Double Chocolate Drops

“Double chocolate” means cocoa in the dough and chocolate chips folded in, so you get chocolate flavor from two angles: the deep, bitter cocoa that colors the entire cookie dark brown, and pockets of melted semi-sweet chips that go gooey and rich in every bite. Broken walnut pieces add a crunchy, slightly bitter contrast that keeps things interesting.

Butter-flavor Crisco shortening (not regular shortening, not butter) is what gives these their signature thick, chewy texture. Shortening has a higher melting point than butter, so the cookies spread less and stay puffier. The butter flavoring adds the taste of butter without the water content that makes butter-based cookies thinner.

Two level measuring tablespoons of dough per cookie makes these bakery-sized. They need 2 inches between them on the sheet and only 9 to 11 minutes in the oven. Like all cocoa cookies, these look darker than they are and it’s easy to overbake. Pull them when the tops just barely look set.

Pro Tips

• Add eggs one at a time and beat well after each. This builds structure in the heavy, cocoa-rich dough
• Use butter-flavor shortening specifically. Regular shortening lacks the buttery taste
• Two level tablespoons per cookie, not heaping. These are already big and they spread
• Cool on the sheet for 2 minutes before transferring. Hot cookies break apart on a rack

Variations

• Use pecans instead of walnuts for a sweeter, less bitter nut
• Add white chocolate chips alongside the semi-sweet for a triple-chocolate version
• Sprinkle flaky sea salt on each cookie before baking for a salted chocolate cookie