in mind that the cookies may take a touch longer to cook, since you started with dough that was frozen solid.
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