I am going to say it outright: this is the best chocolate chip cookie I have EVER made.
I can typically control myself when it comes to indulging in all my home baking, but this time around I inhaled about 1/3 of the batch before I even realized what was going on! I’ll let you in on the two secret ingredients as to why these cookies are so addictively delicious: firstly, they contain espresso powder. You’ll want to make sure it’s instant espresso powder not just ground espresso, it should be the kind that dissolves completely into liquid. Espresso intensifies the flavour of chocolate, so you should consider adding it into your favourite chocolate cakes as well!
Second, sprinkling large flake sea salt onto these cookies as soon as they come out of the oven is an absolute game changer. Salt in general is the ingredient that brings all the flavours together, but both the texture and flavour of those little salty flakes as you eat this cookie will have you coming back for more. I baked these while I was in New York and found chocolate “morsels” at their grocery stores; these seem to just be an alternative name to chocolate chips, but they tend to be larger, so consider using these if you manage to find them, or large semi-sweet chocolate chips to add to that chocolate decadence. With the addition of nutty browned butter and toasted pecans, this is sure to become your favourite cookie recipe too!
- Portion size 20 servings
- Credits : @luxebaker
Ingredients
Method
In a bowl, beat the butter and brown and white sugars together until light and fluffy. Add in the egg, egg yolk and vanilla. In a separate large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and instant espresso powder.
Stir in the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until just combined, using a wooden spoon. Do not over mix. Reserve a small handful of chocolate chips/morsels in order to press them into the rolled cookie dough before baking for more visible chocolate chunks. Gently fold in the remaining chocolate chips and the toasted cooled pecans.
Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
Roll dough into 1 ½ tbsp balls, leaving 2 inches between to allow for spreading. Use the last handful of chocolate chips to press them gently into the cookies where you’d like more chocolate to be visible.
Let rolled dough chill and rest overnight in the fridge.
Preheat your oven to 350°F (non-convection).
Bake 10-12 minutes or until edges are lightly golden brown but middle is still soft. Remove from oven and immediately sprinkle with large, flaked sea salt. Let cool for 1-2 minutes on the baking sheet, then remove cookies to a cooling rack. Cookies will firm up as they cool.
Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.
MEET THE CHEF
Photo courtesy of Alina Fintineanu
Alina Fintineanu worked for 12 years in dentistry before being a contestant on Season 5 of The Great Canadian Baking Show. She then dove head-first into her passion for baking through social media, live TV baking segments, and a Canada-wide baking column. Connect with her on Instagram @luxebaker
