Tuesdays with Dorie: Chocolate Chunkers
September 16, 2008 at 4:15 am | Posted in cookies & bars, groups, sweet things, tuesdays with dorie | 54 Comments
Just reading the recipe for this cookie is enough to make you grab a tube of Clearasil and apply a proactive smear all over your face. You may initially feel relief upon only seeing 3 tablespoons of butter, but look a little closer, and you’ll see 1+(6×3)=19…19 ounces of chocolate! This cookie is basically bits of chocolate held together with a smidge of brownie batter. Before you think I’m poo-pooing the Chocolate Chunkers (did someone say poo-poo? hmmm…I won’t go any further, but I think you know what I mean), let me make it clear that they are insanely good! Thanks to Claudia of Fool for Food for picking it for TWD this week! And a special shout-out to Mari…I did totally copycat you with the cooling rack thing (although yours is cuter!). What can I say? I am out of ideas for cookie photography at this point.
This recipe is easily divides in half, but I toughed out the math to cut it down to just a third. I didn’t want to blow my whole chocolate stash in one swoop. Dorie notes that good chocolate is a must here, and she ain’t kidding. For the label-curious, I used cocoa powder by Valrhona, bittersweet by Scharffen Berger, unsweetened (well, really 85%) by Lindt, milk by Green & Black’s and white by Belcolade. Semisweet was also in the recipe, but I don’t have any, so I used a bittersweet/milk combo instead. It’s not all chocolate in here, though…there are nuts and dried fruit going on, too. I decided to toss in coconut flakes rather than raisins, which I don’t like, and toasted almonds. The whole thing was deliciuosly Almond Joy-esq.
A couple of observations…if you chill this dough, it becomes rock-hard! For easier shaping, and the well-being of your cookie scoop, you may want to let it come to room temp before digging into it. Also, my cookies didn’t want to flatten at all in the oven, so at the half-way point I helped them out by giving them a gentle smoosh with a silicone spatula.
Look in Baking: From My Home to Yours by Dorie Greenspan or read Claudia’s post to find the recipe. Don’t forget to check out the TWD Blogroll to see what over 250 other people had to say!
P.S.: This week I’m Port Douglas, Queensland. I know, I know…I’ve been travelling a lot lately. Back over the weekend!
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a whisk and a spoon 
These look amazing! Can’t wait to someday make these and post what I think on my new cooking blog. I love the idea of Tuesdays with Dorrie but I don’t think I’m ready for that just yet. Maybe someday!
Comment by Anne— September 16, 2008 #
Oooh, fabulous cookies!!
Have fun in Port Douglas!!
Comment by VeggieGirl— September 16, 2008 #
I hear you, on the difficulties with cookie photography! How many more glasses of milk, mugs of coffee, soft light photos can I possibly take? I wish I’d thought of coconut, what a great great idea! Next time.
Comment by Lori— September 16, 2008 #
they look wonderful! i think it was a good idea to chill them, even though the dough was hard to work with… i didn’t chill mine and the chocolate chunks just exploded in melty-ness!
Comment by kim— September 16, 2008 #
Great photos! I thought these were fabulous as well!
Comment by Tammy— September 16, 2008 #
I love that I can see the strands of coconut in there – those are some extreme almond joy cookies!
Comment by Caitlin— September 16, 2008 #
Coconut…I wish I’d thought of that! Your chunkers look amazing.
Comment by Jessica— September 16, 2008 #
Wow. Dorie wasn’t kidding! They are definitely chunky. The poo reference made me LOL. Poo or no they look delish! Great job!
Clara @ iheartfood4thought
Comment by CB— September 16, 2008 #
I wish I’d thought to flatten mine out a bit, too. They still looked pretty good, though. Your cookies look great. And I totally agree, it’s getting hard to come up with good photography ideas after all the cookies we’ve had lately…
Comment by Di— September 16, 2008 #
Fabulous pictures! I love that I can see the coconut flakes in there. They were extremely good.
Comment by pamela— September 16, 2008 #
oh lucky! must have been much chunkier since your cookies didn’t spread much. Mine spread like crazy!!! yours looks just fine. woah.. and mighty fine with all those ingredients as well! Great work!
Comment by Sihan— September 16, 2008 #
These look great! The addition of coconut sounds fabulous!
Comment by Erin— September 16, 2008 #
I really liked them, but I think I would have liked your version with the almond / coconut much more!
Comment by Holly @ PheMOMenon— September 16, 2008 #
Your cookies look wonderful. You’re right…the cookie dough functions only to hold the chocolate together 🙂
Comment by Rigby— September 16, 2008 #
Those look yummy…!! I didn’t use the melted chocolate or white chocolate, or raisins, but we still loved them. Have fun traveling..I just got back home from Europe…I love being home!
Comment by Mara— September 16, 2008 #
Almonds would be delicious!! I also chilled my dough in my kitchenaid bowl and it was so hard to get it out! I ended up stabbing it heaps with a knife. Your cookies look really yummy.. mine looked quite dry on the outside like Dorie said they would.
Comment by Bria— September 16, 2008 #
Ooooh… coconut and almonds! YUM!
Comment by Cristine— September 16, 2008 #
i don’t know if they’d win a beauty contest, but your chunkers look delish!! almond joy-esq just sounds decadent!
Comment by mimi— September 16, 2008 #
these look super chocolatey. nice photo
Comment by snooky doodle— September 16, 2008 #
Oh Steph, your cookies look so moist and rich and delicious! I feel like I could just grab that cookie in the picture and sink my teeth into it! What a great picture! What a fabulous cookie!HOpe you are enjoying your time away.
