About This Recipe

Double chocolate cookies occupy the space between a cookie and a brownie, and they do it deliberately. The dough is made with melted chocolate rather than simply adding cocoa powder, producing a batter that is almost liquid when mixed and results in cookies with a dense, fudgy interior that sets just enough to be handled but retains a molten quality at the centre that makes every bite feel indulgent.

The crackled surface that defines the best double chocolate cookie comes from the ratio of sugar to flour and the specific timing of the bake. As the cookie bakes, the exterior sets and dries slightly before the interior has fully expanded. The continuing expansion of the interior pushes against the set exterior and causes it to crack, creating the distinctive shatter-patterned surface that is both beautiful and functional, providing a slightly crispier exterior that contrasts with the fudgy centre.

Using two forms of chocolate — cocoa powder for the background depth of flavour and melted dark chocolate for richness and fudginess — produces a more complex chocolate flavour than either alone. The cocoa provides bitterness and intensity. The melted chocolate provides fat and a smooth, rounded chocolate flavour. Together they produce something that tastes like the very best version of chocolate in cookie form.

History & Origins

Double chocolate cookies emerged in American bakeries in the 1980s as an intensification of the standard chocolate cookie, driven by the growing consumer preference for more intensely flavoured, less sweet baked goods. The specific format of a crinkle-topped fudgy double chocolate cookie became one of the most popular bakery cookies in the United States in the 1990s and has remained a staple ever since. The recipe format draws on French chocolate cake and brownie traditions while remaining distinctly American in its generous scale.

Why It’s Easy To Make

Standard pantry ingredients. Melted chocolate technique is straightforward. No special equipment required beyond a bowl.

Double Chocolate Fudge Cookies

Recipe by By butter u0026 berriesCourse: Baking, Cookies

Servings

16

servings

Prep time

15

minutes

Cooking time

12

minutes

Calories

2990

kcal

Ingredients

• •t200g dark chocolate (70%), chopped

• •t80g unsalted butter

• •t150g white sugar

• •t100g brown sugar

• •t3 large eggs

• •t1 tsp vanilla extract

• •t120g plain flour

• •t30g cocoa powder

• •t0.5 tsp bicarbonate of soda

• •t0.5 tsp salt

• •t150g chocolate chips

Directions

• Melt dark chocolate and butter together in a bowl over simmering water or in the microwave in 30 second bursts. Cool for 10 minutes.
• Whisk both sugars into the melted chocolate. Add eggs one at a time, whisking after each.
• Add vanilla. Whisk vigorously until the mixture is thick and glossy.
• Fold in flour, cocoa, bicarbonate of soda and salt until just combined.
• Fold in chocolate chips. The batter will be very soft.
• Refrigerate for at least 1 hour until firm enough to scoop.
• Preheat oven to 180°C. Line trays with baking paper.
• Scoop into large balls. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes until the tops are crackled and set but the centre still wobbles slightly.
• Cool on tray for 10 minutes before moving.

Notes

• These cookies need the full chilling time or the batter will be impossible to scoop and the cookies will spread flat.
  The centre must wobble when you pull them from the oven. If they look fully set they are overbaked.
  Allow to cool fully on the tray before moving — they are extremely fragile when warm.
  A sprinkle of flaky salt on top before baking intensifies the chocolate flavour

Make Ahead Tips

Scooped dough balls keep frozen for 3 months. Bake from frozen at 180°C for 13 to 14 minutes. Baked cookies keep at room temperature for 4 days in an airtight container.

Storage & Serving

Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days. These cookies become even fudgier on the second day as the texture firms and deepens. Microwave for 15 seconds to warm before eating. Freeze for 3 months. These are best served at room temperature or very slightly warm with vanilla ice cream for a genuinely impressive simple dessert.

Variations & Substitutions

Add a tablespoon of espresso powder for a mocha version. Stuff each dough ball with a frozen ganache cube before baking for a molten-centre version. Replace chocolate chips with white chocolate chips for a stunning visual and flavour contrast. Add a teaspoon of orange zest to the batter for a chocolate orange version that is particularly good at Christmas.

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