Chocolate Cookies

To prepare chocolate cookies, start by finely chopping the dark chocolate 1. Then transfer it to a bowl to melt it in a double boiler over very low heat 2; make sure the pot's water does not come into contact with the chocolate. Let it cool slightly while you prepare the cookies' base: in a mixer, pour the flour 3.

Add the cold butter from the fridge cut into chunks 4 and season with salt 5. Pulse the mixer to obtain a crumbly mixture that you will then transfer into a large bowl 6.

Add the sugar 7 and the now lukewarm melted chocolate 8. Separate the yolks from the egg whites (the indicated yolk weight is important to achieve a perfect consistency); add the previously beaten yolks to the mixture 9, using a fork.

Add the baking powder 10 and work the ingredients with your hands, which should be very cold, trying to perform the operation quickly so as not to heat the mixture too much. Continue kneading until you get a homogeneous and lump-free dough: then cover it with transparent plastic wrap 11 and let it rest in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes. After this time, remove the mixture from the fridge, remove the plastic wrap, and place it between two sheets of parchment paper. This precaution prevents the use of additional flour to roll out the dough. Flatten the dough with a rolling pin to a thickness of about 0.4 inches 12.

Once you have the desired thickness, take a cookie cutter with a diameter of 1.5-2 inches and start cutting the dough 13. Transfer the cookies thus obtained onto a baking tray lined with parchment paper. To move them, you can use a spatula 14 to avoid leaving fingerprints on the sides or surface of the cookies. Bake your chocolate cookies in a preheated static oven at 356°F for 13 minutes (if using a convection oven, you can bake them at 320°F for 5-6 minutes) 15. You can test the time and temperature for your oven by baking a first batch with a few pieces.

Once the baking time has elapsed, remove them from the oven 16 and let them cool for at least 2-3 minutes. Then transfer them to a wire rack 17 to cool for at least 15 minutes. You can always use a spatula to place them on the rack if you prefer, as they will not be perfectly set yet: once cold, the texture will be crumbly. Your chocolate cookies are now ready to be enjoyed 18!