On a scale of 1-10 how cray, cray are you feeling? If there was ever a time for stress baking, I’m pretty sure it’s NOW!!!! So for a few minutes, let’s shut out the insanity of the world and things we have no control over and instead put all our energy into whipping up a batch of these happy and benign Chewy Chocolate Sugar Cookies. Good idea?

For years one of my very favorite cookie recipes has been these Irresistible Chewy Sugar Cookies—literally, I almost can’t make them because I could eat the whole batch. But I’ve never found a chocolate sugar cookie with the flavor and texture to rival those until now.

Guys, these are just wonderful. Not only do they have a rich, chocolaty flavor accompanied by the wonderful sweetness and crunch of sugar, but every bite is blissfully chewy.

I just know you are going to love them!

They come together easily too!

And rolling the little balls in sugar and flattening them out is therapeutic (another plus, particularly right now)

But the best part is that when you bite into one, the rest of the world goes away for a little-lol! Make the cookies—I promise you’ll feel calmer. Stay well everyone!!xoxo

Chewy Chocolate Sugar Cookies

Makes about 2 dozen cookies

Prep Time: 12 minutes; Bake Time: 15 minutes

Ingredients

• ⅓ sugar

• 1 ½ cups plus 2 tablespoons unbleached, all-purpose flour

• ¾ cup unsweetened natural cocoa powder (not Dutch-processed)

• ½ teaspoon baking soda

• ¼ teaspoon baking powder

• 14 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided

• 1 ¾ cups dark brown sugar, packed

• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract

• ½ teaspoon salt

• 1 large egg plus 1 large yolk

The Recipe

1. Make sure oven rack is centered in oven and preheat to 350ºF. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside. Place the granulated sugar in a shallow bowl or plate and set aside.

2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa, baking soda and baking powder and set aside.

3. Place 10 tablespoons of the butter in a large microwaveable-safe bowl with a cover for about 1 minute. Uncover and stir. If it’s not melted, cover again and heat in 10 second increments, uncovering and stirring until melted. Add in remaining 4 tablespoons of butter and stir until melted. Let butter sit for about 5 minutes or until it reaches 90-95ºF .

4. Add the brown sugar, vanilla and salt into the melted butter and whisk well until no lumps remain. Whisk in egg and egg yolk until mixture is smooth and then stir in flour mixture just until combined.

5. Scoop out about 2 tablespoons of dough per cookie and roll into a ball. Roll each ball into the granulated sugar, coating on all sides and place dough balls evenly spaced on cookie sheet. Spray the bottom of a measuring cup or glass with a little non-stick cooking spray and use to slightly flatten the balls—you want them to be about 2 inches in diameter. Now sprinkle the remaining sugar evenly across all the cookies.

6. Bake 1 sheet at a time, rotating at the halfway mark, for about 15 minutes, until cookies look puffy and edges have begun to firm up. They will look underdone but take them out now because if you overcook, they will not turn out chewy. These harden as they cool. Let cool on sheets for about 5 minutes on a wire rack and then transfer to rack to finish cooling completely.

7. Store cookies in an airtight container for 3-4 days.

Enjoy!

Note: Recipe adapted from The Perfect Cookie by America’s Test Kitchen.