Test Kitchen #21: Double Chocolate Cookies

(Sniff....Sniff) This week, since I had an on-site freelance assignment, the test kitchen pressed on without me. Dad and I usually take turns each week choosing the recipes and this week was his turn. So on Sunday, when the four of us were out for lunch and a movie, I informed him that he now an extra week to come up with his idea. In an attempt to sneak past me, he reasoned that since we were skipping his week, next week was really my turn again.

Nice try, daddio.

So when I joked that he should cook without me, take pictures and do a write-up for the blog on his own, I didn't really expect him to call me on it. But there it was, in my inbox by 11:35 this morning; a Double Chocolate Cookie article, complete with recipe and pictures.

Jealous, that they were baking while I was working, I replied to his email,"Sniff...Snifff...You soldiered on without me. Are there any left for me to 'test'?" Mom wanted to know if the sniffs in my email was tears or just me trying to smell the cookies all the way from work. Maybe a little bit of both.

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Since Kathy was busy this week, Mom decided to take over the test kitchen. Her recipe was for double chocolate cookies. She decided to cut down the amount of chocolate chips in half. They are really good. The recipe makes about 3 dozen cookies.

Double Chocolate Cookies

Ingredients:
About 6 oz. of semi-sweet
chocolate chips divided into two portions

1 -1/2 cups sugar

1 cup butter softened

2 tsp. vanilla

2 eggs

2 cups flour

1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. salt

1) Heat oven to 375° (350 degrees with the pans we use)

2) Melt 1/2 the chocolate chips in the microwave for 30 seconds or until melted. Stir and set aside to cool.

3) Beat sugar, butter, and vanilla on medium speed until creamy. Beat in eggs until light and fluffy. Mix in cooled melted chocolate.

4) Mix in flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt on low speed until well blended. Stir in remaining chocolate chips. Using the cookie scooper, place batter on two un-greased cookie sheets about 2 inches apart. (If you don't have a cookie scooper, shape dough into 1-1/4 inch balls.)

5) Bake 9-11 minutes or until set and just beginning to crack. (9 minutes worked good here for Mom). Cool on cookie sheet for 2 minutes and then transfer to wire rack to cool.

Of course I tried them before they got cool. You've just got to check these things out. The smell was drifting all through the house. Mom says I owe her one for getting me off the hook this week. (Like I was ever going to get off the hook.)

- Dad, From the Test Kitchen