Perfection comes in many forms. It is the irresistible fragrance emanating from within the oven that pervades the air – the distinct aroma of roasted macadamia, pecans and heavenly chocolate. It is the delectable sight of a cracked topmost surface, revealing a warm and soft interior. It is the dense, crumbly yet chewy texture that brings forth a decadent taste upon eating. It is the perfect blend of bitter and sweet infused with richness, inundating the taste buds with an incomparable and luscious taste.
Perfection is a double chocolate chunk cookie.
It was already past midnight when we hatched up the ingenious idea to bake these delectable treats. We here at Nomsters Club are big on not wasting food. Hence, we were obliged to use all our leftover melted butter from our previous baking session (refer to this post). The BEST decision ever. We here at Nomsters Club also love a super-soft and chewy cookie. Sinful, crumbly and heavenly: A concoction of pure bliss.
After surfing the web for a recipe to use we came across Martha Stewart’s ‘Double Chocolate Chunk Cookies’ recipe. It wasn’t until we completed mixing the ingredients that we realised the recipe yields about three dozen cookies. Well… three dozen cookies is certainly a large number that we didn’t end up baking. It was most likely due to the sheer size of these cookies; they were BIG. Scooping up a fairly large amount of batter using an ice-scream scooper, we only managed to bake under twenty cookies. Twenty LARGE cookies. As they say, quality over quantity. In this case, the quality being the size. Not only were the cookies larger, the amount of batter used attributed to creating a dense and chewy texture. The cookies were intended to be extremely soft, especially in the centre. They certainly didn’t disappoint. Taking a step further to elevate this recipe, we added cashews and macadamia nuts. Without realising it, we actually accidentally used double the amount of chocolate required. But a little more (a lot more) chocolate never hurts. The only thing it may be hurting are our expanding waistlines, but oh well. When something tastes this good, all health consciousness is forgone.
Is there anything more delightful that a tasty and indulgent cookie? No, not really.
So try it out yourself with the following recipe. Depending on your preference just simply add any other fillings you want.
Double Chocolate Chunk Cookies (from Martha Stewart)
Yield: Makes about 3 dozen (it depends)
Ingredients:
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
8 ounces good-quality milk chocolate, 4 ounces coarsely chopped, 4 ounces cut into 1/4-inch chunks
1 stick (8 tablespoons) unsalted butter
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Method:
Preheat oven to 160 degrees celsius.
Whisk together flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl. Set side.
Melt the chocolate with the butter in a small heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water.
Transfer chocolate mixture into a bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment.
Add sugar, eggs, and vanilla and mix on medium speed until combined.
Reduce speed to low and gradually mix in flour mixture.
Fold in chocolate chunks. (And any other preferred additional fillings.)
Scoop batter using a 1 1/2-inch ice cream scoop onto parchment-lined baking sheets. Place them 2 inches apart.
Bake until cookies are flat and surfaces begin to crack, about 15 minutes.
Transfer the cookies onto wire racks.
Let cool 5 minutes. (Hard, we know.)
Cookies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. (They probably won’t last that long.)
– Nomsters Inés (Li Ting)
Nomsters 