Double Chocolate Chunk Cookies. One of the most satisfying treats out there. It’s hard to beat a really good cookie with a crisp edge and a soft and chewy centre that is packed full of chocolate. These cookies are exactly that.
We use a mix of golden caster and light soft brown sugars, vanilla bean paste and good quality milk and dark chocolate to get these cookies singing. But the real secret ingredient to get this cookies to the top of the charts is salt. Just a little bit of salt elevates the flavour so much more than you think, without adding a”saltiness” or savoury aspect. It simply enhances the flavour, but by a long way. We’ve tested with and without, and there is a massive difference.
There are some neat tips and tricks we want you to know before starting out on your cookie quest.
- These are so much easier and quicker to make with a stand mixer. These can be expensive, but they really pay for themselves in the long run. The amount you end up using them makes you wonder how you coped without one. It is possible to whisk the butter and sugar using a whisk and then switch to a wooden spoon to fold in the flour at the end but it will be hard graft. You’ll certainly earn the calories!
- Two types of sugar adds a flavour. There’s something about the addition of light soft brown sugar that works well – but not just on its own. Combined with golden caster or regular caster sugar seems to be a good mix. Dark brown works too, although adds more of a richness.
- Salt – mentioned above, it enhances the flavour. It’s necessary.
- Mixing the butter cold means the sugar and butter mix is not too loose at the end of mixing. Plus you don’t have to wait for butter to come to room temp, or perhaps over melt it in the microwave.
- We’ve noticed that if you keep mixing the flour and sugar/butter/egg mixture for 5 minutes as opposed to 1-2 minutes mean the cookies have a little more height. We like this.
- Refrigerating – if you can wait 24 hours for these cookies to develop in the fridge than great. They will reach another level. If you can’t, leave them in there for 30 mins at least to firm up.
- Always finish the cookies with a couple chunks on top. This way, when they cook, the chocolate melts into the surface of the cookies and you get a lovely chocolate punch in almost every bite. Game changer IMO.
- Ovens – cooking times vary. Ovens vary, temperatures vary, ovens with a fan, ovens without a fan. The main thing is colour. If they are starting to go golden round the edge they are done. Roughly 8-10 minutes at 200C pre-heated and fan assisted. Just keep an eye on them, they may cook quicker or take longer. Timing also varies depending on how full the oven is too. The more in your oven the longer they will all take to cook.
Video Tutorial
The Recipe
Double Chocolate Chunk Cookies
Double Chocolate Chunk Cookies made with light soft brown sugar and milk and dark chocolate chunks to create a rich and moreish cookie that absolutely melts in your mouth.
Equipment
- Stand mixer with padle attachement or us a combination of a hand mixer with a whisk attachment and finish off with a wooden spoon if you don't a stand mixer.
- 3 large baking trays
- Baking (Parchment) paper
- Spatula (to scrape)
- Knife
- Chopping Board
Ingredients
- 220 g Plain Flour
- 1 Large Egg
- 160 g Golden Caster Sugar
- 100 g Light Brown Sugar Dark Muscavado works too
- 7-8 g Vanilla Bean Paste a tsp is about right
- 100 g 60-70% Dark Cooking Chocolate Bar Good quality is a must
- 100 g Milk Cooking Chocolate Bar Good quality is a must
- 2 g Salt
- 1/2 tsp Baking Powder
- 1/4 tsp Bicarbinate of Soda (Baking Soda to our US friends)
- 115 g Cold Unsalted Butter
Instructions
Preparation
- Weigh out the flour, baking powder, bicarbinate of soda and sugars.
- Crack the egg into a bowl.
- Chop the 3/4 of chocolate into small chunks and 1/4 into slightly larger chunks (for topping). Top Tip - Reserve 1 dark chunk and 1 milk chunk to top each cookie.
Making the Dough
- Combine the sugars and egg into a bowl. Mix for 5 minutes so the sugars and egg are properly combined. Stand Mixer - User the padle attachmentHand Mixer - Use the whisk attachmentBy hand - Whisk and brute force!
- Add the vanilla, salt, baking powder, bicarbinate of soda and flour.
- Mix again for a further 2-3 minutes until a lovely soft dough has formed.
- Add 3/4 of the chocolate. Mix until evenly combined.
- Wrap the dough in clingfilm and refrigerate for 30 minutes. Top TIp - leave the dough in the fridge for 24 hours to really intensify the flavour.
Cooking
- Pre-heat the oven to 180C (fan assisted).
- Cover 3 baking trays with baking paper
- Take the dough out of the fridge
- Using an ice cream scoop, scoop the dough into balls that are about 50g in weight.
- Place on a the baking tray and ensure there is about 10cm gaps between the edges and other dough balls.
- Do this until no more cookie dough is left.
- Press the remaining chocolate into the top of the cookie dough balls. 1 dark chunk, one milk chunk.
- Place in the oven and bake until the egdes begin to go golden brown. Roughly 8-10 minutes.Top Tip - Ovens vary so keep and eye on them. The colour of the outside is the best indicator they're done.
Resting / Serving
- Once out of the oven allow to rest for at least an hour, however they are best left to cool and set overnight and eaten the next day.
- To begin with, the cookies will look very very soft and not even cooked through. This is normal and expected. As they cool, they will firm up into a lovely chewy cookie.
- These cookies can keep for up to 5 days in an air tight container.
Notes
- Creaming the sugar and egg for 5 minutes allows the mixture to become silky smooth.
- Mixing the flour and sugar/eggs for 5 minutes means the dough can be properly combined and we can develop some gluten. This will means we have a cookie that has slightly more shape and texture but still remain soft and chewy.
- The cooking time is a rough guide. Ovens vary, so the best indication of them being done is the edges starting to turn golden brown.
- Allowing the dough to chill lets it relax. Allowing it to chill for 24 hours allows more flavour to develop.
- Dark chocolate cuts through the richness and sweetness of the cookie dough with a bittersweet note. We think it's necessary.
- Pressing chocolate into the top of the dough balls creates an incredible chocolate topping the melts into the cookie.
