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

Sweet and Salty Daisy Doodles

So, these cookies are already a family favorite. I have a million names for them, but nothing that really fits it. So I thought about all of my favorite cookie names, and I keep coming back to Snickerdoodle. I love that name, but not a big fan of the cookie. I even used to call my son Nic, Snickerdoodle, (I'm sure he appreciates me pointing that out). So, if I morph Snickerdoodle with my very favorite dog ever, Daisy, I get a Daisy Doodle. Sounds like a cookie I would love~

I have made them many times, and I think the big attraction is the salt that sneaks into the chocolate for a wow! moment. So it got me thinking, what if I skipped the salt and added some salted nuts? Would I get that sweet/salty combo I love? Why not try, right? Or, what about these amazing pecans we got at Christmas? They are unsalted, but they may fit nicely into the recipe as it is. These cookies are SO easy, I do everything in the food processor. Of course it has morphed and changed since I first posted it, so here we go again.My favorite nuts come from Trader Joe's, and I am thrilled to be moving to Nashville where I'll have one! The salted, shelled pistachios are delicious and the macadamia nuts from Australia are delicious. I decided to whip up a batch of cookies, and I basically divided the batter into three parts. I left one pure and chocolately, dropped the pistachios in one, and the macadamias, (chopped) in one. I think the macadamia nuts worked the best with the dark chocolate. The pistachios seemed to get a little lost, and of course the no nut version is as good as always, perhaps still the favorite. I am thinking I may try some dried cherries, maybe some toffee, even orange is delicious with dark chocolate. So lots of experimenting to come.

Daisy Doodles

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 or chips
1/4 teaspoon salt (I use Kosher)
½ c. nuts (if they are salted, omit the 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, chocolate chunks, salt, and nuts. Process using on/off pulse until just combined. Do not over process.

Mound dough onto sheets in 2-3 Tablespoon clumps about 2" apart. Bake 12 minutes at 350, rotating sheets halfway through. Cookies should be slightly firm to touch, but careful not to over bake. Cool on rack.
Makes about 2 dozen plus a few. They are seriously rich, so I like to make them smaller, but watch the baking time, gooey is what you aim for! So, what are ya waiting for? Get in there and bake!

Pissed Off Sports Mom Chocolate Makes It Better Cookies

You couldn't pay me to be a teenager today. School is ultra competitive, sports are ultra competitive, and as usual the nice guy finishes last. I lived it with Nic and I'm living it with Christina. I know "the squeaky wheel gets the grease", and as I've told my kids for years, I don't squeak. I may have squeaked a little last night. I was pissed off, plain and simple. Why, where and who is trivial, but baking is the only answer.
I was really gonna work on some good low fat alternatives for the blog, but maybe in another, calmer, time.

I am not a chocoholic. I don't order chocolate desserts, or go for chocolate ice cream. I love bittersweet chocolate bars, especially Lindt with chile pepper (thanks Lori) and the yummy organic xxoo bars at Whole Foods. I think the reason these Pissed Off Sports Mom Chocolate Makes It Better cookies appeal to me is because they are dark chocolaty, and a little goes a long way. The espresso enhances the dark chocolate, keeps it from being too sweet. But, the salt is key, amazingly, you can taste it and the contrast with the creamy dark chocolate is divine. Use only sea salt, and you'll experience it too!

This is an old recipe from a friend Julie Speelhoffer, that she shared after I bought my first (and only) food processor. Of course it is a Cuisinart, it is easily 15 years old, and I love it. It isn't the first appliance to come to mind when you're making cookies, but it makes them so easily. Quick clean up, and a great little hunk of chocolate heaven!


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 or chips
1/4 teaspoon 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, chocolate chunks and salt. Process using on/off pulse until just combined. Do not over process.

Mound dough onto sheets in 2-3 Tablespoon clumps about 2" apart. Bake 12 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 2 dozen

Happy Baking! And if you like this food processor business, check out Rose Levy Birnbaum's Christmas Cookie book. She has directions for almost all her cookies using a food processor.