Desserts for the Deserving: Giant Chocolate Cookies

I am a food blog junkie.

There a ton of blogs that I try and read/check as often as I can, but there are only a handful that I make sure I check every day. One of them being i am baker. Amanda is the genius behind the blog, and every recipe she posts is gorgeous. Like this cake that when you slice into it, you can have a mini heart? Amazing. Or how about all of the rose cakes she makes? Who needs actual flowers when you can just have cake?

Anyway, she started this great thing last year called Desserts for the Deserving. The idea was that people would nominate someone who they think needed a pick me up, and then people would nominate themselves to bake for someone. And voila - someone would get a package with a sweet little dessert from a stranger. After the overwhelming response to her request last year, another post came up this year saying she was doing it again. I just knew I had to be a part of it, so I signed up.

Now I just had to figure out what to bake.

There was a recipe on Annie's Eats that I had been eyeing for quite some time. Giant Double Chocolate Cookies. They were huge cookies, which would mean they would last longer than normal sized cookies and they were chocolate so that is just a plus right there. And with the amount of chocolate chips I put in, you could put it in the microwave for 10 seconds and warm the cookie right up. So really, it was a no brainer what I was going to make.

And of course, before I sent them out, I had to taste-test them to make sure they were good enough.

And they were. Definitely needed that milk too. They're large, dense, delicious, rich chocolate cookies. And they brightened my day, so I can only hope they brightened her day too!

Giant Chocolate Cookies

yields 12-14 large cookies

1 cup (2 sticks) cold & cubed unsalted butter
1 1/4 cups sugar
2 large eggs
1/2 cup dark cocoa powder
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
2 1/2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line the baking sheets with silicone baking mats or parchment paper.

In a large mixing bowl, combine butter and sugar and beat together on medium/medium-high speed until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing well between each addition. Mix in the cocoa powder until well blended. Add the flour, salt, and baking powder to the mixing bowl and mix on low speed until it's just incorporated. Fold in the chocolate chips and knead the dough (in the bowl or on a work surface) to make sure all the ingredients are well incorporated.

Divide the dough into 12 large equal pieces. Roll each portion into a ball and use the palm of your hand to flatten it slightly into a disc. Place on the baking sheets, 2-3 inches apart.

Bake for 16-20 minutes. Let them cool on the baking sheets 5 minutes and then transfer to a wire cooling rack to cool completely.

[source: Annie's Eats, who got it from My Baking Addiction]