Fudge Brownie Cookie

• Prep Time: 20 minutes

• Chill Time: 30 minutes (Crucial for success!)

• Bake Time: 10-12 minutes per batch

• Total Time: 1 hour 2 minutes

• Servings: 18-20 cookies

• Yield: Approximately 2 dozen cookies

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Ingredients

• 1 cup (226g) Unsalted Butter, cut into large chunks

• 8 oz (225g) Semi-Sweet or Bittersweet Chocolate, roughly chopped (do not use chocolate chips)

• 1 ½ cups (300g) Granulated Sugar

• ½ cup (100g) Light Brown Sugar, packed

• 4 large Eggs, at room temperature

• 1 tablespoon Vanilla Extract

• 1 cup (125g) All-Purpose Flour

• ½ cup (45g) Unsweetened Cocoa Powder, sifted (Dutch-process or natural both work)

• 1 teaspoon Baking Powder

• ½ teaspoon Salt

• 1 cup (175g) Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips or chunks, for mixing in

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Instructions

Step 1: Melt the Chocolate and Butter

Add the chopped chocolate and butter to a large, microwave-safe bowl. Microwave in 30-second increments, stirring thoroughly after each, until the mixture is almost completely melted. Remove and stir continuously until the residual heat melts the remaining chocolate and the mixture is smooth and glossy. Alternatively, you can melt it over a double boiler on the stovetop. Set aside to cool slightly for 5-10 minutes.

Step 2: Combine Wet Ingredients

Whisk the granulated sugar and brown sugar into the warm chocolate-butter mixture. The mixture will look grainy—that’s perfectly fine. Add the eggs, one at a time, whisking vigorously after each addition until fully incorporated. The batter will become thick and glossy. Finally, whisk in the vanilla extract.

Step 3: Add Dry Ingredients

In a separate small bowl, whisk together the flour, sifted cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt. This ensures the leavening agents are evenly distributed. Pour the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and fold together with a rubber spatula. Mix just until a few streaks of flour remain—be careful not to overmix.

Step 4: Add Chocolate Chips

Add the cup of chocolate chips (or chunks) and fold them into the batter until they are evenly distributed and no flour streaks remain. The dough will be very soft, sticky, and fudgy—this is exactly what you want.

Step 5: The Mandatory Chill

This step is non-negotiable! Cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate the dough for at least 30 minutes, or up to 2 hours. Chilling the dough solidifies the fat, which prevents the cookies from spreading into thin, greasy puddles in the oven. It also deepens the flavors.

Step 6: Preheat and Prepare

While the dough chills, preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) . Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper. This is essential for easy release and cleanup.

Step 7: Scoop and Bake

Remove the chilled dough from the refrigerator. Using a cookie scoop (about 1.5 tablespoons in size) or two spoons, scoop generous balls of dough and place them 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheets. The dough will still be quite firm from the chill. Bake for 10-12 minutes. The cookies will look puffed, the tops will be crackled and set, but the centers will still appear very soft and slightly underdone. This is the key to a fudgy cookie.

Step 8: Cool and Set

Do not attempt to move the cookies immediately! Let them cool on the baking sheet for at least 10 minutes. They are extremely fragile when hot. As they cool on the warm pan, they will continue to set up and develop that perfect chewy-fudgy texture. After 10 minutes, transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely, or enjoy them warm!

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Baker’s Tips for Perfect Cookies

1. Weigh Your Ingredients: For the most consistent results, especially with brownie-based recipes, use a kitchen scale. The flour-to-fat ratio is critical for that fudge-like texture.

2. Don’t Overbake: This is the most important tip. Pull them out when the centers look slightly underdone. They will finish setting on the hot baking sheet. Overbaking yields cakey, dry cookies.

3. Use Good Chocolate: Since chocolate is the star, use a high-quality bar (like Ghirardelli, Lindt, or Guittard) for melting, not chocolate chips, as they contain stabilizers that prevent them from melting as smoothly. You can use chips for the mix-ins.

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Storage and Freezing

• Storage: Store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days. They stay incredibly soft and fudgy.

• Freezing (Baked): Freeze cooled cookies in a single layer on a baking sheet, then transfer to a freezer-safe bag or container for up to 3 months.

• Freezing (Dough): Scoop the dough into balls after chilling. Place them on a parchment-lined baking sheet and freeze until solid. Transfer the frozen dough balls to a freezer bag. You can bake them directly from frozen, adding 1-2 minutes to the bake time.

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Nutrition Information

Serving Size: 1 cookie (based on 20 cookies)