Description

These cookies are dark and bitter and plenty sweet. A perfect harmony if you ask me. When testing, I took them to the point of fudge, and then backed down a little. See the notes below on sourcing ingredients for this recipe.

Ingredients

Scale

1 1/4 c. brown sugar, packed
3/4 c. (12 tbsp.) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 2/3 c. bread flour
2/3 c. black cocoa powder*
3/4 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
1 large egg, room temperature
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
1/2 c. bittersweet chocolate chips
1/4 c. pure cane sugar

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Instructions

Preheat oven to 350° and line two baking sheets with a Silpat or parchment paper. Set aside. Into a stand mixer, cream together brown sugar and butter on medium speed until pale and fluffy, stopping and scraping down the sides every so often.
Meanwhile, whisk together flour, cocoa powder, soda, and salt. Set aside.
Once the butter has been well creamed, add in the egg and extract. Mix on medium-low until incorporated, being sure to scrape down the sides of the bowl.
Stop the mixer and add in the dry ingredients. Mix on low until evenly combined, no longer. Once again, scrape down the sides of the bowl. Mix in the chocolate chips for a couple seconds until evenly distributed. Dough will be semi-dry and dense.
Into a small bowl, add the cane sugar. Using a tablespoon spring release scoop, scoop two dough balls, form into a single dough ball, and roll in sugar. Place 12 on the prepared baking sheet. Baked from 10-11 minutes. Cookies will crack once done baking but will feel a little soft to the touch. Remove from the oven and carefully place on a cooling rack. Cookies will firm up, yielding a slight crunch on the exterior with a fudgy, soft interior. Store in an airtight container for up to 4 days.

Notes

• Why Bread Flour? Purely because that’s what Rustica uses for these cookies. I think the extra gluten helps to keep the height of the cookie while offsetting the high amounts of cocoa powder. Note: I haven’t tested this recipe with all-purpose flour.

• Good cocoa powder is key in this recipe. I tested two types—Black Cocoa from King Arthur and Cacao Berry Cocoa Powder. I also use Black Cocoa in my vegan Black Ice Cream. I had planned to use it throughout all my tests but ran out midway. It’s currently out of stock on Amazon Prime, so I switched to Cacao Berry, which is noted in the ingredient list on the Rustica cookies. The flavor is brilliant, and it’s on Amazon Prime. You can still order the Black Cocoa directly from the King Arthur site if you’ve got the patience.

Prep Time: 15 mins
Cook Time: 10 mins