Well folks, after all those healthy salads I've been posting lately I think it's time to indulge a bit. And what better way than with double-chocolate cookies! You will love these, I promise. They came out great, I'm really happy with them and would make them again and again and again. They're especially good out of the oven, after they've cooled slightly but are still warm and gooey on the inside. And these bad boys are big, this recipe makes 9 large cookies, soft inside with a slightly crisp edge. I'm sold on these.

What's nice about this recipe is that you refrigerate the dough, so you can easily make a batch and then bake as needed, you know, those cool rainy nights when a warm-out-of-the-oven cookie would be perfect, easy enough done in under 15 minutes!

The recipe is from Blue Bottle Craft of Coffee book that I've mentioned before. The dough is prepared basically the same as the Ginger-Molasses cookies, and like the other recipe I chose to mix by hand rather than use the kitchen-aid, it's a little more work but seems to move along faster because I don't have to stop it constantly to scrape down the sides. But it's really up to your preference as far as mixing. I think I'll try to find some Maldon sea salt the next time I make these, I only had kosher on hand, which is fine, but the book describes the flake salt and says it allows for you to get the occasional crunch of salt crystal in some bites, that sounds so good! The salt options are listed below the recipe because different grains require different measurements, but if you have flake sea salt on hand it's probably the way to go.

Recipe below, indulge and enjoy!

Double-Chocolate Cookies
(adapted from Blue Bottle Craft of Coffee )

1 cup all-purpose flour
1/3 cup natural (not Dutch-processed) cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon Maldon sea salt (or 1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt)*
1 egg, at room temperature
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
3.5 ounces dark chocolate, 62%-70% cacao, coarsely chopped

Sift the flour, cocoa powder and baking soda into a medium bowl.

In large bowl beat the butter until smooth. Add the sugar and salt and beat for a few minutes until well combined (you can use a stand mixer but I used a fork)

In another bowl whisk together the egg and vanilla. Add the egg mixture to the butter whisking until well combined for about a minute. Add the flour mixture, scraping down the sides of the bowl until color is a uniform brown. Add the chopped chocolate and with a wooden spoon mix until pieces are mixed though out. Form the dough into a disk shape, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 3 hours or up to 5 days.

Preheat oven to 350°. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, Roll 1/4 cup portions of the dough into balls and place them on the baking sheet, spacing them at least 2 inches apart. Bake for 11-12 minutes, until the cookies are slightly firm to the touch and the surface is no longer glossy, rotating the pan midway through the baking time. (if you make smaller cookies reduce your bake time)

Let the cookies cool on the pan for 10 minutes before removing. Cookies are best eaten warm. The can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.

I agree with the recipe which says to keep the dough in the fridge and bake them when you want them, they are so good fresh out of the oven, cooled slightly and still warm and gooey inside!

*The recipe calls for Maldon salt which I don't have. Maldon is a flaked salt, larger crystals but a milder salt flavor. The salt conversion is 1 teaspoon of large flake sea salt = 1/2 teaspoon kosher or medium grain = 1/4 teaspoon fine-grained table salt.