Gourmet Double Chocolate Chunk Cookies

Double chocolate means it in this recipe. Cocoa powder goes into the dough itself, turning the base a deep brown, and then 18 ounces of semi-sweet chocolate chunks get stirred in. That’s over a pound of chunked chocolate in a single batch. Every bite delivers both the deep, roasted flavor of the cocoa and melty pools of semi-sweet.

A full cup of butter makes these rich and tender, but the 30-minute refrigeration step is what keeps them from spreading into flat, greasy puddles on the sheet. Cold dough holds its shape in the hot oven long enough for the edges to set before the center can run. Don’t skip the chill.

Pull these from the oven when they look barely set, not fully baked. They firm up significantly as they cool, and the difference between a fudgy center and a dry, cakey one is about 60 seconds of oven time. At 5 to 8 minutes total, check early and often.

Kitchen Tips

• Use chocolate chunks, not chips. Chips are designed to hold their shape. Chunks melt into gooey, irregular pools that give you the “gourmet” texture.
• Cream the butter, sugars, vanilla, and cocoa powder until light and fluffy before adding the eggs. This step aerates the dough.
• For larger cookies, press the dough balls down slightly before baking. This helps them cook evenly through the center.
• Cool on the sheet for 2 minutes before transferring. They’re extremely fragile right out of the oven.

Variations

• Add a teaspoon of instant espresso powder to the dough to intensify the chocolate flavor without adding coffee taste.
• Fold in 1 cup of chopped walnuts or toasted pecans for crunch.
• Sprinkle flaky sea salt on top of each cookie right after baking for a sweet-salty finish.