Triple Chocolate Fudge Brownie Cookies

These triple chocolate fudge brownie cookies are coming to you all as the result of a direct request, or really, a direct complaint from my sister.  You see, the other day, she barged up to me and in a slightly annoyed tone berated me for not having made a single super-duper-double-ultra-chocolatey cookie on the blog yet.  To be fair, she was completely right, and I couldn't believe that I hadn't made such a cookie yet, given that I'm such a chocolate-obsessed person.  She didn't have to be as grumpy about it as she was, but that's not what's important here. The lack of a super-duper-double-ultra-chocolatey cookie on the blog had been brought to my attention and added to my to-bake list.  

It should be no surprise by now that I really love chocolate.  Whenever I'm browsing through recipes that catch my eye (which is more often than I'm willing to admit), if I see a recipe for chocolate-anything that starts out with melting butter and chocolate together, I'm instantly sold.  I mean, the fudge flavor that comes out of that process is just wayyy too good to pass up!  That is pretty much what happened when I came across this recipe.  I was chilling with my copy of Joy the Baker's cookbook, when I casually came across her recipe for a chocolate cookie with white chocolate chips and macadamia nuts.  The recipe looked so good, and I needed to bake those cookies now.  Since I had no macadamia nuts in my kitchen at the time (shame on me!) and I was in my I-need-this-cookie-in-mah-belly-right-now kind of mode, I improvised by deciding to just add even MORE chocolate to the recipe.  It was a good decision, as it not only satisfied my short-term cookie craving, but also satisfied my sister's more long-term intense chocolate cookie craving.

These cookies are ultra rich and satisfying, and will undeniably leave you wanting another cookie and a tall glass of milk.  I say this with confidence because I know it to be true based off first hand experience (I don't actually drink milk, but my sister does, so I'm basing this off of her.  I definitely did want another cookie though, so I know that to be true).  These cookies totally hit the spot.  They're called triple chocolate fudge brownie cookies for a reason, and they certainly live up to their name.  Butter and chocolate get melted together to create a rich fudge flavor, two kinds of chocolate chips finish off the triple factor, and the cookies are complete with a soft, brownie-like texture.  They really are as amazing as they sound!

These cookies are also incredibly simple to put together, really.  You don't need any kind of mixer for them.  An electric stand mixer, even a hand mixer, is more trouble than it's worth in this recipe, as a bowl and wooden spoon or rubber spatula are all you really need.  Plus, then you get that really old-fashioned cookie-making vibe going on.  I love getting that feeling every now and then, and to keep that vibe going, I decided to forget about having perfectly portioned and even cookies made with a cookie scoop, and instead went for the similarly shaped, slightly uneven cookie look, and used two tablespoons to scoop out the cookies.  Ok, I'm lying.  I just had no idea where my cookie scoop went as I was baking these, and my laziness got the better of me.  Two tablespoons were within my reach, so I just went with what I had.  Although I will admit, it's kind of nice to break up the routine of perfect uniformity every now and then.  It's not like I was trying to impress anyone as I was making these, so slight imperfections in appearance didn't bother me at all.  Then again, these cookies are just so good, that they're a perfect option if you're trying to impress any chocolate lover, no matter how you decide to scoop them out.  

I really think this is a perfect cookie base if you're looking to make really fudgey and soft cookies; all you'd have to do is swap out the chocolate chips for your favorite toppings!  I think nuts would be a perfect addition to this particular cookie, because their crunchiness would really contrast nicely with the ultra soft brownie-like cookie. Chocolate chunks could also be great, and I think coarsely chopped chocolate would be really fantastic; the uneven shards of chocolate just melt into cookies as they bake, so you get really lovely bits of intense chocolate as you work your way through a cookie...or through an entire plate of them.  No matter what you decide to mix into these cookies, they'll definitely be a hit!

Triple Chocolate Fudge Brownie Cookies
recipe adapted slightly from the Joy the Baker Cookbook

Ingredients

8 ounces dark chocolate, coarsely chopped
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 cup all purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 scant cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 large eggs
3/4 cup white chocolate chips
3/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Directions

Begin by preheating the oven to 325 degrees F, and positioning oven racks in the upper and lower thirds of your oven.  Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone sheets (I used Silpat liners).

Place a heatproof bowl over a pot filled with 1-inch of simmering water, to create a double boiler.  Add the coarsely chopped dark chocolate and butter to the bowl, and heat together, stirring occasionally, until the butter and chocolate have melted together.  Once melted, remove from the heat, and allow the chocolate to cool slightly.

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt.  Set aside.

After the chocolate has cooled slightly, whisk in the sugar and vanilla extract.  Add the eggs, one at a time, whisking until each egg has been well incorporated before adding the next.  Add this chocolate mixture to the bowl with the dry ingredients all at once.  Stir with a wooden spoon until just incorporated.  Stir in the white chocolate and semisweet chocolate chips.  The batter will feel thick.

Drop the cookie batter by rounded tablespoonfuls onto the prepared baking sheets.  Bake the cookies for 11 minutes.  Allow the cookies to rest on the baking sheet for a few minutes before transferring them to cool on a wire rack.  These cookies can be enjoyed slightly warm from the oven or at room temperature.  Store the cookies in an airtight container for a few days.  Enjoy!

Makes 2 1/2 dozen cookies