Published September 1, 1999.
To create a chocolate cookie recipe that would produce a cookie with a center of hot fudge sauce and a deep, complex chocolate flavor, we relied on basic ingredients (chocolate, sugar, eggs, butter, flour, baking powder, and salt) put together in a very particular way. Technique (a modified creaming method) and proportion (1 cup of sugar and 1 cup of flour to 8 ounces of chocolate) were all-important to our chocolate cookie recipe. And so, it turned out, was the nature of the chocolate we used. The more highly processed semisweet chocolate tasted smoother and richer than unsweetened, and Dutch-processed cocoa, which many bakers find superior in flavor to regular cocoa, further enriched the chocolate flavor.
To melt the chocolate in a microwave, heat at 50 percent power for 2 minutes, stir, then continue heating at 50 percent power for 1 more minute. If not completely melted, heat an additional 30 to 45 seconds at 50 percent power. Semisweet chocolate chips may be added for a bigger chocolate punch; if used, they will slightly increase the yield on the cookies. We recommend using a spring-loaded ice cream scoop to scoop the dough. Resist the urge to bake the cookies longer than indicated; they may appear underbaked at first but will firm up as they cool.
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