Review for "Chocolate Devil Cookies"

Photo from Beyond Wonderful

While I was perusing the internet for my next recipe to review, I came across this cookie recipe.  It comes from Barbara Adams’ blog, “Beyond Wonderful.”  As I read through the directions, I noticed that some of the steps were different from the way I usually prepare cookie dough.  This intrigued me, so I decided to try the recipe for myself to see how the cookies came out.

The first step asks you to beat the butter and egg together.  I used unsalted butter.  It wasn’t mentioned, but I used an electric hand mixer for this.  I got a little concerned when the mixture started to look like scrambled eggs, but I forged on.  Next, you add the sugar and corn syrup to the bowl.  After mixing again, I was delighted that the mixture now looked un-curdled and smooth.

The amount of flour was not exact so I started off by using 1 ¾ cups plus 2 Tablespoons.  The dry ingredients are then sifted together and added to the butter mixture.  For this step, I put down the electric mixer and used a large rubber spatula to mix it together.  My concern was “what happened to the chocolate?”  Typically, recipes will ask you to add the melted chocolate to the wet ingredients before mixing in the dry ingredients.  I added the melted chocolate to the already mixed dough, and gently mixed it in.  I was worried about over-mixing the dough, but pressed on.

The last concern I had was that there didn’t seem to be any additional flavoring like vanilla added to the dough.  The chocolate was to be the main star.  Also, the recipe left out the exact amount of sugar to dip the cookie dough in.  I assumed it was 1/4 cup of sugar.   I went ahead and started baking the cookies.

All my concerns just flew out the window!  The wonderful aroma coming from the oven was overwhelming.  The cookies came out beautifully. They were soft and chewy and had crinkles on top.  Just like chocolate gingersnaps.  But the best part for me was that they tasted just like my great grandmother’s chocolate cake!  These cookies reminded me of my childhood.  For once, I was glad that I followed the recipe exactly.  Here is the recipe from Barbara Adams’ Beyond Wonderful:

¾ cup butter, room temperature

1 egg

1 cup sugar

¼ cup light corn syrup

1 ¾ to 2+ cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking soda

¼ teaspoon salt

1 ½ teaspoons cinnamon

4 ounces unsweetened chocolate, chopped

¼    sugar for dipping

Preheat oven to 350°

1. Beat the butter and egg together in a spacious bowl. Add sugar and corn syrup and blend well.

2. Sift the flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon together in a separate bowl.

3. Add the dry ingredients to the egg mixture and mix to combine.

4. Melt the chocolate in your microwave or in a double-boiler pan. Add it to the batter and stir until smooth. Feel the dough, and add more flour if it is sticky. You should be able to roll dough balls easily in your hands.

5. Roll teaspoonfuls of dough into 1-inch balls. Flatten each ball slightly and dip it in sugar .so that it is totally covered.

6. Arrange the balls several inches apart on a greased cookie sheet.

7. Bake in the preheated oven for 9–10 minutes. The cookies should be barely set on the edges and still very soft in the center. Don’t overcook them or the cookies become hard and brittle.

8. Let the cookies sit on the cookie sheet for 10 minutes, and then transfer them to racks to cool.

I have to say that I did only set the oven to 325 degrees rather than 350. I added a minute or two more to the baking time. Barbara stresses not to over-bake the cookies or they will become hard and brittle. I hope you will try Barbara's cookie recipe. It's very quick and easy. To see more of her recipes, please visit her blog "Beyond Wonderful" at www.beyondwonderful.com

Happy baking,

Pam