The past month or so has been crazy around these parts! As of last Friday, however, I am completely finished with graduate school, and incredibly excited for a few glorious weeks off before I go back to work. I am so accustomed to doing homework, writing, and editing most evenings that I hardly know what to do with myself!
To fill the void celebrate, I planned a small cookout for friends last weekend. While brainstorming dessert options, I realized it has been far too long since I made a batch of these salted chocolate chunk cookies. Chocolate and more chocolate, with just a tiny bit of flour to stitch it together, and sea salt for a finishing touch. The salt in the batter and sprinkled on top adds just the right contrasting flavor to the rich chocolate, and makes the finished product feel just a tiny bit fancy. These were the perfect sweet treat to wrap up our evening with friends. I made the cookies in this batch on the small side, because we served them with ice cream, but you could certainly make fewer, larger cookies if you so desired.
At my husband’s last job, his coworkers would request these by name, and I can’t believe we’d gone more than a year without making a batch. Needless to say, I won’t be letting that happen again!
Salted Chocolate Chunk Cookies
Yields about 3 dozen small cookies
Ingredients
8 oz. semisweet chocolate, roughly chopped
4 tbsp. unsalted butter
2/3 cup flour
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. sea salt, plus extra for garnish
2 large eggs, at room temperature
3/4 cup light brown sugar, tightly packed
1 tsp. vanilla extract
12 oz. semisweet chocolate chunks (chunks are lovely, but chips are just fine in a pinch)
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F, and prepare baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone liners.
Combine the 8 oz. chopped chocolate with butter in a small microwave-safe bowl. Warm in 30-second increments, stirring in between, until chocolate is melted and the mixture is smooth. Set aside to cool slightly.
In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and 1/2 tsp. sea salt. Set aside.
In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the eggs, brown sugar, and vanilla extract. Mix at medium-high speed for 4-5 minutes, until the sugar is completely dissolved. Add the melted chocolate and incorporate at low speed until mixture is uniform. Add the flour mixture until just combined, then stir in 12 oz. chocolate chunks by hand.
At this point, the dough will most likely be runny. Allow it to sit for at least 10 minutes on the counter or in the refrigerator, to allow the chocolate to cool. When the dough is stiff enough to hold a rounded shape, it is ready.
Drop tablespoons of dough onto the baking sheets, leaving 2-3 inches in between. Bake for 10-12 minutes, rotating sheets halfway through, until the tops are shiny and crackly, and the cookies are still soft in the center. Remove from the oven and sprinkle immediately with additional sea salt. Allow to cool on the baking sheets for about 10 minutes, then transfer cookies to a wire rack to cool completely.
Source: The Brewer & The Baker
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