The Chocolatiest of Chocolate-Chocolate Chip Cookies

With the spring holidays behind us and a total of three trips between two people in one week (did you catch that math?) ahead of us, last week was the best kind of "gimme" week you can ask for. So when I got home last night after a long run to a fresh, hot dinner, there was no other way I could answer the ensuing request for cookies than, "What kind?"

Saved recipes, trusty go-to blogs, and cookbooks left me feeling uninspired. All I wanted was a cookie that packed a wallop of flavor without requiring hours of work to prepare. And of course, they MUST be chewy. This is a house rule, and far be it from me to be the bad guy who broke it.

I hemmed and hawed, and I decided to do what any baked-good lover would do: create my own. Anything chocolate in the house got added in. Leftover quarter cup of M&M's? In you go! A little less than two cups of chocolate chips (question of the week: where did the rest of the bag go?). Added! A little coffee to bring out the chocolate taste? Done and done!

Notably, we were so close to being out of nearly every single baking ingredient that I had to make a few improvisations. Namely, with the butter. I was planning on using 1 cup of butter, only to see that we were the proud owners of only .75 cups of butter. How does that happen? In a last ditch effort, I added in margarine. Things were looking good until I moved a little further along and the dough looked too dry. In goes another 1/4 cup of margarine. There was no noticeable difference in taste or texture, so let's consider it a success!

These turned out ooey and gooey and incredibly rich (or was it that I was already full from testing the dough along the way?). To note - the texture of these cookies turned crumbly after just a few days, so my recommendation is to eat them quickly! Despite this, MM went so far as to say that these are the "best recipe I've ever made."

With Chicago (MM) and Florida (me) behind us, last trip of the whirlwind week starts today. Denver, here I come!

The Chocolatiest of Chocolate-Chocolate Chip Cookies
Makes 30 large cookies

Ingredients
3/4 cup butter

1/2 cup margarine
2 cups sugar (this could be reduced)
2 large eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla
3/4 cup cocoa
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1 (heaping) teaspoon ground coffee

2 cups flour

2 cups chocolate chips

1/4 cup M&M's

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350F. Cream together the butter, margarine, and sugar. Add the eggs and vanilla, and set the mixture aside. In a separate bowl, combine all of the dry ingredients. Add the dry ingredients to the creamed mixture, and then fold in the chocolate chips and the M&M's (or whatever other chocolatey goodness you have hanging around your kitchen!).

Bake at 350F for 10-12 minutes, or until cookies are set. Allow cookies to cool before eating. Serve with milk or coffee. And bring some by my home to share!