Fudgy Brownie Cookies

½ C (4 oz/8 T) unsalted butter
1 C (6 oz/172 g) semisweet chocolate chips
¾ C (5 ¼ oz/149 g)) light brown sugar
2 large eggs, room temperature
1 t (5 ml) vanilla extract
1 C (5 oz/141 g) all-purpose flour
1/3 C (1 ¼ oz) unsweetened cocoa powder
¼ t salt
½ t (2 g) baking soda
½ C (3 oz/86 g) semisweet chocolate chips

In large microwave-safe bowl, melt butter and bittersweet chocolate chips at 1-minute intervals, stirring in between, until melted and smooth (but not overly warm). Let mixture cool to room temperature. Stir in brown sugar, eggs, and vanilla. Stir until well-combined. Add flour, cocoa, salt and baking soda. Gently stir until evenly combined (don’t overmix). Fold in chocolate chips.

Chill dough for 1 to 2 hours until dough is firm but not so stiff you can’t scoop out cookie dough.

Place oven rack in middle position and heat to 350°F (180°C). Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats. I prefer Silpat baking pads to minimize cookie spread.

Remove dough from bowl and shape into large ball. Divide dough in half and keep dividing until you have 30 to 32 equally size dough balls. Roll dough pieces into balls and place on prepared pan a couple inches apart (about 12 cookies per sheet).

Bake for 9 to 11 minutes or until set around edges but still soft in middle; don’t overbake!

Cool for a couple minutes on baking sheets before removing to wire rack to cool completely. Store covered at room temperature for a couple days or freeze for longer.

Makes: 32 cookies

8 Feb 18 – Melted chocolate chips and butter in large glass Pyrex bowl in microwave. Started out on high for 1 min, followed by 30 second intervals. Only took about 3 to 4 cycles. Added brown sugar to cool butter/chocolate mixture. Batter was very thick, but workable, after adding in dry ingredients. Finished mixing and folding in chips with Danish whisk. Chilled dough for 2 to 3 hrs. Very stiff but I used my divide and roll technique to portion out into 32 equal dough balls. Baked on half sheets covered with silpat pads and in island oven for between 10 and 10 ½ mins, rotating pans halfway through baking. I left dough balls round. Minimum spread and cookies stayed relatively puffy. Cooled on tray/wire rack for 4 mins before removing to cool completely on wire rack. Cookies were chewy and had good chocolate flavor and not too sweet. Still chewy and soft second day.