Double-Rich Chocolate Cookies

These chocolate cookies earn the “double-rich” name honestly. Unsweetened cocoa powder in the dough creates a deep, dark chocolate base, then two full cups of semi-sweet chocolate chips get folded in for melty pockets of chocolate in every bite. It’s chocolate on chocolate, and it works.

Dark brown sugar (not light) is doing serious work here. It has more molasses than light brown sugar, adding a deeper caramel flavor and extra moisture that keeps these cookies soft and fudgy even after cooling.

Baking at a low temperature for over 20 minutes is deliberate. The gentle heat lets the cookies set slowly without crisping the edges too much, producing a cookie that’s tender all the way through with a barely-there crackle on top.

Pro Tips

• Cream the sugars and butter until the mixture looks grainy and well blended, not fluffy. Overwhipping adds too much air and makes the cookies cakey instead of fudgy.
• Blend the flour mixture in at low speed just until combined. Overmixing at this stage makes tough cookies.
• Transfer cookies off the hot baking sheet immediately. They continue cooking on a hot pan and can overbake fast.

Variations

• Swap semi-sweet chips for white chocolate chips for a striking dark-and-light contrast.
• Add a cup of chopped walnuts or pecans for crunch against the soft, fudgy crumb.
• Sprinkle each cookie with a few flakes of sea salt before baking for a sweet-salty finish.