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chocolate chocolate chip cookie recipe

The French like chocolate as much, or even more, than the rest of us. That includes Clotilde Dusoulier, who writes the blog Chocolate & Zucchini. If you’re a reader, you’re privy to her charming stories about her life in Paris accompanied recipes. And you’ve also likely heard of her book: Chocolate & Zucchini: Daily Adventures in a Parisian Kitchen.

Cocoa nibs

Turning the pages and reading about her life in Montmartre is like spending the day with a true Parisienne, which seems to be an endless quest of finding the best markets and sourcing ingredients, then taking them home and making them into fabulous dinners to share with friends and family.

Like most French people, and myself, I seem to always focus on chocolate, especially dark chocolate. I’ve been playing around with these “Very Chocolate Cookies,” as they’re called, making them several times, in several different ways.

chocolate chocolate chip cookie recipechocolate chocolate chip cookie recipe

I’ve been chopping chocolate to make the soft, slightly crumbly batter, which bakes into extra-delicious, delicate dark chocolate cookies, finished with a flurry of flaky sea salt, a nice contrast to the bittersweet chocolate.

chocolate chocolate chip cookie recipe

Double Chocolate Chip Cookies

Adapted from Chocolate & Zucchini: Daily Adventures in a Parisian Kitchen By Clotilde Dusoulier This makes a slightly crumbly cookie dough and will take a bit of coaxing to get the rounds into shape. I use Dutch-process cocoa powder, which is darker than natural cocoa powders (such as most supermarket brands, like Nestlé and Hershey's), although it might be interesting to experiment with some of the cocoa powders made by bean-to-bar chocolate makers. For more on cocoa powder, check out my Cocoa powder FAQs.
  • 1 cup (140g) all-purpose flour
  • 1/4 cup (25g) unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 5 ounces (140g) bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, chopped in chip-sized chunks
  • 1/4 cup (30g) roasted cocoa nibs
  • 1/2 cup, plus 1 tablespoon (125g) unsalted butter, at room temperature
  • 1/2 cup (100g) (packed) light brown sugar
  • 1/4 teaspoon kosher or salt
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • optional: fleur de sel, or another flaky sea salt, such as Maldon
  • Preheat the oven to 350ºF (180ºC) and line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.
  • In a small bowl, sift the flour, cocoa powder and baking soda together.
  • In a clean, dry bowl set over a pan of simmering water (or in a microwave), melt half of the chocolate (2½ oz, 70g), then let cool to room temperature. Mix the other half of the chocolate chunks a bowl with the cocoa nibs.
  • Beat the butter with a standing electric mixer, or by hand, just until smooth. Beat in the sugar, salt and vanilla or chocolate extract.
  • By hand, stir in the melted chocolate, then the flour & cocoa mixture. Then finally the chocolate chunks and nibs.
  • Scoop the dough into 1-inch (3cm) rounds and place evenly-spaced apart on the prepared baking sheets. Flatten the tops slightly (the edges may crack a bit, which is normal) and sprinkle each cookie with flaky sea salt, if desired, then bake for 9 to 10 minutes, rotating the baking sheets midway during baking, until the cookies take on a slightly dry sheen on the top but feel soft when you touch them.
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33 comments

    • flavia

    This recipe reminds me of the best chocolate cookie ever, the Korova cookie, one of Pierre Hermé’s best recipe for the only reason that I absolutely adore chocolate with fleur de sel…The cocoa nibs seem like a great addition though … (seems like those nibs are popping everywhere lately David!!!!)

    • izzy’s mama

    So now, after finally just buying your book, you have make a good case for why I need to buy Clotilde’s book too. Those recipes sound incredible and those cookies look divine.

