Deluxe Double Chocolate Cookies

Finally, after enduring treacle-slow internet due to... the flapping of a butterfly wing probably, as my ISP is the worst ever, I can get on with blogging, then tomorrow it's off to read everyone's wonderful posts over the last few days. I've been trying to deal with the online paralysis by doing the laundry (still fun, so far) and making a few desserts. Sometimes I wonder why we keep up with things that are so unbelievably horrible (escalation of commitment comes to mind).

Take, for example, these potato chips that were "gifted" to us. They are from the company Brother's All-Natural (they have a website but I am NOT linking there). It looks like it has everything going for it. Freeze-dried-- only 35 calories! Absolutely no fat! And even has a classy hint of sea salt. Then, when you take that first bite, you realize exactly what fat and oil is for, but it's too late for your poor, innocent taste buds. These are easily the worst things I have ever put in my mouth, made worse by the fact that they tasted this deliberately awful. I felt that I had to keep eating because
1. The packet is ridiculously small (a shame if it were good crisps, a blessing that they are not).
2. There are people starving all around the world.
3. There's sort of a morbid fascination with how impossibly disgusting these crisps-- which ONLY have potatoes and salt-- are.

I would come up with more colorful descriptions of how horrible these crisps are, but Steve of The Sneeze has already perfected this art with Steve, Don't Eat It! (I could not stop laughing the first time I read that, especially for the Natto and Huitlacoche entries.) Steve, if you're reading this somehow, I highly recommend that you give these a try. After all, you have eaten pickled cellulite.

I mean, even with the same caloric restrictions, I would still opt to eat an equivalent amount of boiled potatoes with salt and pepper than this crap. Go a little more lenient and I'd rather eat Baked Lay's-- which I actually prefer over generic potato chips. The bottom line is, this is a horrible punishment to inflict on people who can't have actual potato chips. Stay away. Eat an apple, it's light years better.

Now-- these cookies, from the Tartine cookbook, are actually good (probably not good for you, but your taste buds will thank you). Intensely chocolatey, satisfying and deep, these are the type of cookies you savor and think to yourself, "Wow, I'm so sophisticated!"

Watch out for Lisa's entry over at Spicy Ice Cream-- she has another Tartine cookie coming up by the end of the month!

Deluxe Double Chocolate Cookies from Tartine

• 225g (8oz) bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped


• 155g (1 cup + 1 tablespoon) all-purpose flour


• 50g (1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons) cocoa powder


• 2 teaspoons baking powder


• 115g (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, at room temperature


• 225g (1 cup + 2 tablespoons) sugar


• 2 large eggs


• pinch salt


• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract


• 75g (1/3 cup) whole milk

Preheat the oven to 175°C (350°F). Line a sheet pan with parchment. In a microwave-safe bowl or in a heatproof bowl set over (but not touching) a saucepan of barely simmering water, add the chocolate and heat at 50% power in 15-second intervals (if using the microwave), stirring after each burst until smooth. Set aside to cool.

In a large mixing bowl, beat the butter together with the salt, vanilla, cocoa, and baking powder until creamy. Slowly add the sugar and beat until smooth. Add the eggs one at a time, beating after each addition until smooth. Add the melted chocolate and beat until combined. Add the milk and beat until combined. Sift in the flour and beat at low speed until just incorporated.

Drop the dough in heaping tablespoons onto the sheet pan, an inch apart. Bake until just barely firm on top, about 7 minutes: they will firm up as they cool. Cool on a wire rack.

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