Small Batch Double Chocolate Cookies

Perfect for those late night cravings, two (okay, three) thick, fudgy, rich, double chocolate cookies that can be yours in 15 minutes. These don’t require eggs, so underbake them and enjoy them fresh out of the oven, while they’re warm and the chocolate is melted – kind of like an individual lava cake.

Ingredients:

• 25 grams unsalted butter
• 20 grams water (about 1 & 1/2 tablespoons)
• 10 grams cornstarch (about 1 tablespoon)
• 40 grams brown sugar
• 1/8 teaspoon salt (you can measure this by eyeballing half of 1/4 teaspoon, or just add a pinch of salt)
• 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract (optional)
• 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 40 grams all-purpose flour
• 10 grams dutch process cocoa powder
• 1/2 teaspoon instant espresso powder (optional)
• 40 grams dark chocolate chips or chopped chocolate

Instructions:

1. In a microwave safe bowl, melt the butter.
2. Add the water and cornstarch to the butter and whisk thoroughly, until smooth and lump-free.
3. Add the salt, sugar, and vanilla and mix until combined.
4. Add the flour, baking powder, cocoa powder, espresso powder and chocolate chips and mix just until combined. The dough will look quite loose at this stage, but it will firm up.
5. Place the cookie dough in the refrigerator while your oven heats up.
6. Heat oven to 180 Celsius, or 350 Fahrenheit.
7. Roll the cookie dough into two or three equal balls and place them on a lined baking sheet. (You can make two giant cookies, or three smaller, but still generous cookies).
8. Press the cookies down to flatten them slightly, and (optionally) place more chocolate on top.
9. Bake for 8-10 minutes, until the edges are just set and the inside is still soft – be careful not to overbake these! If youe cookies are misshapen when they come out of the oven, you can use a large cup or cookie cutter to gently nudge them into perfect circles.
10. Top with flaky sea salt, if desired.
11. Let cool slightly, and devour!

Notes:

• Gluten free: to make these cookies gluten free, replace the all-purpose flour with an equal weight of gluten-free oat flour. Allow the cookie dough to rest, covered, at room temperature for at least ten minutes to allow the flour to hydrate. Follow the rest of the recipe as usual.
  • I have tested these cookies with an all-purpose gluten free flour blend, but the results were subpar (slightly grainy) and I highly recommend using oat flour instead.
• Batch size: as written, this recipe makes 2 large (frankly, huge) cookies or 3 (slightly more modest) cookies, but it can easily be doubled or tripled to make a bigger batch.