    • Fred

    Yesterday read your piece on egg whites and had to try the chocolate and coconut macarons. They were just a bit of heaven and oooh I ate too many. Interesting…my corner market only had Ghirardelli 60% bittersweet chips…a brand I usually stay away from, preferring Scharffenberger for baking. But the Ghirardelli chips tasted great with the coconut and…oh I ate too many. Thanks

    • Mandy

    I have all the required ingredients at home! Isn’t that a sign that I have to make them today? Thanks for posting this recipe.And I enjoy reading your blog! :)

    • David

    Mandy: I made them last night, and today I only have 3 left. So let me know when they come out of the oven—I’ll be right over.

    izzy’s mama: Good thing you got my book when you did. I’ve implanted a secret microchip in each copy and as of next month, only book owners will be have access the super top-secret, well-hidden categories of this blog that contain my deepest-held thoughts which are unavailable to anyone else. Prepare to be shocked, excited, perplexed, anxious and maybe even a bit titillated.

    Clotilde’s book I’m not sure has one, but it’s a great read and the recipes, like these cookies, are really enticing.

    • George

    “You know those folks who love to find mistakes in recipes?” Well, I don’t think I’m one of them, but I did find myself wondering what oven temperature to use for this (delicious-looking) cookie recipe…

    • David

    George: It was in there, but you perhaps didn’t have the top-secret microchip embedded that allowed access to the oven temperature.

    As a courtesy, I added it so it’s now visible to all.
    ; )

    • haapi

    hi david–can you tell me where to find cocoa nibs in paris? and can you mix cinnamon and sea salt to make your special cinnamon salt? (where do you get that btw?) thanks in advance…

    • Lesley

    Clotilde seems so nice, like someone who just “gets it”…
    I will try this recipe for the wee toddlers I have running about my legs at home. Nothing like chocolate to get them going even more!
    Thanks!

    • Diane

    Reading your blog about Clotilde’s cookies made be have another piece of her Chocolate & Zucchini Cake which I made last night. I love her book and agree that her recipes are best if followed exactly.

    First time I made the cake, I used semi-sweet chocolate chips, because that is what I had on hand. Cake is definitely better with bittersweet chocolate. I’ve also made the Mustard Chicken Stew which was wonderful, except I didn’t quite get what to do with the garlic paste. All and all, a beautiful book.

    btw, Your blog is wonderful!

    • Car

    David, you are RIGHT ON. First you’ve been providing regular articles & recipes on gelato & ice cream this season at the height of my interest in eating & making them. For my birthday I received The Perfect Scoop along with the ICE 50BCC. I’m churning! THEN, as I’m tiring of scrambled egg whites with shredded cheddar, you come along with ways-with-egg-whites. And NOW, some GREAT chocolate cookies from a fellow food artist. I just made them – they spread gracefully, are moist/crisp without being chewy or crunchy. Very pleasant texture. And I love how they have some whole wheat in them. Thanks for presenting great food for thought – your own & those of others. I look forward to your entries every day.

    • Lesley

    David,
    What works best…freezing unused dough or baking the cookies and freezing uneaten cookies?
    I’ve done both, but wonder what an expert thinks…

    • Mlle Smith in France

    What is with that?! I LOVE the Badoit, (though I seem to prefer San Peligrino and love how cheap it is here in France) so what’s up with this woman claiming to no longer have any?

    Were they saving it for some sort of after-hours employee gathering?! I am so annoyed by French shop owners/workers sometimes. It’s as if they really enjoy having a sucky economy. :ol

    • David

    Mlle Smith: It’s just one of those quirky things, where the first word is “Non”, then you have to talk them into it.

    But sometimes you just don’t question it (like when my bank told me “we don’t have any change“) and save yourself the frustration and just get a good laugh from it. It was amusing and it’s nice to know that French folks find these things as odd as we do.

    Lesley: I would freeze the uncooked dough. Aside from them tasting better freshly-baked, the cookies are too delicate to last in the freezer. But once you taste one, I doubt they’d make it into the freezer to begin with.

    haapi: You can get cocoa nibs at G. Detou. They sell them by the kilo, but they’re only about 12€, which is a deal. And they last for quite a while (or you can split a bag with someone.)

