The Most Heavenly Chocolate Cookies on Earth

Chocolate is one of those simple life pleasures that I can always depend on. I LOVE chocolate. In fact, some might say that I'm a full-blown choco-holic. A bite (or two, or three) of chocolate, the darker and richer the better, has become my nightly post-dinner ritual. But some nights—the homesick, midterm-cramming, freezing-cold-rainstorm nights—I find myself wanting more than just a few bites.

On those nights, I need a decadent, soul-warming treat to satisfy my chocolate craving and deliver a moment of worry-free bliss. And that's exactly when I turn to the earth-shattering Double Chocolate cookie recipe from my favorite bakery in the world: the Hummingbird Bakery.

This American-style bakery opened on Portobello Road, London in 2004. After experiencing an authentic American Thanksgiving in all its dessert glory, owner Tarek Malouf felt inspired to share American cupcakes, cakes, pies, brownies, muffins and cookies with his fellow Brits. His bakery became wildly successful and now turns out dozens of goodies each day for endless queues of hungry customers.

I discovered this phenomenal bakery thanks to my aunt who lives in London and loves to bake as much as I do. She bought me the Hummingbird cookbook and took me to the Soho branch in London two summers ago (#takemeback). 

Ever since, I've become totally addicted to baking and eating Hummingbird treats—especially these chocolatey beauties. They're the answer to my wildest cookie dreams: crisp and crinkly on the outside, fudgey and gooey in the middle, bursting with intensely dark chocolate flavor in every bite. In a word, heavenly.

Double Chocolate Cookies*

• Prep Time:20 mins
• Cook Time:15 mins
• Total Time:35 mins
• Servings:12
• Medium

Ingredients

• 50 grams unsalted butter
• 450 grams dark chocolate roughly chopped I recommend using half dark chocolate chunks and half dark chocolate chips
• 2 eggs
• 170 grams soft light brown sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 85 grams plain flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 2 baking trays lined with greaseproof paper

• Step 1

  Preheat the oven to 335°.

• Step 2

  Put the butter and half the chocolate in a heatproof bowl over a saucepan of simmering water (do not let the bowl’s base touch the water). Leave until melted and smooth. (Alternatively, melt the chocolate and butter in gradual increments in the microwave.)

  

• Step 3

  Whisk the eggs, sugar and vanilla in a freestanding electric mixer with the paddle attachment (or use a handheld electric whisk). Beat until well mixed.

  

• Step 4

  Pour in the chocolate mixture and beat on slow speed until well combined.

• Step 5

  Sift the flour, salt and baking powder into a separate bowl.

• Step 6

  Add the flour mixture to the chocolate mixture in 3 additions. Mix well after each addition and scrape unmixed ingredients from the side of the bowl with a rubber spatula.

  

• Step 7

  Stir in the remaining chocolate until evenly dispersed.

• Step 8

  Arrange 6 equal amounts of cookie dough on each tray (I recommend using an ice cream scoop). Space them apart so they have adequate room to spread out while baking.

  

• Step 9

  Bake the cookies for 10-15 minutes, until cracked and glossy.

  

• Step 10

  Leave the cookies to cool slightly before turning them out onto a wire rack to cool completely.

  

*Because this recipe follows European baking standards, ingredients are measured by weight using a kitchen scale. A scale is a great investment, because weighing allows for more accurate measurements. Plenty of inexpensive options are available on Amazon.

If you're too impatient to wait for your cookies to cool (guilty as charged), embrace your choco-holic whims. Grab an icy glass of milk, break off a hot, melty chunk of cookie goodness and let the divine dunking begin.