When facing life’s difficult choices, it’s always awesome when you are presented with the option of not having to decide. This week, as I went back and forth on which chocolate-y treat to bake as a thank you to some colleagues who went above and beyond and saved my butt, I couldn’t decide between fudge brownies or chocolate chip cookies. 

Then, I discovered a cookie that embodies everything I love about both these baked goods, all rolled into one (once again, proving that Martha is a genius).

For your consideration, a rich chocolate cookie, chewy-gooey on the inside, like a brownie, with a cracked outer layer, providing just a hint of crunch, like a cookie. It has the sweet and salty thing going on in a big way, thanks to a generous pinch of kosher salt, just the way I do it with my favorite chocolate chip cookie recipe. Oh, and did I mention that these cookies are studded with a  combination of dark and milk chocolate chunks?

It’s pretty much like going to delicious, chewy, chocolate-salted heaven.

When scooping these cookies onto your parchment (or silicone mat) lined pans, remember that less is more. These cookies spread far as they bake.

Also, smaller scoops work great for this – just a little dab will do ya.

I thought that the first batch was missing something in the aesthetics department, and opted to sprinkle some coarsely chopped dark chocolate over the top before baking.

It produced beautiful results and deserves to be added to the top shelf list of favorite cookie recipes. I will be baking these again (and again, and again…)

Double Chocolate Cookies
Adapted from MarthaStewart.com

Makes about 3 dozen

1 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 cup unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon coarse salt

1/2 pound good-quality milk chocolate, 4 ounces coarsely chopped and 4 ounces cut into 1/4-inch chunks

2 oz. good-quality dark chocolate, chopped

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter

1 1/2 cups sugar

2 large eggs

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Whisk together flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt; set aside. Melt 4 ounces coarsely chopped chocolate with the butter in a small heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water; let cool slightly.

Put chocolate mixture, sugar, eggs, and vanilla in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix on medium speed until combined. Reduce speed to low; gradually mix in flour mixture. Fold in chocolate chunks.

Using a 1 1/2-inch ice cream scoop, drop dough onto parchment-lined baking sheets, spacing 2 inches apart. Sprinkle with chopped dark chocolate. Bake until cookies are flat and surfaces crack, about 15 minutes (cookies should be soft). Let cool on parchment on wire racks. Cookies can be stored between layers of parchment in airtight containers at room temperature up to 3 days.