    For the salt, you can click on the link to see where in France I get mine.

    • Christy

    “Before I met Clotilde, I was certain she was some burly truck-driver from Wisconsin pulling a fast one over on us all.”

    Why hate on Wisconsin? We have offered so much to the culinary world – fine dairy products (who can resist squeaky cheese curds?), good beers (Leinie’s, anyone?), delicious Door County cherries and so much more! We love everyone (well, except people from Illinois) – so show us some love right back!

    Christy, a Wisconsin girl living in Florida

    • Hillary

    I have a friend who recently became allergic to chocolate and seeing this post makes me really, really sad for her. These cookies look amazing! That gooey part is staring me in the face…

    • Lesley

    I just made these, and let me say…wow!! First of all, a glass of milk is in order during and after preparation…for the dough (so good!) and then for the cookies.
    I had no cocoa nibs, but I got creative and put in 1/4 cup of crumbled Montelimar nougat. They turned out pretty great!

    • David

    Christy: Who’s got anything against Wisconsin? And who’s got anything against big, burly truck drivers?

    • Elaine

    Thank you for the comment about the Valrhona cocoa powder. Recipe calls for Dutch process cocoa powder, which is not available in local stores. I have Valrhona in my pantry, and assumed it was not suitable since it was not “Dutch process.”

    So thank you for that little tidbit — I’m off to make the cookies now!

    Love love your blog!

    • David

    Hi Elaine: All European cocoa powders are Dutched—although there may be some that aren’t, I’ve never seen them. The notation is mostly for those in the US, where Dutched and ‘Natural’ cocoa powder are available and in some recipes they’re not interchangable.

    In the US, “Dutched’ brands include Droste, Valrhona and even Hershey’s, which makes a Dutch-process chocolate (that’s similar to the black-ish stuff they use for Oreos), and others are available. And natural cocoa powders, brands like ScharffenBerger, regular Hershey’s and Nestlé’s are the most commonly available.

    When in doubt, look at the ingredients. Often a Dutching agent like potassium bromate or carbonate will be listed in the ingredients. I think in the US they have to list it, although elsewhere, I don’t think it’s required. Sometimes it’s also labeled ‘alkalized’ cocoa instead of Dutched.

    Glad you’re enjoying the blog and hope you like the cookies as much as I do. Or did!

    • Janet

    I just noticed for the flours that the weight conversions are different for the whole wheat and regular flour, but the volumes are the same. If I substitute all regular flour, should I use the weight of 70 grams? The recipe looks delicious and I can’t wait to try it.

    • David

    Janet: It’s because whole wheat flour is coarser so that was the metric equivalent I got when I measured adn weighed it out. If using all-purpose, I would go with the 70g.

    • JoJo

    Didn’t have chocolate or vanilla extract so I substituted espresso. They turned out delish and made fantastic icecream sandwiches!

    • Stephanie

    I just put these in the oven! I had to leave out all the “extras” (whole wheat flower, nibs, chocolate liqueur) because I didn’t have them, and these were a spur of the moment thing. The batter tasted awesome though (I used Lindt 85% extra dark chocolate). Can’t wait to taste them when their done.

    I’ll have to try out some ice cream in the middle like JoJo suggested!

    • Michele

    Hi David! Comme ca va?

    I’m about to make these cookies and was just wondering…what would happen if I DID add eggs? I do prefer a chewy cookie. Does adding eggs make them chewy? Would it throw off the recipe?

    Thanks!

    PS: made your German Chocolate cake for my husband’s birthday. Outstanding! However, I didn’t realize you needed to refrigerate the chocolate ganache frosting and was struggling with it running down the sides of the cake. (This minor detail was oddly absent from the recipe…or was it? Guess I need that top-secret microchip.) Anyway, figured it out and it is absolutely my favorite chocolate frosting. EVER.

