Black Forest Chocolate Cookies

Also, Chocolate Chip Cookies with Nutella, Brown Butter, and Sea Salt

I learned several things with this recipe.
1) Cookies aren't very photogenic. At least with my limited skills.
2) I don't love cookies that much. I don't know; I'm just not a big cookie person.

UNTIL NOW!

These are seriously amazing cookies. I like the idea of Black Forest cake, but the gross, slimy cherries and dry chocolate cake just never lived up to my expectations. But these cookies by Baked are a great combination of rich, not overly sweet chocolate, tart dried cherries, and a perfect sprinkling of dark, semi-sweet, and white chocolate chips. And get this: there is only 3/4 cup of flour! The rest of it is all butter, chocolate, and eggs!

The recipe said it would only make about 24 cookies, so I decided I'd try another (non-Baked) cookie recipe I'd found on Annie's Eats.

Nutella+Brown Butter+Sea Salt=Yummy

Both cookies are good...I think I'm going to have to say the Black Forest cookies win in my book. Also, the Black Forest cookies win in my book club. I took both cookies to book club, and more of the Black Forest were eaten. Everyone seemed to like both types, though.

My husband likes the Brown Butter/Nutella. So really, it's pretty much a toss-up.

Also, the "makes about 24 cookies" turned out to be a big, fat lie--it made like 64 cookies. So, I have a lot of cookies hanging out at my house. If you're in the area, come on over and have some!

Black Forest Chocolate Cookies (printable recipe)

3/4 c all-purpose flour

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

16 oz. dark chocolate (60 to 72% cacao), coarsely chopped

10 Tbsp unsalted butter, cut into pieces

6 large eggs

1 1/4 c sugar

1 c firmly packed light brown sugar

1 Tbsp pure vanilla extract

1 c (6 oz.) semisweet chocolate chips

1 c (6 oz.) white chocolate chips

1 c (6 oz.) dried cherries

1. Sift the flour, baking powder, and salt together into a medium bowl and set aside.

2. In a large nonreactive metal bowl, combine the dark chocolate and butter. Set the bowl over a saucepan of simmering water and cook, stirring with a rubber spatula, until the chocolate and butter are completely melted and the mixture is smooth. Set aside to cool. 

3. In the bowl of an electric mixture fitted with the whisk attachment, beat the eggs and sugars on the high speed until the mixture is pale and thick, about 5 minutes. Add the cooled chocolate mixture and the vanilla a beat until just combined. Scrape down the bowl and beat again for 10 seconds. 

4. Add the flour mixture and mix on low until just combined, about 10 seconds. Do not overmix.

5. Using a spatula or wooden spoon, fold in the chocolate chips, white chocolate chips, and dried cherries. The dough will look very loose, but it will harden in the refrigerator. Refrigerate for 6 hours or overnight. 

6. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

7. Drop the dough by rounded tablespoons onto the prepared baking sheets, about 1 inch apart. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, rotating the pans halfway through the baking time, until the tops of the cookies are set and begin to show a few cracks. Remove from the oven and let cool slightly before removing from the pans and serving. The cookies can be stored in an airtight container for up to 3 days. 

Yield: About 4 dozen cookies

Recipe courtesy of Baked: New Frontiers in Baking by Matt Lewis and Renato Poliafito. Copied with permission.