Chewy Brownie Cookies CTT-Cookie Testing Time
The weather has taken a definite turn so I am pivoting from stress cooking to cookie baking. It’s windy, cold, and wet, it’s time to crank up the oven and test a few cookie recipes. Which new cookie will reign supreme and star in this year’s holiday cookie box? I usually don’t start this early, generally opting to wait for NYTcooking to publish their holiday cookie spread, but a couple of recipes caught my eye, a Chewy Brownie Cookie and a Soy Sauce Chocolate Chip Cookie. I thought to myself, I might as well start now.
Let the Cookie Games Begin
The first one that caught my eye is from New York Times Cooking, Vaughan Vreeland’s Chewy Brownie Cookies. Before I sing the praises of this cookie, have you all watched any of Vaughan’s videos? They’re not only instructive but entertaining and downright hilarious. Check out his wedding cake video, a classic.
The Cookie Lowdown
The cookie batter comes together quickly and is baked right after it is made to achieve the shiny tops. It’s best to have everything ready before you start combining and mixing the ingredients. Mise en place pays here.
Measure and pour flour into a small bowl. Set aside.
Chocolate: Use your favorite chocolate. I like Guittard’s Semi-sweet chocolate. For serious chocolate folks, bittersweet would give a more intense, less sweet cookie.
Cocoa Powder: I don’t think it matters what cocoa powder dutch-processed or natural will work. King Arthur’s Triple Cocoa Powder combines Dutch-process, natural, and black cocoa and can be used in recipes that call for either. My default.
Espresso Powder:
For the first batch, I used King Arthur’s espresso powder and you could taste the coffee. I used Medaglia d’Oro for a second batch and could not taste any coffee. Although the intent is for the espresso powder to enhance the chocolate flavor, I liked the flavor the King Arthur espresso powder added to the cookie.
Once the butter is melted, remove the pan from the heat and add the chocolate, espresso, and cocoa powder into the saucepan. Let it sit a couple of minutes to melt the chocolate then stir until smooth.
Eggs: Bring the eggs to room temperature to maximize the air bubbles. There aren’t any leavening agents so it’s the eggs that provide lift. Whisk the eggs and sugars together, increase the mixer speed to medium-high, and beat for 3-5 minutes until light and ribbony. Whisk in the vanilla, then reduce the mixer speed to low and slowly add the chocolate mixture. Be sure to scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl. Beat until well blended. Add flour and mix until only a few streaks of flour are showing. Finish folding the flour into the batter by hand to avoid over beating.
Working quickly, plop batter onto a parchment-lined baking sheet using a #40 scoop. Leave 2 inches between each cookie. Bake at 350 degrees. At the 8-minute mark take the sheet out and rap on the counter to create the crackle pattern on the cookies. Sprinkle flaky salt, like Maldon, on each cookie and return the sheet to the oven for an additional 2- 3 minutes. Cool on a wire rack.
With crisp edges, a gooey center, and chocolate flavor throughout, this Chewy Chocolate Brownie Cookie is a winner and so deserves a spot on the holiday cookie list. 🎄🎄🎄
Chewy Brownie Cookies
Ingredients
Chocolate MIxture
- ¾ cup finely chopped semisweet or bittersweet chocolate (113 grams)
- ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder (42 grams)
- 1 teaspoon espresso powder
- ½ cup unsalted butter (113 grams)
Whisked Mixture
- 2 large eggs at room temperature
- ¾ cup granulated sugar (150 grams)
- ½ cup packed dark brown sugar (107 grams)
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Dry Ingredients:
- ¾ cup all-purpose flour (90 grams)
- Flaky sea salt for finishing
Instructions
- Heat oven to 350 degrees. Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Melt butter in a skillet or saucepan over medium-low heat until bubbly but not browned, about 3 minutes. Remove saucepan from heat and add chopped chocolate, cocoa powder and espresso over the chocolate mixture. Without stirring, let the mixture sit so the residual heat can melt the chocolate thoroughly while you whip the eggs and sugar. Stir and set aside.
- Put the eggs, both sugars and kosher salt in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment. (If using a hand mixer, a large bowl will do.) Whisk on medium-high speed until the mixture is pillowy and the sugars have begun to dissolve, 3 to 5 minutes.
- Stir the chocolate mixture until glossy and smooth. (If any solid pieces of chocolate remain, you can microwave the mixture in 10-second bursts until everything is melted.)
- With the mixer on low speed, add the vanilla extract and then the chocolate mixture. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl to make sure the chocolate is evenly distributed, then add the flour and mix on low speed until only a few streaks of flour remain. To avoid overmixing, use a spatula to finish folding in the flour. The dough should be glossy and resemble a very thick brownie batter.
- Using a 2-tablespoon/1-ounce scoop, scoop a heaping amount of the dough into mounds directly onto the parchment-lined baking sheets, with each portion at least 2 inches apart, yielding about 18 cookies. Work quickly to ensure the cookies stay shiny once baked.
- Bake for 8 minutes until the cookies have started to spread and take on a shiny outer surface, then remove the pans from the oven and whack them on the countertop a couple times to create a cragged top. (This also helps create a fudgier consistency.) Top with flaky sea salt and return to the oven to finish baking, for another 2 minutes until shiny and slightly puffed. Cool for a couple minutes directly on the baking sheets before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.