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    Home / Recipes / Cookies

    Triple Chocolate Chile Cookies

    Published Nov 29, 2010

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

    triple chocolate chile cookies on a plate

    Unlike most teenagers, who spend much of their time dyeing their hair odd colors, piercing body parts and ditching high school to smoke illicit substances, I whiled away the majority of those years with my nose buried in my mom's collection of Bon Appetite magazines. (That is, when I wasn't dyeing my hair, piercing body parts, or ditching school to smoke illicit substances.)

    My fixation with food magazines continued into college, and everything changed when I received a subscription, from my mom, to Cook's Illustrated. Cook's quickly became my bible, and their rigorous testing seemed the answer to every shady recipe, unexplained step or odd ingredient I'd ever encountered. They laid everything out plainly, detailing the rationale behind each iota of leavening or extra egg yolk. (And trust me, they are really into their extra egg yolks.)

    chocolate chunks on a board

    For years after obtaining my useless degree in Art History, I dreamed of working as a recipe tester for Cook's. (Ok, I still do.) And I've certainly wished for Cook's salary and taste testers over the last few weeks of developing this cookie recipe.

    When the notion of a triple chocolate chile cookie first popped into my head, I didn't quite realize what an adventure I was embarking upon. I wanted a cookie with the chew of a classic chocolate chip but the flavor of deep, dark chocolate highlighted by cinnamon and chile.

    dry ingredients in a sieve

    I based my first trial on Elizabeth Falkner's Chocolate³ Espresso Cookies from Demolition Desserts. With a hefty dose of cocoa powder, a relatively small amount of egg, and chopped chocolate stirred in at the end, the dough utilized the creaming method (in which butter and sugar are creamed together). I've been spoiled, however, by Cook's Thick and Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies which employ the batter method (in which the butter is melted and whisked with the sugar and eggs), and I've now been rendered too lazy to either drag out the mixer for a batch of cookies or wait for the butter to soften and then mix them using my supreme upper body strength. All of that is to say that I tried melting the butter for this first batch of cookies, doubled the egg, and subbed cayenne and cinnamon powders for the espresso.

    While tasty enough to start me down the path of triple-chocolate-cookie-no-return (and bribe the upstairs construction workers to take a break for an hour so I could hear myself think), the cookies were, shall we say, aesthetically challenged, as well as overly delicate. I liked how easy the recipe was to make, though, requiring neither melting chocolate nor mixer-mixing, and I really ought to have given the recipe another try, actually following it this time.

    cookie mix being stirred

    But I didn't.

    For the next trial, I turned to Martha's mag of Holiday Cookies. The triple chocolate cookie in there used milk chocolate, both melted into the batter and stirred in in chunks. I had only dark chocolate, so I tweaked the cookie to the best of my abilities, and again the cookies were tasty but overly delicate.

    Trial 3 used Martha's Brownie Cookies from her book, a wet, gooey dough made similarly to brownie batter, where gobs of chocolate are melted with butter, then eggs, sugar, vanilla and flour are mixed in.These cookies were more truffle-like, and there was something about the flavor that I found unappealing.

    I finally consulted Cook's, and was surprised to read that the elusive triple chocolate cookie was their most difficult achievement. They swore up and down that the creaming method was the only way to get a chewy cookie.

    cookies before cookies

    I was all set to give their recipe a go, but, as a testament to the fluidity of recipe-writing, when I looked on-line, those clever bakers have since come out with two more, completely different, chocolate cookie recipes. One, which I made when I baked at Petite Patisserie, used a method I've never seen before for cookies, in which whole eggs are whipped with sugar until they reach the 'ribbon' stage and have tripled in bulk, much like making a genoise. While swoon-worthy, these cookies have a light, 'mousse-like' texture and I wanted something with a bit more heft.

    Cook's newest recipe bizarrely uses egg white only and a combination of sugar and dark corn syrup to sweeten the cookies. While I loved that for once Cook's was asking for egg white only (they seem to adore adding extra yolks into everything from cookies to cakes to pies), I already have a motley collection of liquid sweeteners taking up space in my cupboard - brown rice, molasses, light corn syrup, malted barley, Lyle's Golden Syrup, agave, maple and honey - and was not about to add another.

    rows of chocolate cookies

    Luckily, before I threw my hands up in frustration, I found yet another Martha recipe online. Despite requiring melting chocolate and using a mixer, somehow it sounded just right. The cookies in the accompanying photograph looked handsome and crackled, deep and dark with chocolate, neither too thick nor too thin. The reviews confirmed that this was a solid recipe.

