Chewy Dark Chocolate Cookies

July cookies, my birthday gift to you

Lest you think that it's all tofu and whole grains over here, I share with you here an awesome chocolate experience. Some days just require stress baking and the best solution to scatch that itch is usually something of the chocolate variety. These definitely fit that bill. The boys (big and small) LOVED these, with their fudgy, chewy goodness, and I loved that I could go from 'hmmm, maybe I want to bake' to smelling awesome chocolatey perfumed air within an hour.

A quick note on ingredients:

I highly recommend the chocolate chunks you use come from chopping your own dark chocolate bar. Dark, like 60% or darker. Sure, you can use chips but ... part of the fun of these cookies are the irregular pools of dark chocolate bliss in each fudgy bite.

Lyle's syrup is similar to Corn syrup (like Karo), but is made from cane syrup. Beyond the source of the syrup, is there a huge difference between the two? In a word, yes. In my opinion, cane syrup has a maltier, more complex flavor, whereas corn syrup (high fructose corn syrup) is just straight-up sweet. At the end of the day, though, both are sugars. High fructose corn syrup has been much maligned due to its high levels of fructose and association with diabetes, obesity and other first world health issues. It IS predominantly seen in processed foods. Is it really HFCS that is evil or is it the processed foods? Listen, we're here to make cookies, not have a nutrition lecture, so if you want to go down a rabbit hole, please feel free (good place to start: https://www.pbs.org/newshour/health/is-cane-sugar-coca-cola-a-healthier-option-heres-what-experts-say) . Suffice it to say, both are sugars, both provide a liquid-but-textural element to this cookie (read: they bring out the chewy, in a good way), and I would pick Lyle's every single time if given the option. Use what you have on hand.

Let's make some cookies!

Hope you try these!

Chewy Dark Chocolate Cookies

Fudgy goodness in the form of a cookie!

 Makes about 40 cookies

Ingredients

Cookies:

3 cups unbleached all-purpose flour

1 1/2 cup Dutch-processed cocoa powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

3/4 teaspoon table salt

1 cup Lyle's cane syrup or dark corn syrup

2 large egg whites

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

9 oz (18 tablespoons) unsalted butter, softened (70 degrees)

6 oz cream cheese, softened

1/2 cup granulated sugar

2/3 cup packed dark brown sugar

8 ounces bittersweet chocolate (60% or darker), chopped into 1/2-inch pieces

For rolling:

3/4 raw sugar, like Demerara

pinch of salt

1/2 tsp cinnamon, optional

1/4 tsp cardamom, optional

Directions

Whisk flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt together in medium bowl.

Whisk Lyle's syrup, egg whites, and vanilla together in small bowl or a liquid measure.

In stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment, beat butter, cream cheese, brown sugar, and granulated sugar at medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Reduce speed to medium-low, add corn syrup mixture, and beat until fully incorporated, about 20 seconds, scraping bowl once with rubber spatula. With mixer running at low speed, add flour mixture and chopped chocolate; mix until just incorporated, about 30 seconds, scraping bowl once. Give dough final stir with rubber spatula to ensure that no pockets of flour remain at bottom. Chill dough 30 minutes to firm slightly. Do not chill longer than 30 minutes.

While waiting for the dough to chill, preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line 2 large (18- by 12-inch) baking sheets with parchment paper.

Combine 3/4 cup raw sugar with pinch of salt, cinnamon and cardamom (if using) in a small bowl. Divide dough into 2 T balls (using a #30 cookie scoop); roll each into a ball between hands about 11/2 inches in diameter. Working in batches, drop 8 dough balls into dish with spiced sugar and toss to coat. Set dough balls on prepared baking sheet, spacing about 2 inches apart; repeat with remaining dough. Bake, reversing position of the baking sheets halfway through baking (from top to bottom and front to back), until cookies are puffed and cracked and edges have begun to set but centers are still soft (cookies will look raw between cracks and seem underdone), 10 to 11 minutes. Do not overbake.

Cool cookies on baking sheet 5 minutes, then use wide metal spatula to transfer cookies to wire rack; cool cookies to room temperature.

Enjoy!