Chocolatey Chocolate Chip Cookies

Where are all my chocolate lovers? This recipe for chocolatey chocolate chip cookies is for you! Personally, I think they’re the best eaten slightly warm from the oven with a nice cold glass of milk, but they are delicious beyond that as well. Since this recipe does make a lot of cookies, I took a few bags around to friends to keep myself from eating them all. If you’re not in the mood to share, you can easily half this recipe or freeze the dough in balls to pull out anytime a chocolate craving strikes.

The way I like to freeze cookie dough for later use is by using parchment paper to flash-freeze the dough first. I do this by taking a tray or glass dish – whatever will fit in my freezer – and spooning the dough onto the parchment paper. You can even layer the parchment on top of the dough to save some freezer space. When you’re finished, place the tray or dish into the freezer for a few hours. Once the dough is frozen, transfer it to an airtight freezer bag. Then, whenever you’re ready to bake them, pull out your desired amount of cookies and bake following the same instructions below, adding a minute or two onto your bake time.

Ingredients

Yields 4-5 dozen
1 cup butter, room temperature
1 ½ cups granulated sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 eggs
2 cups all-purpose flour
2/3 cup cocoa powder
¾ teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon salt
2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. In the bowl of your stand mixer, or a large mixing bowl, combine butter, sugar, and cream together.
3. Add vanilla and eggs and beat until well mixed.
4. In a separate bowl, combine all remaining dry ingredients except for chocolate chips.
5. Add dry mixture to the creamed mixture and mix.
6. Stir in chocolate chips.
7. For smaller cookies, drop by rounded teaspoon onto an ungreased cookie sheet. For larger cookies use a rounded tablespoon to measure the dough out.
8. Bake for 8-10 minutes, until the cookies are set, being careful to not overbake them.
9. Let cool for 2 minutes on the cookie sheet, then move them to a cooling rack to finish cooling.

Cook’s Tip

Forgot to set out your butter beforehand and now you’re wanting to bake cookies, but your butter is rock hard from the refrigerator? There are several methods to quickly soften your butter so you can get to baking sooner. My go-to favorites are carefully using the microwave, or tossing cubed butter into my stand mixer and beating it on high until it softens enough to add the sugar in with it.