Dark Chocolate Sea Salt Cookies

Back in 2008, when no one was reading my blog but me, I made these amazing chocolate cookies. It was a blog written in the heat of the moment, but that is indeed what blogging is about, right? You learn a little about me, and get to cyber-taste something delicious! These cookies are my daughter's favorite, and I can't really remember what we used to call them, because since that post in 2008, we call them Pissed Off Sports Mom Chocolate Makes It Better Cookies. I am a coaches dream parent. I bake out my frustrations.
I confessed in that post, that chocolate is not my downfall, but sometimes I do crave a square of really dark chocolate. Not chocolate chips, (yuck.) I recently picked up a Lindt 85% cocoa bar, passing on the chili infused one which is my favorite, because I knew I would share with Christina. She knows the hiding spot. Yep, I hide chocolate. Hey, if you spend $3 on a few ounces of chocolate that you truly enjoy, hide it. Anyway, in the Lindt selections was a new dark bar I had not seen, with sea salt. Hmmm, I like that idea. I love salted caramel gelato, and I thought about these chocolate cookies I sometimes make because it is the slight taste of salt in contrast with all that chocolate that I love. So back to the food processor and time to tweak this recipe! I chose Maldon Sea Salt, which is what is referred to as a dry, flake salt. It is very popular with cooks because you can crumble it easy in your fingertips. Try to not crumble it on the cookies, it is the jagged flakes that give the cookies a better appearance and the salt bite.

The original recipe from the early nineties made something like 9 cookies. Make that 9 HUGE cookies. Even with 2-3 Tablespoons of dough, it will make a couple dozen. I decided to make these even smaller yet. Just watch that oven. 8 minutes would be the max time, try it shorter and give them a few minutes to cool, you want these little killers chewy!

Pissed Off Sports Mom Chocolate Makes It Better Cookies
5 oz. unsweetened chocolate, chopped fine
1 1/3 cups sugar
1 stick unsalted butter at room temperature
2 large eggs
1 Tablespoon Instant Espresso
1 Tablespoon vanilla
1 Cup flour
2 cups semisweet chocolate chunks
Maldon Sea Salt

Process chocolate and sugar with steel blade for 2 minutes or until fine. Add butter, eggs, coffee and vanilla. Blend until fluffy. Scrape down sides.
Add flour and chocolate chunks. I use these. Process using on/off pulse until just combined. Do not over process.

Mound dough onto sheets in 1 Tablespoon clumps about 2" apart. Sprinkle the tops of the cookies with Maldon Sea Salt, just a few crystals. Bake 8 minutes at 350, rotating sheets halfway through. Cookies should be slightly firm to touch, but careful not to over bake. Cool on rack. It only takes one to find a more peaceful place.
Makes about 4 dozen