Mollie Bakes: Mini Chocolate Cookies
Super-dark chocolate cookies. Not usually my go-to flavor profile for cookies, if we are being honest (I love the classic chocolate chip). And yet these caught my eye immediately. Dark chocolate and salty? I’m all in.
The moment I saw this recipe surface from Alison Roman’s new cookbook, Nothing Fancy, I knew it would be first on my fall “to-bake” list. Her dessert recipes are wonderful and having made several from her first cookbook (Dining In), I was anxiously awaiting this new book, specifically for the dessert chapter.
When my pre-ordered copy finally arrived, I flipped to the sweet section and began to read. These cookies would most definitely be the first to be baked.
I haven’t baked much as of late, and this cookie recipe was exactly what I needed to get me back in the kitchen and back to baking my joy, cookies. And let me just say: now that have I started baking again, I have no desire to stop. How convenient! The holidays are here. And everyone loves freshly-baked cookies.
Mollie Bakes…
Recipe: Tiny, Salty, Chocolatey Cookies from Nothing Fancy by Alison Roman.
Baking notes:
This recipe is naturally gluten free! What. A. Dream. Not that it needed to be GF, I didn’t anticipate that it would be, but the fact that it’s naturally gluten free meant that I didn’t need to change one thing while baking. Hooray!
I used six ounces of bittersweet chocolate and two ounces of semisweet because that’s what I had in my baking drawer. I don’t think it affected the final flavor; next time I may just use bittersweet. AKA I’ll be more prepared. My preferred chocolate brand? Guittard. Always.
I chose to include chopped pecans as the recipe said nuts were optional. I had pecans so I added those! Yum.
The recipe said to bake for six-eight minutes. I found that (for my oven) I baked each sheet for about eight minutes, maybe a smidge past, but watched them carefully after seven minutes (this all depends on the size of the cookies, too). I let the cookies cool for several minutes on the baking sheets before moving to a cooling rack. They will not move easily if you don’t wait!
I topped the cookies with sea salt immediately after removing them from the oven. I found that this technique worked best so you could still see the salt and it stuck to the cookies.
The recipe stated that it will yield 24 cookies. Perhaps I was making mine too small (they’re supposed to be “tiny”) or I hadn’t chopped the chocolate enough (it was very much chopped), but I made 54 cookies. 😮 No complaints here. Just surprised!
Flavor and Fans: These cookies were a magical blend of cookie and brownie. A very thin, very chocolatey cookie with a crisp edge, slightly shiny exterior, and the center texture of a chewy brownie. Incredible! My friends and family loved them. I am quite confident these will be made on repeat throughout the holiday season.
Conclusion: This recipe was easy to follow, quick to prepare, didn’t require much equipment (no electric mixer!), and the cookies put a smile on everyone’s face before they even took a bite. And then they took a bite and asked for another. (Cookie) Mission accomplished. 😎
Enjoy!
Mollie