Ingredients
2 cups (250g) all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
1 1/4 cups (215g) bittersweet or semisweet chocolate chips (60% cacao or higher)
1/2 cup (100g) sugar (see Genius Tip, below)
1/2 cup (110g) packed dark brown sugar (see Genius Tip, below)
1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon (120g) neutral oil (such as grapeseed)
5 tablespoons (75g) water
Coarse-grained or flaky sea salt like Maldon, for topping
Food52’s Genius Desserts
Food52’s Genius Desserts
by Kristen Miglore
Directions
- Whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and fine sea salt in a large bowl. Add the chocolate chips and toss to coat. Vigorously whisk together the sugars with the oil and water in a separate large bowl until smooth and well incorporated, about 2 minutes. (If there are clumps in the brown sugar, break them up before whisking.)
- Using a wooden spoon or rubber spatula, stir the dry flour mixture into the wet sugar mixture until just combined and no streaks of flour remain. The dough will look a bit oily—that’s okay! Cover the bowl with plastic wrap. Refrigerate the dough for at least 12 hours and up to 24 hours.
- Heat the oven to 350°F (175°C), with racks in the upper and lower thirds. Line two rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats. Remove the dough from the refrigerator. Using a cookie scoop or a spoon, scoop the dough onto the baking sheets in 2-inch (5cm) mounds, spacing them 3 inches (7.5cm) apart. To minimize spreading, freeze the balls of dough for 10 minutes before baking.
- Remove the balls of dough from the freezer and sprinkle with coarse-grained sea salt. Bake until the edges are just golden, 12 to 13 minutes, rotating baking sheets from front to back and top to bottom halfway through baking. Do not overbake. Let cookies cool on the pan until firm enough to transfer to a rack, about 5 minutes; let finish cooling on the rack. Store in an airtight container at room temperature.
GENIUS TIP: WAIT, ISN’T SUGAR VEGAN?
If you want to make sure the cookies are all-the-way vegan, use organic sugars (nonorganic sugars often use something called bone char in processing) and double-check the ingredient list on the chocolate chips to make sure there’s no dairy. My favorite version of these cookies is with Wholesome brand’s exceptionally dark brown organic sugar, a muscovado that’s heavy on the molasses.