Treat Yourself – Not-So-Sweet Chocolate Brownie Cookies

This past Sunday I was craving something sweet, but we had nothing much in the house.  I flipped through my big binder of magazine clippings and came across this yummy looking cookie.  It looked easy, and it was.  I ignored instructions, made it all in a big bowl, and it was great.  It’s originally from Hello! magazine (which I’ve never bought – no clue where it came from) but I’ve changed the instructions and substituted hazelnuts for baker Alice Medrich’s suggestion for walnuts or toasted hazelnuts.  It’s just what we had on hand.  These are really not so sweet and pretty deeply chocolatey.  They are also a little bit brownie as well, which is a nice twist.

Not-So-Sweet Chocolate Brownie Cookies

Adapted from Hello! Magazine

4tbsp (60 grams) unsalted butter cut in chunks

8 oz bittersweet chocolate in chunks

1 cup sugar

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

2 large eggs

1/3 overflowing cup flour (overflowing bit should be about 1 tbsp)

1/8 tsp baking soda

1 cup hazelnuts (or walnuts or toasted pecans) chopped

1 cup chocolate chips

• Preheat oven to 350F
• Take out two baking sheets and line with parchment, or grease.  I did one of each and my cookies slightly stuck to the greased sheet but were fine on parchment.
• Combine butter and bittersweet chocolate in a microwavable bowl.  Stick in the microwave for 30 seconds at a time stirring vigorously after each time.  As you stir the chocolate and butter will melt even more.  It only took me 60 seconds.  It shouldn’t be too too hot as you don’t want to cook your eggs in the next step.
• Add the sugar, salt and vanilla extract and stir.  Throw in the eggs and stir.
• Add the flour and baking soda and stir.  It should come away from the sides.
• Add the nuts and chocolate chips and stir to combine.
• Plop about 1 tbsp per cookie on your baking sheet allowing some room for them to spread.
• Bake for 10 – 15 minutes.  I needed 15 minutes.

That’s it!  Happy Baking!