    • Isla

    Itching to try this, it looks very similar to the Pierre Hermé chocolate sablés recipe reproduced on Foodbeam: Sablés au chocolat et à la fleur de sel.

    Wish I could figure out the science behind what difference melting half the chocolate makes to the end product. I’m guessing goo-ier? Or the addition of white sugar to the sablés, I think I read somewhere white sugar gives more crispness/dryness? And I don’t know what a ‘sandy’ texture is at all! Not sure it sounds as appetising as crisp-crumbly-gooey.

    I guess you could take Clotilde’s dough and wrap it in plastic, then fridge or freeze it so you get thicker, cleaner little discs? I think I’ll give that a try. Will also try adding some crushed honeycomb and a few white chocolate chips for my inner 4 year old. :)

    • Les

    I think I’m having some troubles with the recipe. I followed it pretty much (but used all plain flour instead of 1/2 whole wheat), but the dough felt very dry and when the cookies didn’t spread like the pictures above. Do you have any suggestions? Should I reduce the amount of flour?

    • eva

    so i went into my kitchen after reading this recipe. for s.o. living in germany and not having brown sugar in the “english-way” available i decided to try german-brown-sugar which is normally cane sugar. that gave -combined with the seasalt- the cookies a muchsaltier taste (i didn´t sprinkle them) as i had expected – very nice! after finally heading to the english shop in town and being able to get hold of the last bag of light brown sugar i again did the baking (though all the others were gone…) and i have to admit, the taste is VERY different, in a good way.
    after my shoppingtrip, i had someting going through my mind and so now here comes the question: though i perfectly know the difference between brown sugar and “brown”(cane)sugar, i don´t get the difference between light and dark brown sugar. is it only the colour (also for the dough and the product) or is there also a taste-difference?! as someone who has to pay LOADS of money for a bag of the original brown sugar, i really would appreciate it, if you could explain the difference to me, so that i´ll be able to tell my husband, why the space in the kitchen again had to shrink ;)
    thank you in advance, also for the great recipes all over your side :)

    • Megan

    I realized a few hours ago that I needed to make something to share with friends tomorrow, so I was scrounging around for a recipe for which I already had all the necessary ingredients when I remembered that you have a goldmine of a blog. Now my apartment smells like heaven, and these cookies taste even better. All I need to do now is find some cocoa nibs for the next batch. . .

    Thanks for sharing Clotilde’s recipe, and thank you for sharing so many wonderful recipes of your own!

    • Yi-Jang Lin

    Thanks for this recipe! My college apartment smells like chocolate, and my roommates and I are floating on a cocoa high.

    • Greg Esres

    Seems like it would be even better to bloom the cocoa in some boiling water to enhance the chocolate flavor.

    • nicole choo

    Hi David, love your blog and all the humour. I just have a burning curiosity to find out something from you: with all the sweet treats you have baking and lying around in the house, how do you prevent ants from invading your kitchen? Similarly to the professional restaurant kitchen – how?? I’m a clean freak and wipe down/disinfect my kitchen surfaces and ants are still marching ard!

    • Raelynn

    i just made a batch of Pierre Herme’s Perfect Tart Dough, and it was a real devil to work with because it had so much butter and i am located in Singapore (high humidity, tropical temperature), the dough starts to shine in.. … 3-5 minutes? after being taken out of the fridge/freezer. despite the amazing light crumbly texture that the tarts had (guests felt that it was a tad bland.. though i felt that the neutral dough meant that the filling can shine), i doubt i will be doing them as tarts soon. so i was thinking, is there any way that i can transform the remaining dough into a chocolate chip cookie or chocolate chip swirl cookie? (preferably using the caramalized white chocolate. it spent about 1hr 20minutes in the oven, and the taste is AMAZING. i bought a chocolate bar mold and gave a bar to a friend who is an avid baker. )

A

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