I have found my new favorite chocolate cookie.  Each bite of these delicious morsels is fudgy, satisfying, very chocolate-y and not the least bit dry.  Almost a brownie, but still distinctively a cookie, these will soon be on my regular dessert rotation.

I discovered this recipe while browsing through the Cook’s Illustrated Best Recipes book.  I was on vacation, at the beach, next to a pool, so naturally I was reading a cookbook…my equivalent of a racy novel I guess.

The book didn’t contain a photo, but the description was enough to put this recipe on my “must make soonest” list.  I lasted less than a week before my mixer called to me and I found a reason why I needed to try this dessert.

Fudgy Triple Chocolate Cookies
Adapted from a recipe by America’s Test Kitchen

Print-Friendly Recipe

• 2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup cocoa powder (preferably Dutch-processed)
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 16 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped
• 4 large eggs
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 teaspoons instant coffee or espresso powder
• 10 tablespoons unsalted butter (1 1/4 sticks), softened but still firm
• 1 1/2 cups light brown sugar
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 4 oz white chocolate, chopped
• 6 oz semisweet chocolate, chips

Sift together flour, cocoa and baking powder in medium bowl; set aside. Melt chocolate in medium heatproof bowl set over pan of almost-simmering water, stirring once or twice, until smooth; add the salt and remove from heat. Beat eggs and vanilla lightly with fork, sprinkle coffee powder over to dissolve, and set aside.

In bowl of standing mixer fitted with paddle attachment (or with hand mixer), beat butter at medium speed until smooth and creamy, about 5 seconds (15 seconds with hand mixer). Beat in sugars until combined, about 45 seconds (1 1/2 minutes with hand mixer); mixture will look granular. Reduce speed to low and gradually beat in egg mixture until incorporated, about 45 seconds (1 1/2 minutes with hand mixer). Add chocolate in steady stream and beat until combined, about 40 seconds (1 minute with hand mixer). Scrape bottom and sides of bowl with rubber spatula. With mixer at low speed, add flour mixture and mix until combined, about 40 seconds (1 minute with hand mixer). Do not overbeat.

Add the semisweet chips and chopped white chocolate and stir to combine.

Cover with plastic wrap on the surface of the dough and let stand at room temperature until consistency is scoopable and fudgelike, about 30 minutes.

NOTE:  At this point, I rested my dough in the fridge for 3 days before baking, and they turned out great!  But they may be equally great without the rest.  Some impatient reader will have to let me know.

Meanwhile, adjust oven racks to upper- and lower-middle positions and heat oven to 350 degrees. Line 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper. Leaving about 1 1/2-inches between each ball, scoop dough onto parchment-lined cookie sheets with a size 16 or 20 ice cream scoop (about 1/5 to 1/4 of a cup of dough).  Press down on each mound to flatten slightly.  Refrigerate the sheets for at least 10 minutes before baking.

Cooking time is key to these cookies.  Cook them for 10 minutes only.  The edges will begin to set but the centers will still be very soft.  In fact, you may not think they are done, but take them out anyway and let them cool on the cookie sheets for an additional 10 minutes.  Then, remove the parchment paper containing the cookies to a rack to cool completely.  They will firm up quite nicely.

Store baked cookies at room temperature for up to 24 hours.