These Chewy Molasses Cookies with Dark Chocolate Chunks Are Ridiculously Satisfying

I made a version of these by accident when I was trying to bake cookies with my daughters on a lazy Sunday. We were all out of brown sugar, so I added some molasses along with the white sugar. I was a bit heavy-handed, and I worried that the cookies would taste too much like a molasses cookie. Instead, they turned out to be the most perfect, chewy, dare I say, satisfying chocolate chunk cookie I’ve ever made.

Dark Chocolate and Molasses Cookies

Makes 12 large cookies

Ingredients

• ½ cup (125 mL) unsalted butter, room temperature
• ¾ cup (175 mL) granulated sugar
• 2 tablespoons (30 mL) fancy molasses
• 1 large egg
• 2 teaspoons (10 mL) pure vanilla extract
• ½ teaspoon (2 mL) espresso powder
• 1¼ cups + 1 tablespoon (315 mL)
• all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons (10 mL) cornstarch
• 1 teaspoon (5 mL) baking powder
• 1 teaspoon (5 mL) baking soda
• ½ teaspoon (2 mL) kosher salt
• 1 cup (250 mL) dark chocolate chunks

Directions

In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter, sugar, and molasses on high speed until fluffy. Add the egg and vanilla. Add the espresso powder.
Mix until well combined.

In a medium bowl, sift the flour, cornstarch, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Add the dry ingredients to the butter and sugar mixture. On low speed, mix until just combined. Add the chocolate chunks. Stir to combine. Cover the dough and chill in the fridge for at least 2 hours, or overnight.

Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Remove the dough from the fridge and let it sit at room temperature for 10 minutes.

Roll the chilled dough into 1½- to 2-inch (4 to 5 cm) balls. Arrange them on the prepared baking sheet. Press each dough ball slightly to flatten. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes.
Remove from the oven and slam the baking sheet once, sharply, against a hard (non-chippable) surface to help the cookies settle. Let cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes. Transfer the cookies to a wire rack to cool completely.

Store the cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.

Excerpted from A Generous Meal by Christine Flynn. Copyright © 2023 Christine Flynn. Photographs by Suech and Beck. Published by Penguin, an imprint of Penguin Canada, a division of Penguin Random House Canada Limited. Reproduced by arrangement with the Publisher. All rights reserved.

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