    But of course it wasn't so simple. Unfortunately for us bakers, chocolate is not only one of the yummiest but also one of the most finicky ingredients that we work with. The label 'bittersweet' can contain anywhere from 50 to 88% cocoa solids, a range which can really mess with your baking ratios. Cookies in particular require a delicate balance of liquids (eggs, butter, sugar) to solids (flour and in this case, cocoa solids) in order to get the texture right.The chocolate that Iam so in love with I wish I could marry it and make beautiful and delicious half-chocolate babiesuse contains 70% cocoa solids. I always use this percentage of chocolate for baking and was not about to change that for no finicky triple chocolate cookies.

    triple chocolate chile cookies on parchment

    It took three more tries to get the amount of flour right when using 70% chocolate, but this recipe was the best yet, using ingredients I almost always have around the house, achieving a deep, dark chocolate flavor with the satisfying chew of a regular chocolate chip cookie, and immense depth of flavor from fruity chocolate, cocoa powder, cinnamon, chile, vanilla and brown sugar. The chewy dough envelops pockets of melty chocolate, and cocoa nibs lend texture and extra-chocolaty goodness.

    While I'm sure I could continue trying recipe after recipe (and certainly would were I paid Cook's - or Martha's - salary) I decided to stop at trial 6, because these cookies are not only pretty, but pretty awesome-tasting, as well.

    chocolate cookies on a wire rack

    I brought some to my dance group before our big show, expecting to catch hell for sabotaging their Adonis-like figures. Instead, the cookies were duly devoured before rehearsal even began. Steve, who doesn't even have a sweet-tooth, begged me not to bring him any more ever again, then looked stricken when I agreed.

    top down shot of chocolate chip cookies and glass of milk

    Beware: these treats may make a cookie monster out of you, too. Though bake assured that one trial should be all it takes to get them just right.

    close up of chocolate chip cookie

    For more chocolate recipes:

    • (Gluten-free!) Chocolate - Rum Blondies
    • Chocolate Hazelnut Brown Butter Cake
    • Double Chocolate Banana Cupcakes
    • Triple Chocolate Layer Pie with a Hazelnut-Cocoa Crust {gluten-free}

    *Bojon appétit! For more Bojon Gourmet in your life, follow along on Instagram,  Facebook, or Pinterest, purchase my gluten-free cookbook Alternative Baker, or subscribe to receive new posts via email. And if you make this chocolate chile cookie recipe, I’d love to know. Leave a comment and rating below, and tag your Instagram snaps @The_Bojon_Gourmet  and  #bojongourmet.*

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    Triple Chocolate Chile Cookies

    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    You are going to fall in love with these cookies!
    Alanna Taylor-Tobin
    Prep Time: 10 minutes
    Cook Time: 15 minutes
    Total: 25 minutes
    Servings: 24 cookies.

    Ingredients

    • 3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons all purpose flour (4 1/2 ounces)
    • 1/2 cup unsweetened dutch-processed cocoa (1 1/2 ounces)
    • 3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
    • 3/4 teaspoon cayenne powder
    • 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
    • 1/2 teaspoon salt
    • 1 stick unsalted butter, at room temperature (4 ounces, 1/2 cup)
    • 1 cup packed light brown sugar (7 ounces)
    • 1/2 cup granulated sugar (3 3/4 ounces)
    • 2 eggs, at room temperature
    • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
    • 8 ounces coarsely chopped 70% bittersweet chocolate, 4 ounces melted, the rest reserved (1 1/2 cups)
    • 1/4 cup cacao nibs (1 ounce)

    Instructions

    • Position 2 racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven and preheat to 350º. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
    • In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, cocoa, cinnamon, chile, baking powder and salt. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or the old-school way, with a bowl, wooden spoon and your supreme might) cream together the butter and sugar until lightened in color, 3 minutes. Add the eggs one at a time, then the vanilla. (It's not the end of the world if the mixture breaks.) Stir in the melted chocolate until combined, scraping down the sides of the bowl and the paddle as needed, then stir in the dries on low until just combined. Stir in the chopped chocolate and cacao nibs.
    • Remove the bowl and paddle, and use a sturdy rubber spatula to give the dough a final fold by hand
    • Scoop the dough into heaping-tablespoon-sized balls (I like to use the purple-handled spring-loaded ice cream scoop) and place 2 inches apart on the parchmented sheets. Bake 12 - 15 minutes, rotating top to bottom and front to back halfway through, until the centers are puffed, cracked and soft, and the edges are set. (Don't overbake.) Let cool completely on the sheets.
    • The cookies are best within the first couple of days after baking, but will keep in an airtight container for up to a week.

