Don’t let your eyes deceive you. It is perfectly safe to keep a batch of these cookies close by over the holidays.  If you are like me, and have to be vigilant about how many desserts you have around the house (lest you devour every last morsel in one compulsive sitting) then rest assured that these will satisfy both your good intentions and your nagging sweet tooth.

That’s not to say that these cookies aren’t as decadently rich or intensely chocolaty as they appear. They are indeed.  In fact the resonance of deep, dark cocoa in each bite is so profound, that you will be quite content with just one cookie.  The high ratio of pure unsweetened and melted bittersweet chocolate in the recipe is leavened only by a scant half-cup of flour, handful of eggs, and pinch of baking powder. To enrich an already luscious cookie dough, additional bittersweet chips and a shot of espresso are folded in at the last minute to create a profuse depth of chocolate throughout.

Biting into one of these cookies, warm from the oven, is reminiscent of eating a dense, molten brownie with melted pockets of chocolate oozing from within.  A hint of coffee in the background enhances the bitterness of the cocoa and is offset by the buttery richness of the slightly crackled batter. It is not an exaggeration to say that you will easily get your chocolate fix in two bites, then happily save the rest for tomorrow.

Recipe:

Ingredients:

4 oz. unsweetened chocolate, roughly chopped

3 C. bittersweet chocolate chips, divided

1 stick butter, unsalted

½ C. flour

½ tsp. baking powder

½ tsp. salt

4 large eggs

2 tsp. vanilla extract

1 ½ C sugar

1 Tbsp. brewed espresso

Method:

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Prepare 2 sheet pans, each lined with parchment paper.

Melt unsweetened chocolate and 1 ½ C of chips with the butter over a double boiler, or in the microwave.  Allow mixture to cool slightly. Meanwhile, beat the eggs and sugar together in a standing mixer fitted with a whisk attachment at high speed for about 5 minutes, or until the mixture is thick and pale. Fold chocolate mixture into the eggs, then fold in flour, vanilla and salt. Finally, add the remaining chips and espresso. Allow the batter to stand at room temperature or in the fridge for at least one hour before scooping.

Scoop heaping teaspoons onto the prepared sheet pans, allowing for 2 inches in between each cookie. Bake for approximately 8-10 minutes, or until the tops are lightly cracked. The cookies should still appear just slightly undercooked. Let the cookies cool for about 10 minutes before carefully removing each with a spatula from the pan.