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Do you ever try and try to get something right but "right" just seems a bit elusive? That's been exactly how my quest to find the best Chocolate Sugar Cookies recipe has been.
I've tried a number of recipes; some have been too dry, some too soggy. Some too dark (they looked burnt, even though they weren't), and some quite anemic. One recipe tasted really good, the cookies just didn't look very appealing (what good is that?). I wanted moist and chewy on the inside, crisp on the out side and very crackly, yes they had to be crinkly-crackly to be my ideal Chocolate Sugar Cookies. Oh and one last thing; fairly simple to put together. I didn't want a recipe that took a long time or was super complicated.
Guess what? I found THE ONE! Yup, these cookies are amazingly delicious and all my boxes are checked!! I made them yesterday and I had a bit of help putting them together.
There was a visiting sous chef here at The Café this weekend; one that kept us smiling and laughing the entire time.
See what I mean? It's hard to not have a great day with a little face like this peeping around every corner.
The Chocolate Sugar Cookie recipe we made is from the Cooks Country magazine and, when I checked it out online it seemed to be a winner with everyone who's tried it.
I added a few of my own touches with mini chocolate chips (hence the "Double" Chocolate) and I used demara sugar instead of regular for a little extra crunch on the outside.
Other than that, I followed their simple recipe pretty carefully. I used my electric mixer but you can also whip the dough up by hand.
These cookies would be great to cook with your kids, grandkids, nieces, nephews, friend's kids, neighbor's kids, etc. Just grab a kid or two and whip up a batch. You'll make some great memories and have something deliciously wonderful to show for your efforts. Here is a few pics from yesterday's Café cookie-making adventure with our granddaughter, Emery.
P.S. For a fun adaptation of these cookies, check out these Red Velvet Kiss Cookies!
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Double Chocolate Sugar Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups plus 2 tablespoons all purpose flour
- ¾ cup cocoa powder, (use regular, not the extra dark cocoa)
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon baking powder
- 14 tablespoons butter
- 1 ¾ cups dark brown sugar, packed
- 1 tablespoon vanilla
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 large egg, plus one egg yolk
- 1 cup mini semi sweet chocolate chips
- ½ cup demera or turbinado sugar
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line 2 sheet pans with parchment paper.
- In a medium bowl, stir together the flour, cocoa, baking soda and baking powder. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, melt 10 tablespoons of the butter in the microwave. Cut the remaining 4 tablespoons butter in to 6-8 pieces and stir into the melted butter. Allow the butter to cool for 5-10 minutes (it should be about 90-95 degrees which is warm to the touch, not hot.)
- Combine the melted butter, brown sugar, vanilla and salt in the bowl of an electric mixer. Mix for about 1 minute on medium speed or until smooth. Add the egg and egg yolk and mix for about 30 seconds or until smooth.
- With mixer on low speed, add flour and mix just until combined and flour is incorporated. Add chocolate chips and mix just until incorporated.
- Place demera (or turbinado) sugar in a shallow bowl.
- Roll the dough into balls, about 2-3 tablespoons for each cookie. Roll the balls in the derma sugar and place on prepared baking sheets. Using the bottom of a glass, flatten the cookies slightly and sprinkle with a bit more demera sugar.
- Bake the cookies, one sheet at a time, until they have puffed and have cracks running through the top, about 12-14 minutes. Be careful not to over bake the cookies or they will be dry. Transfer the cookies to a wire rack to cool completely.
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Want to try these for Christmas. How long do they keep?
Hi Marian, they keep well for 4-5 days and they also freeze well.
I did make the cookies today with the light brown sugar and they are very good. And my Grandson agrees. I made them for him. Thanks for getting back to me. Next time I will try with the dark brown sugar and see how much of a difference it makes.
Nancy D.
I too would like to know if I could use light brown sugar for these cookies. I would like to make them today but have no dark brown sugar. They look so good and I love the pictures of your granddaughter.
I may just try it without the dark brown sugar if I do not hear from you in time and let you know how they turn out.
Thanks,
Nancy..
Can you do the recipe with light brown sugar or do you need the higher molasses content of the dark brown sugar for chewiness?
Hi
I've tried a few of your cookie recipes and they have been so delicious. I'm now making these ones and I don't see where the salt is added anywhere in the recipe. I'm assuming you add it after the eggs. Can't wait to taste these cookies. I'm sure they'll be terrific like the others. Thanks for terrific recipes!! Happy Holidays to you!
These are amazing! I do an annual cookie exchange and these were the first cookies I road tested and they are the ones! Hubs loved them and so did the people at work, even asking for the recipe! Tomorrow is the cookie exchange and I think I could win with these! Thanks so much for sharing!
Thanks Shannon, so happy you enjoyed them!
These cookies are SO good! Mine came out bigger and flatter than yours, so I'm wondering what I did differently? (I got the right number of cookies.) I have used some to make ice cream sandwiches with homemade vanilla bean ice cream, and bigger/flatter works fne for that.
I'll be making them again. 🙂
Hi Sharon, not sure why yours got bigger. I know there are lots of variations of flour, some with more moisture than others. That may have been the problem but I'm really happy you enjoyed them nevertheless!
Mine were also flat and crisp but still we loved them, just weren't as pretty as yours n
I experimented with slightly shorter cooking time, less flattening with the glass, and cooking on a convection setting instead of steady heat. The 2nd batch using these changes caused mine to look more like the picture, and almost brownie like texture. (P.s. I used light brown and they're still delicious. Everyone agreed this recipe is a KEEPER!
Thanks for sharing your results, Lora!
