Double Chocolate Chunk Pecan Cookies

The next time that you’re in the mood for a very chocolatey cookie, look no further than this recipe for Double Chocolate Chunk Pecan Cookies. These cookies have a intensely chocolate base that is studded generously with chunks of chocolate and toasted pecans. The result is a rich cookie that delivers a double dose of chocolate in every bite, plus a nutty crunch that is the perfect contrast to the tender cookie.

The dough for these cookies is made with quite a lot of cocoa powder, which gives them an intense and bittersweet flavor. While it might seem like there is a lot of sugar in the dough, keep in mind that all that cocoa powder is unsweetened, so you need a fair amount of sugar to balance it out. The finished cookies will not be too sweet – in fact, you’ll still have a wonderfully intense cocoa flavor.

The dough is quite thick, so you’ll need a little muscle to stir in the mix-ins, though the cookies spread quite a bit when they bake. This recipe makes a fairly large batch of cookies, which is great when you need cookies for a party or an event. They keep well when stored in an airtight container and can even be frozen for later snacking. That being said, you can halve the recipe if you need a smaller batch.

For the best results, I recommend chilling the dough overnight (or for 24 hours) before baking it. That resting time really helps ensure that the cookies bake uniformly and, while they will still spread nicely, they will spread slightly less than freshly mixed dough. A few unofficial taste tests also suggested that the cookies taste more chocolatey when the dough is rested, but I would have to draft a few more tasters before I can state that as a fact. The cookies are very tender, with a soft chewiness that is very satisfying.

I finished these cookies by sprinkling them with a pinch of coarse salt before going into the oven, which brings out the rich chocolate in the dough when the cookies are finished. You can get the same effect by using salted pecans, instead of plain, as your mix-in. If you don’t have pecans, walnuts work extremely well in these cookies, too.

Double Chocolate Chunk Pecan Cookies
2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup butter, room temperature
2 cups sugar
2 large eggs
2 tbsp milk
2 tsp vanilla extract
2 cups semisweet or dark chocolate chunks
1 cup coarsely chopped toasted pecans
coarse salt, for topping

In a medium bowl, sift together flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt.
In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugar. Beat in eggs, followed by milk and vanilla extract. Gradually, with the mixer on low speed, blend in the flour mixture, stopping when no streaks of dry ingredients remain. Stir in chocolate chunks and pecans.
Cover bowl and refrigerate dough for 12-24 hours.*
Preheat oven to 350F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Shape dough into 1-inch balls and arrange on prepared baking sheet. Sprinkle each with a bit of coarse salt.
Bake for 10-12 minutes, until cookies are set around the edges
Cool for 4-5 minutes on the baking sheet, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Makes about 4 dozen

*Note: You can bake this dough right away, but the cookies may spread slightly more. They will still be tasty and the baking time will be about the same.

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