    Notes

    Adapted from Martha.
    I make these with chocolate that contains 70% cocoa solids. If using a chocolate with 60% solids or less (or one that doesn't say) increase the flour to 1 cup (5 ounces).
    My cayenne is on the elderly side (not sure how long it's been hanging around the spice cupboard) and the amount used here lends a warmth in the aftertaste, but not a tongue-scorching heat. (In fact, an unsuspecting five-year-old ate one at a party, and purportedly begged for another.) If your cayenne seems quite piquant, you might try decreasing the amount you use in the cookies.
    If you like, you can press a chocolate chunk or two and/or some extra nibs into the tops of the unbaked cookies. I couldn't decide which I liked better, aesthetically.
    Nutritional values are based on one of twenty four cookies.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 170kcalCarbohydrates: 22gProtein: 2gFat: 8gSaturated Fat: 5gCholesterol: 24mgSodium: 58mgPotassium: 110mgFiber: 1gSugar: 16gVitamin A: 170IUVitamin C: 0.1mgCalcium: 24mgIron: 1.2mg
    Making this? I'd love to see!Tag your snaps @The_Bojon_Gourmet and #bojongourmet!

    Triple Chocolate Chile Cookies

    Adapted from Martha

    I make these with chocolate that contains 70% cocoa solids. If using a chocolate with 60% solids or less (or one that doesn't say) increase the flour to 1 cup (5 ounces). My cayenne is on the elderly side (not sure how long it's been hanging around the spice cupboard) and the amount used here lends a warmth in the aftertaste, but not a tongue-scorching heat. (In fact, an unsuspecting five-year-old ate one at a party, and purportedly begged for another.) If your cayenne seems quite piquant, you might try decreasing the amount you use in the cookies.

    If you like, you can press a chocolate chunk or two and/or some extra nibs into the tops of the unbaked cookies. I couldn't decide which I liked better, aesthetically.

    3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons (4 1/2 ounces) all purpose flour
    1/2 cup (1 1/2 ounces) unsweetened dutch-processed cocoa
    3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
    3/4 teaspoon cayenne powder
    1/2 teaspoon baking powder
    1/2 teaspoon salt
    1 stick (4 ounces, 1/2 cup) unsalted butter, at room temperature
    1 cup (7 ounces) packed light brown sugar
    1/2 cup (3 3/4 ounces) granulated sugar
    2 eggs, at room temperature
    1 teaspoon vanilla extract
    8 ounces (1 1/2 cups) coarsely chopped 70% bittersweet chocolate, 4 ounces melted, the rest reserved
    1/4 cup (1 ounce) cacao nibs

    Position 2 racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven and preheat to 350º. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

    In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, cocoa, cinnamon, chile, baking powder and salt. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or the old-school way, with a bowl, wooden spoon and your supreme might) cream together the butter and sugar until lightened in color, 3 minutes. Add the eggs one at a time, then the vanilla. (It's not the end of the world if the mixture breaks.) Stir in the melted chocolate until combined, scraping down the sides of the bowl and the paddle as needed, then stir in the dries on low until just combined. Stir in the chopped chocolate and cacao nibs.

    Remove the bowl and paddle, and use a sturdy rubber spatula to give the dough a final fold by hand

    Scoop the dough into heaping-tablespoon-sized balls (I like to use the purple-handled spring-loaded ice cream scoop) and place 2 inches apart on the parchmented sheets. Bake 12 - 15 minutes, rotating top to bottom and front to back halfway through, until the centers are puffed, cracked and soft, and the edges are set. (Don't overbake.) Let cool completely on the sheets.

    The cookies are best within the first couple of days after baking, but will keep in an airtight container for up to a week.

    triple chocolate cookie broken in half

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Jay Doane says

      November 29, 2010 at 6:29 pm

      These are indeed the bomb!

      Reply
    2. Jessa says

      December 11, 2010 at 1:43 am

      If you have a half-chocolate baby, I will have a very hard time not licking it. Which would be totally awkward.

      I just made some cookies with black pepper and cayenne in them. They are OMG tasty.

