Every now and then you need a chewy cookie. There’s no doubt that crumbly shortbread and
crispy butter cookies are the stuff of dreams.
There’s something about a crunchy texture that does the trick. But sometimes a chewy cookie also clocks in quite
well on the cookie meter.
This is a chocolate version of a chewy cookie that is made
with cocoa for an earthy chocolate richness and brown sugar for flavor and soft
texture. There’s also a good bit of
cinnamon and some caramel chocolate chips to ramp it all up just perfectly.
The cookie dough is mixed in the conventional way by first
creaming the butter and sugar and then adding an egg and the dry
ingredients. I recommend chilling the
cookie dough overnight if you can to make sure everything has a chance to co-mingle
properly. Bake them for just 12 minutes and
then give them a try. I suggest a nice
cup of coffee or cold glass of milk as your partner.
Bench notes:
- I like to let cookie dough chill overnight to allow the
flavors to develop.
- Once you add the flour, do your best not to overmix. I usually take cookie dough and cake batter
off my mixer just right before they’re completely and fully blended and then finish
the mixing by hand.
- For even baking and browning, I bake one cookie sheet at a
time in the center rack, rotating the baking sheet halfway through.
- It’s hard to tell when a chocolate cookie is done because
you often can’t really see the browning.
For this cookie, it’s better to be slightly underdone or you risk having
a dry cookie. I bake these for 12 minutes.
If you’re unsure of your oven, you can try a couple testers before you
bake the whole batch.
- Full disclosure: I
did some recipe consulting in May 2014 with Nestle’s development team on their new Toll
House chocolate chip flavors. However, I
have not been compensated in any way for the use of their caramel chocolate
chips in this recipe. I really do like
this product and would never recommend any ingredient I did not feel to be
worth trying no matter the nature of my association with product representatives.
Chewy Chocolate Caramel Chip Cookies
Makes 2 dozen cookies
1 1/4 cups (6 1/4 oz) flour
1/4 cup (3/4 oz) cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
4 oz (8 tablespoons) unsalted butter @ room temperature
1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons (2 3/4 oz) granulated sugar
1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons (2 3/4 oz) dark brown sugar, packed
1 egg @ room temperature
3/4 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup (3 oz) chocolate chips [I used Nestle Chocolate
Caramel Chips]
Sift the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, salt and
cinnamon.
Cream the butter and both sugars until light and fluffy, about
2 – 3 minutes, scraping down the bowl once or twice. Add the egg and mix thoroughly until fully
incorporated, scraping down the bowl.
Add the vanilla and mix. Add in the
flour mixture and blend until there are no dry streaks. Mix in the chocolate chips.
For optimal flavor, place the cookie dough in an airtight
container and chill overnight.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Prepare two baking sheets with parchment or
silpats.
Shape the cookie dough into 1 1/2” balls and place 12 on each
baking sheet. Bake for 12 minutes, one
baking sheet at a time. Place the pans
on a wire rack to cool.
