I said I was in the mood for cookies.  I’m really, really in the mood for cookies after that first bite!

The original recipe called for chocolate chips.  I added semi-sweet chips, white chocolate chips, and mini peanut butter cups.  The recipe also specifically states NOT Dutch process cocoa – and that was all I had, tonight. (I usually have Guittard cocoa – the last of the family-owned San Francisco chocolatiers which is Dutched – and Hershey’s natural cocoa powder in the cabinet.  Not tonight.)

A little science lesson…  Dutch processing adds alkali to cocoa and neutralizes the acid.  It makes for a smoother and deeper cocoa flavor and works well in cakes and pastries where you’re not masking the chocolate flavor or competing with the slightly acidic chocolate tones.   I usually make brownies with regular cocoa powder for a more pronounced chocolate flavor.  Both kinds have their uses and one is not better than the other, so all you chocolate snobs can go lie down.

Back to science… cookies relying on baking soda will not work as well with Dutch process cocoa, because baking soda wants acid to work.  While a lot of your basic ingredients will have a bit of acid to them, a simple workaround (and what I did tonight) is to add a quarter-teaspoon of white vinegar to the mix.  It adds the necessary acid and punches up the chocolate flavor.  It worked quite well!

Chocolate Overload Cookies

  • 1 1/2 cups flour
  • 1/2 cup cocoa powder (add 1/4 tsp white vinegar with Vanilla if using Dutch process)
  • 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 2 sticks butter, softened
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1/4 cup packed brown sugar
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
  • 1 cup white chocolate chips
  • 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
  • 1 cup mini peanut butter cups

Preheat oven to 350°.

Sift together flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt. Beat together butter and sugars until light and fluffy and beat in egg and vanilla until combined well. Mix in flour mixture until just combined and stir in chips.

Drop dough by tablespoons about 2 inches apart onto ungreased baking sheets and bake about 12 minutes.

Cool as long as you can, and then eat!

These really are pretty awesome.  And it’s unusual for me to make ‘normal’ sized cookies.  I usually make humongaloid cookies.  Tonight I thought I’d try actually doing small scoops.  I’m glad I did.  It made about 65 cookies!