Deluxe Double Chocolate Cookies

When we slipped away to the Sunshine Coast last weekend, I felt the need to bake a little somethin' to bring along for our Saturday picnic. So I went rooting around in my baking books and discovered these Deluxe Double Chocolate Cookies. They were surprisingly delicious AND unbelievably easy to make (bonus!). And, I'm happy to report that I only ate 1.5 of them! *gloat gloat* Who knew I could exercise such restraint? [Sidebar note: For anyone who knows that I just signed up for Weight Watchers again, this becomes even MORE significant.] The one cookie I had hot out of the oven was pretty spectacular...But I shan't get into lurid descriptions of that hot-out-of-the-oven-cookie for fear that I'll have to label this post as "mature content". Happily, these puppies fared well at room temperature too.

Deluxe Double Chocolate Cookies

1 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
4 ounces high quality semi sweet chocolate
5 ounces high quality milk chocolate cut into 1/4 inch chunks
1/2 cup unsalted butter (1 stick)
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F and line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.

Whisk together flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt in a bowl.

Melt 4 ounces of semi-sweet chocolate with the butter in a small heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water.

Put chocolate mixture, sugar, eggs and vanilla in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix on medium speed until combined.

Reduce speed to low and gradually add in flour mixture. Fold in chocolate chunks. Drop dough onto cookie sheets spacing 2 inches apart. Bake until cookies are flat and surfaces crack, about 12 minutes (cookies should still be soft). Let cool on parchment paper on wire racks. Makes about 2 dozen(ish). The cookies can be stored in an airtight container for up to 3 days, but they probably won't last that long.