      Reply
    3. Liz says

      February 12, 2011 at 3:36 am

      then stir in the dries - what is this, please?

      Reply
    4. alanna says

      February 12, 2011 at 5:11 pm

      Thanks for your question - that is, the dry ingredients (flour, cocoa, etc.) that you sifted together. Cheers!

      Reply
    5. Anonymous says

      February 13, 2013 at 7:42 pm

      Thank you for posting this recipe! I cannot wait to make them. I have made chocolate chile cookies in the past, but they had a funky shape to them, even though they tasted great. Can you please tell me if I should use the paddle or the whisk for the standing mixer?

      Reply
      • Alanna says

        February 13, 2013 at 7:49 pm

        You're welcome! Use the paddle for this. I'll add that into the instructions; thank you for asking. Let me know how you like them. :)

        Reply
    6. Stephan Tobin says

      May 01, 2013 at 6:59 pm

      all the recipes you posted for Cinco de Mayo are great! I look forward to trying some of them, particularly the drinks, the rice dish and the scrambled eggs with tortillas. I get sick of eating cereal every morning!

      Reply
      • Alanna says

        May 01, 2013 at 7:02 pm

        Thanks, Dad! We love migas for breakfast, too!

        Reply
    7. Anonymous says

      July 07, 2013 at 10:56 pm

      So, I've been sending my son cookies every week since he left for college back East. When I came across these cookies on your website, I was drooling. I went out and bought all of the ingredients, and am waiting for the oven to preheat to the recommended 350. I only plan on putting one cookie in to see how it turns out.

      You see, I have followed your recipe to a "T"; however, when all done, the consistency seemed very thin - almost brownie like, but thinner. Unlike the picture above, there was no way that they were scoop ready.

      I have already added an extra six (6) tablespoons of flour, and they still don't look seem scoop ready, or like the image above, but I'm going to try baking one, and will let you know how it turns out.

      I'm a little concerned because I spent extra money purchasing the supplies for this recipe.

      Stay tuned! My next attempt will be to chill them in the fridge for a bit. Brigitta

      Reply
    8. Anonymous says

      July 07, 2013 at 11:19 pm

      Hi, Brigitta again. GOOD NEWS!

      So, the first cookie came out perfect. This is what I had to do/add:

      1/2 xtra tsp of baking powder (total of 1 tsp)
      1/2 xtra tsp of salt (total of 1 tsp)
      5 (not 6) xtra tsp of flour

      I also only added 1/2 tsp of cayenne pepper, since I was a bit of a chicken.

      Final result? EXCELLENT!

      12 minutes to bake for me, but I am at an elevation of approx. 1500 ft.

      Reply
      • Alanna says

        July 08, 2013 at 5:42 am

        Hi, Brigitta! I'm sorry for the confusion with the batter, but relieved to hear that the cookies turned out in the end!

        I never had a problem with runny batter, and I've made these cookies several times (and adapted them from a trusted source.) I read through the ingredients and all looks in order (though I'll try to make these again soon to make sure).

        My first guess as to the batter being thin would be very hot melted chocolate (and/or warm butter) that melted the butter when you added it in. You want it to be warm enough so that it doesn't harden on contact with the cool egg/butter mixture, but not so hot that it melts the butter. If this was the case, a quick chill in the fridge would have probably firmed up the batter. Another culprit could be chocolate with a lower cacao mass than 70%, as I mentione in the head note.

        In any case, I'm so glad you had success with your modifications. Thanks a lot for the note, and happy baking. :)

        Reply
    9. Whitney says

      February 15, 2014 at 3:14 pm

      Hi Alanna, These cookies sound divine and look gorgeous. Hoping you might be able to tell me what effect refrigerating the dough overnight might have on these? I tend to make my dough one day ahead of baking it and was wondering whether that would affect the spread/rise/and overall flavor or appearance. Thanks!

      Reply
      • Alanna says

        February 15, 2014 at 6:06 pm

        Hi Whitney, Thanks for the great question. Since this dough contains melted chocolate, which is solid when cold, I think it would become quite stiff and difficult to scoop when chilled. I'm guessing the cookies would not spread enough when baked. However, it might work to roll the dough into a log in parchment paper, and slice the cookies prior to baking, or to flatten chilled scoops with the bottom of a glass or your palm prior to baking. One more caveat is that they may not form those pretty, crackly tops. I'm guessing the flavor will still stay delicious, however. Please let me know if you give it a try and how they turn out. I'm very curious now!

        Reply

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