Brownie cookies

Have room for more cookies?  I sure hope so because I can't seem to stop making them lately and it's fun to share!

The latest contribution to the cookie jar is a small batch of deep, dark brownie cookies.  I saw them, dubbed "the browniest cookies", come across my Instagram feed from Smitten Kitchen a few weeks ago and was surprised I hadn't seen or made them before.  How can I resist brownie cookies...well, I can't!

I quickly made some.  I say "quick" because not only was I motivated by the promise of "brownie cookies", there was also the much-appreciated added bonus of being able to make these cookies in one bowl, without a fuss.  They materialized onto my kitchen counter very quickly.

These cookies are dark and deeply chocolaty, made with unsweetened chocolate and Dutch-processed cocoa powder, combined with pieces of chopped bittersweet chocolate.  I baked them for just about 11 minutes and I wondered if I should have taken them out of the oven even a bit earlier because the center looked a bit dry to me and I was aiming for fudgy all the way.  When I tasted them, they were actually quite moist in the center so I was happy...but I do still wonder whether I could get away with taking a tablespoon or so of flour out from the recipe...

Since these are not very sweet, this is for those who enjoy that balance of the bitter-sweet (I sure do).  If I had a qualm about it, it's that they're a bit messy to eat since the cookies tend to break off and be a bit crumbly at the corners.  I have to say I still prefer straight-up brownies over brownie cookies if I had to choose but fortunately for us, we usually don't have to and can enjoy as much variety as we want.  Aren't we lucky!

Double-chocolate espresso bean cookies

There's something truly comforting about making and eating homemade cookies.  It's like going back to basics and making a sure-thing.  So I always get the hankering to make a batch of cookies. Today, let's have some double-chocolate espresso bean cookies!  If you like the combination of chocolate and coffee, this one's for you.

The cookies are very brownie-like, with a crackly surface and a soft, moist, and even slightly chewy interior!  I add a touch of instant espresso powder to coax out the chocolate flavor but the real source of the espresso flavor comes from ground up chocolate covered espresso beans.  The beans perfume the entire cookie with an aromatic coffee flavor throughout.  It also adds an interesting bit of grittiness and texture to the cookies that I like.  With plenty of chocolate to balance it all, it's a combination that I can really get behind.

Some important components: chocolate chips and ground chocolate covered espresso beans

Not only is there melted chocolate in the cookie dough itself, there are chocolate chips mixed in as well (hence, the double-chocolate).  I used callets, or chocolate discs, made by Callebaut (60%-cacao) for the mix-in.  I find these callets super convenient since they make for easy measuring and eliminate the need for chopping.  I think they work really well in cookies.  The callets are really smooth and slightly flatter than typical chocolate chips; they also melt and don't sort of re-harden once cooled like the standard chocolate chips so it's similar to using chocolate chopped from a bar.

These cookies smell good, taste good, and make a great afternoon pick-me-up!  I like this recipe because you get a moist, rich chocolate-coffee brownie cookie but one that's not ridiculously rich or cloying.  I make them on the smaller side but since they're thick, even having just one is satisfying.  You won't even need coffee to go with it since it's practically built right in!