Are you sticking to your New Year, New You resolution? Good for you, we’ll see you next week! Keep on keeping on.
…..OK, good, it’s just us now, right? So, if on the other hand you’re ready to say (with me) New Years, Schmoo Years! Resolutions Schmezolutions! You’re in the right place. These cookies are in no way good for you, and yet they are so good! So throw resolution to the wind…or just pin this to make at a later, less-virtuous time of year. 😉
So, how does one arrive at Accidental “Death by Chocolate” Cookies? Well…not on purpose. Baking with children in the kitchen? Kindabit distracting. Baking consists of exact processes, measurements, and procedures. Mothering…not so much! Combining the two often leads to someone banging their head against something. In an ideal world kitchen mishaps and slip-ups would lead to happy accidents or at least a good old fashioned and contagious case of the giggles. In my world they usually lead to what pass for expletives these days: Rats! Nuts! Knick knack paddy wack! Throw a girl a bone!
However, on one lucky day, not following the recipe actually resulted in a wonderful, new, amazing thing! What began as a botched Martha Stewart Living recipe for (what I would have called) Death by Chocolate Cookies became Accidental Death by Chocolate Cookies, get it?
If you choose to add chocolate chips, you’ve got yourself some Sudden Accidental Death by Chocolate Cookies. If you go with the fully caffeinated cocoa, melted chocolate, and chocolate chips version of this recipe I’d say you’ve got a batch of Triple Overtime Sudden Accidental Death by Chocolate Cookies.
Ingredients
- 1 cup flour (whole wheat works fine here, or a blend of white & whole wheat)
- 1/2 t baking soda
- 1/2 t salt
- 1/2 cup cocoa powder, optional
- 8 oz chocolate chips, semisweet or milk chocolate
- 1 stick (8 T) unsalted butter
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1 t vanilla
- optional add-in ideas: mini chocolate chips, pecans, walnuts, mint baking chips
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
- Whisk your dry ingredients in one bowl: flour, baking soda, salt, and cocoa (if using). Set aside.
- Melt butter and chocolate chips in a large microwave-safe bowl - in my microwave it took 3 sets of 20 second intervals, stirring between intervals. Stir, stir, stir until all the chocolate is melted.
- Whisk the sugars into the melted chocolate. Add eggs and vanilla.
- Finally, incorporate the dry ingredients and any add-ins you'd like. Stir until combined, but don't overmix.
- Use two teaspoons to drop dough onto cookie sheet - give them some space to spread, a good inch or two between.
- Bake 15 minutes, cookies will have flattened and have cracked tops. Let cool on sheet before transferring to plate, mouth, cooling rack, tupperware, etc.
The cocoa is indeed optional — just depends how deep of a chocolate experience you are going for and your particular chocolate tolerance. I would say if you omit the cocoa, then add chocolate chips. If you are including the cocoa then no chips are needed; however a mint baking chip makes a rrreeeaaaalllyyyy nice addition to something so very very chocolate-y.
Make these for someone you love this February — and don’t forget how much you love yourself! 😉
A note on storage: if you live in a place with low humidity but like your baked goods to be or stay soft, toss the heel of a loaf of bread in with your cookies (the cookies absorb the moisture in the bread, sometimes half a heel is enough).
