Makes 18 cookies · 42 min
About this recipe
A cookie that behaves like the corner piece of a brownie tray — dense in the middle, papery on top, and ready in a fraction of the baking time. Chopped bittersweet chocolate, unsweetened cocoa and a spoonful of espresso powder do the heavy lifting on flavor, so there is no leavening here at all. The only step worth slowing down for is whipping the eggs and sugar: that is what gives the dough its lift and the baked cookie its glassy, crackled lid. Rapping the sheet pan against the counter about eight minutes in collapses the centers on purpose, which is where the fudgy texture comes from. Whether you race for the crisp edges or wait patiently for the gooey middle, these land somewhere between both.
Ingredients List
- 3/4 cup/113 grams finely chopped bittersweet chocolate
- 1/2 cup/42 grams unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 1/2 teaspoons espresso powder
- 1/2 cup/113 grams unsalted butter
- 2 large eggs, at room temperature
- 3/4 cup/150 grams granulated sugar
- 1/2 packed cup/107 grams dark brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 3/4 cup/90 grams all-purpose flour
- Flaky sea salt, for finishing
Preparation
- Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Line two large sheet pans with parchment paper.
- Put the chocolate, cocoa powder and espresso powder in a small heatproof bowl or a glass measuring cup. Melt the butter in a skillet over medium-low heat until it bubbles but has not browned, about 3 minutes, then pour it over the chocolate. Do not stir — let the residual heat melt everything through while you whip the eggs and sugar.
- Put the eggs, both sugars and the kosher salt in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. (A hand mixer and a large bowl will do.) Whisk on medium-high until the mixture is pillowy and the sugar has begun to dissolve, 3 to 5 minutes.
- Stir the chocolate mixture until glossy and smooth. If any solid pieces hold out, microwave it in 10-second bursts until everything has melted.
- With the mixer on low, add the vanilla and then the chocolate mixture. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl so the chocolate is evenly worked in, then add the flour and mix on low until only a few streaks remain. Finish folding by hand with a spatula to avoid overmixing — the dough should be glossy and read like a very thick brownie batter.
- Using a 2-tablespoon scoop, drop heaping mounds of dough straight onto the lined pans, at least 2 inches apart, for about 18 cookies. Work quickly so the tops stay shiny once baked.
- Bake one sheet at a time for 11 to 13 minutes, rapping the pan firmly on the counter at the 8-minute mark to settle the centers. The edges should be set and the middles still soft.
- Scatter flaky salt over the tops while they are hot, then let the cookies firm up on the pan for 10 minutes before moving them to a rack.