Love your blog ☺️
they look yummy!
Oh my goodness she's the cutest little baby ever, I just want to squeeze her I don't know how you got these cookies made with all that cuteness going on! By the way your cookies look good too, but she definitely steals the post
Made these cookies this morning - oh, my! Absolutely delicious. And easy. Straight into my keeper collection.
What a cutie!!! Enjoyed the clicks of your sweet little sous chef! 🙂
I made these cookies yesterday, sharing with our next door neighbor and they were a huge hit with everyone. Thank you for a recipe that will be made for years to come.
So happy they turned out well. Thanks so much for letting us know. I wish I was your neighbor as mine are all gone 🙂
Thanks for all the smiles you gave me with this post! What a cutie.... and what amazingly delicious cookies!
She is so cute! What a lovely post, Chris. I was smiling through all off the photos. The cookies look sscrumptious!
These sugar cookies look fabulous, who could resist the chocolate?!
How could you not be grinning from ear to ear with that little face helping out in the kitchen:-)
These cookies look delicious and your grand daughter is so so adorable!!
Who doesn't love sugar cookies? Particularly chocolate ones? Terrific recipes, fun photos (and some of them are really cute -- you know which ones!). Good stuff -- thanks.
Aw, an adorable post Chris! The cookies look great and your helper is precious-enjoy every minute with her:@)
How adorable! You make a great team, but I think she really steals the show. The cookies look amazing and just like something I would love. What a fun day you had!
Chris, I can't wait to try this recipe. I enjoyed the pictures of your little chef as much as I enjoyed reading about the recipe!
Thanks Gail, hope you enjoy them!
What a lovely baby? The cookies with double chocolate are amazing but the baby-girl is so cuteeee!!!
Chris the cookies look great but honestly I couldn't take my eyes off of Emery. She is so precious and is growing up so fast. God Bless her.
How adorable!
Chris, Emery is adorable. I pinned your cookies for the chocolate people in my life. Thanks for researching for us.
Your taste tester is super adorable, and these cookies look just as good! Remind me of the Butch Cocoa cookies by archway!
Oh, my gosh, Emery is just a doll!!! And I think she likes grammy's cookies!!! And so would I!
Those cookies look DIVINE ,but your sweet sous chef has stolen the whole show, Chris.
Oh, she is totally adorable! Much more yummy than the cookies. I love Cooks Country and have our box set to tape it. These look just perfect, I can almost smell them through the screen.
I'm sorry Chris but that just can't be Emery... she was only born 5 minutes ago! What a gorgeous little assistant. With her helping you out any cookie would be perfect I think!
I was smiling and laughing the whole time I read this post! May God bless your grand daughter she is so cute and adorable. I'll bake cookies everyday if I could get such a helper around 🙂
My experience with baking chocolate sugar cookies was disasters, so I stopped looking for recipes, but I'll try yours this weekend. The last picture just made me drool, crunchy from the outside and a bit cake like and chewy from the inside, that's perfect!
You know, I think she's got Grammy's personality. 🙂 What a cutie and her cookies are picture perfect!
So cute!! I laughed at each picture and caption. What lucky grandchildren you have.
Your granddaughter is so adorable, looks like she really enjoyed these cookies.
Chris, this was the best post ever - I think she should get paid for performing - at least a pocketful of
cookies to take home or something. What a cute little miniature nick - wish I could hug her - would
chocolate come out 🙂
Those cookies are fabulous, but that sweet baby stole their thunder. Precious! 🙂
OMW!! She's so adorable!!
Chris reread your directions. I feel like the last 3 might be a duplicate or else where you edited and forgot to delete something. Just want to be sure before I make these. Thanks for sharing.
Thanks Vicki, I saw and corrected the error.
Your granddaughter is cute as a button! Isn't it fun to cook with a little one? Your cookies look wonderful! We could use some sweets at our house....will let you know how I do!! Thank you for sharing.
I don't think I've ever had a chocolate sugar cookie. It sounds fantastic and these look positively perfect. I can't wait to try them. I think I have all the ingredients on hand to make these tomorrow. I will let you know how they turn out
Such CUTE pictures! I know you absolutely love cooking with a helper like that!
What a precious little girl your granddaughter. is I love how she has her own Chef's hat. I smiled the whole way through the post, what great memories you are making. 60 plus years later I still remember helping my Grandmother cook & have tried to do the same with my own nephews & grandchildren..
Thanks Alison, she is so fun. It's wonderful that we can create memories that will live on long past us 🙂
Forget the cookies..... that pretty little doll takes center to anything. Just priceless to see those smiles and expressions. Love it!!! However, the cookies do look tasty. HAHAHA!!!
Thanks Charlotte, she is a real honey!
I love these cookies but I love more yours sous chef she is absolutely cute and love her smile!
Oh, my!!!! She is so precious, Chris! What a smile.... The most charming sous chef ever.
These are priceless memories... When she is a grown up will make her super happy.
The cookies are mouthwatering. My eldest would eat the entire batch and would ask for more...
PS Emery I would kiss you with everyone's permission:)
You're so sweet Monique!
Thanks, Chris! I can't wait to bake these on Friday for Cole's last day of kindergarten. I like to give a "thank you treat" to the teachers and principal for all they have done for my " best ever" oldest grandson! These cookies look so amazingly delicious!! 🙂
Oh my goodness Linda, I can't believe he's in kindergarten! Hope you enjoy them as much as we did!
She is SO SO cute she brought tears to my eyes..Scott..you take amazing pics..
I will also say the cookies will be pinned but so will she under Children's photos I love..
What a doll!