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Melted chocolate and butter join a whipped egg mixture to make these brownie-style cookies. The cocoa and optional espresso powder are used once in the dry mixture. Portion consistently and let the baked cookies settle on their trays before moving them.
No. Whisk the quarter cup of cocoa and optional espresso powder with the flour, baking powder and salt. The original repeated instruction to add them again to melted chocolate would double those ingredients; keep one measured dry mixture.
Ingredient amounts and preparation
- Set out: 1 cup all-purpose flour
- Set out: 1 teaspoon baking powder
- Set out: 1/8 teaspoon salt
- Set out: 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- Set out: 1 teaspoon espresso powder (optional)
- Set out: 2 large eggs, room temperature
- Set out: 1 large egg yolk, room temperature
- Set out: 1 cup granulated sugar
- Set out: 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- Set out: 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Set out: 6 tablespoons unsalted butter
- Set out: 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips, plus extra for topping; Sea salt flakes for garnish (optional)
Cooking sequence and doneness
- Stage 1
- Heat the oven to 350°F and line baking sheets with parchment.
- Stage 2
- Whisk flour, baking powder, salt, cocoa and optional espresso powder together once.
- Stage 3
- Beat eggs, the extra yolk, sugar, oil and vanilla until frothy. Melt butter and the cup of chocolate chips gently, stirring until smooth.
- Stage 4
- Cool the chocolate mixture until warm rather than hot.
- Stage 5
- Fold it into the egg mixture.
- Stage 6
- Add the dry mixture and fold just until combined. Scoop tablespoon-size portions onto cool lined trays with about two inches between them.
- Stage 7
- Add optional extra chips and a light sprinkle of flaky salt.
- Stage 8
- Bake about eight to ten minutes, continuing as needed until tops are crackled and set without liquid centers. Rest five minutes on the tray before transferring carefully to a rack.
Melt it gently with the butter and stir until smooth, then let it cool to warm before combining with eggs. A very hot mixture can cook egg in streaks. Do not allow water from a double boiler to drip into the chocolate bowl.
What does whipping the eggs accomplish?
Beat the two eggs and extra yolk with sugar, oil and vanilla until frothy and evenly combined. This is a different method from creaming solid butter. Fold in the chocolate and dry ingredients gently rather than continuing to whip after flour is added.
When are the cookies done?
For tablespoon-size portions, begin checking at eight minutes. The tops should look crackled and set while the centers remain soft, with no liquid batter. Oven differences can move the finish beyond the original eight-to-ten-minute range.
Why cool on the baking sheet?
The warm centers need a few minutes to gain strength. Leave the cookies for about five minutes before lifting with a broad spatula. If a cookie bends or tears, give the rest more time rather than scraping them loose immediately.
Storage and serving later
Let the baked pieces cool completely before closing a storage container, so trapped steam does not wet the surface. Keep any perishable filling or accompaniment under its own refrigerated-storage instructions.
Related recipe choices
For another complete recipe, see Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Bars with Cinnamon or Fantasy Fudge with Chocolate and Walnuts. Each has its own ingredient quantities and cooking sequence; keep those measurements separate when choosing a meal.
King Arthur’s creaming guide explains how butter condition affects mixing. That guide concerns recipes using softened butter; where this recipe calls for melted butter, follow its separate mixing sequence. The guide does not establish testing of this formula.
Common Questions About This Recipe
- Is cocoa added twice?
No. Whisk the quarter cup of cocoa and optional espresso powder with the flour, baking powder and salt.
- How hot should the melted chocolate be?
Melt it gently with the butter and stir until smooth, then let it cool to warm before combining with eggs. A very hot mixture can cook egg in streaks.
- What does whipping the eggs accomplish?
Beat the two eggs and extra yolk with sugar, oil and vanilla until frothy and evenly combined. This is a different method from creaming solid butter.
- When are the cookies done?
For tablespoon-size portions, begin checking at eight minutes. The tops should look crackled and set while the centers remain soft, with no liquid batter.
- Why cool on the baking sheet?
The warm centers need a few minutes to gain strength. Leave the cookies for about five minutes before lifting with a broad spatula.