Comment by Marie— September 16, 2008 #
I chilled my dough too. I thought my arm was going to fall off trying to scoop those suckers out.
Yours look wonderful.
Comment by chocolatechic— September 16, 2008 #
Whoa!! That is almost scary the amount of chocolate in there! Still, I bet its delicious.. nothing wrong with an overdose of chocolate!!
Comment by Dharm— September 16, 2008 #
Hey! I used coconut too instead of raisins!! You must know about the sameness factor, then! 🙂
Comment by Susan— September 17, 2008 #
Good call substituting the raisins. Those ruined my cookies in my opinion. Cute pics!
Comment by Jodie— September 17, 2008 #
I love your pictures!
Comment by Hannah— September 17, 2008 #
Hey! I love comment about the Clearasil!! Too funny! Great job! I love your pics!
Comment by mybabieboy2— September 17, 2008 #
Those look absolutely fabulous!
Now my question is… how do you guys get the white chocolate to show on the outside of the chunkers?
When I mix, I mix… plus de heat of the oven never lets white chocolate show, sometimes not even in the bites??? Maybe… some freeze the white chocolate to keep it firm?
Anyhow, your pics make the cookies look wayyyyy tasty!!!
Comment by Vibi— September 17, 2008 #
That cookie looks like it belongs in the book! How on earth did you get it to be so round – mine kinda looked lumpy (not an attractive look for a chocolate cookie!). Great job!
Comment by Laura— September 17, 2008 #
Yummy! I still need to make mine (whoops)but looking at your pictures I’m mad that I’m behind because I want one of those cookies to be in my mouth! (Do you have photoshop, I always love your added in titles and was wondering what you use)
Comment by Stephanie— September 17, 2008 #
I love your pictures..wonderful looking cookies. I thought these cookies rocked!
Comment by Michelle— September 17, 2008 #
Your cookies look extra chunky! I loved these babies! The coconut addition sounds awesome! 🙂
Comment by Jamie— September 17, 2008 #
Lookin’ good. It sure seems like a brownie to me. Enjoy your trip to Port Douglas.
Comment by Lauren— September 17, 2008 #
With that chocolate line-up your cookies couldn’t be anything but delicious. I love Valrhona cocoa powder for hot cocoa!
Comment by Carol Peterman— September 17, 2008 #
I am loving your pictures! I also omitted the raisins and they tasted wonderfully delicious. Great job on the cookies! I will check back again! 🙂
Comment by Sugar Betty— September 17, 2008 #
yes i hear you on the poo bit . . . nice add on the coconut flakes. they were delicious despite all appearances.
Comment by Lauren— September 17, 2008 #
Wow those cookies look delicious and I love your choice of “great” chocolate! Kudos to you for cutting the recipe in thirds!
Comment by Christine— September 17, 2008 #
That’s an extremely painful picture to look at – painful because I don’t have any of those gorgeous looking cookies here. I would even share my clearasil with you (nudge nudge wink wink)
Comment by giz— September 17, 2008 #
I wish I had some leftovers!
Comment by Maya— September 17, 2008 #
ooooh! These look so good! I’ll put coconut into almost anything, especially cookies. I would have the left the raisins out of this one, too!
Comment by Camille— September 17, 2008 #
OK, these are the PRETTIEST chunkers that I’ve seen! Although that is sort of a contradiction in terms… Thanks for the tips and pointers. We used similar chocolate types. I’m now waiting for a recipe that I can unload all of my less-good chocolate onto.
Comment by Nancy (n.o.e.)— September 17, 2008 #
Lovely cookies! Have fun in Queensland!!!
Comment by foodlibrarian— September 17, 2008 #
Love your chocolates/almond/coconut combo! Mine needed a smoosh too. And they were ugly but delicious.
Comment by Barbara— September 17, 2008 #
Those look AMAZING! Now I have to buy the book and join up with TWD. By the time it turns 2010, I’ll probably be participating in every food challenge/community known to man. 😛
That said, great site and photos!
Comment by lisamichele— September 17, 2008 #
How can chunks of chocolate held together with brownie batter be anything except fantastic? It’s like eating twelve different chocolate bars in one go XD. Phwoarr.
Comment by Indigo— September 17, 2008 #
I so love it when someone uses the word “smoosh” in a post…it is just so descriptive and perfect for this action. Great photos…great job with the cookies and the tips.
Comment by Kayte— September 17, 2008 #
Oh please can I have a cookie with that some of that ice cream below??? I’ve got to make that ice cream this week before it gets cold around here. I’m always impressed by your food!
Comment by Erin— September 18, 2008 #
Hi Steph
I have awarded you a prize for inspiring me to keep blogging!
http://weetreatsbytammy.blogspot.com/2008/09/happy-blog-day-to-me-and-cupcake-hero.html
Tammy
Comment by Tammy— September 18, 2008 #
Oooh, great pics! I really like the font you chose too. Fun writeup… makes me want to make them all over again, lol.
Comment by JacqueOH— September 18, 2008 #
I would need clearasil just by looking at those rocks/chunks.
Comment by rachel— September 18, 2008 #
I love the way your cookies came out! Nice photos too!
Comment by Karen— September 19, 2008 #
Even tho’ you’re travelling a lot, you still have time to bake! I’m always so impressed when I visit here. And I love the tidbits of advice sprinkled in.
Comment by Shari— September 19, 2008 #
Hi, came across your blog via Nina’s Easy Cooking. I love your pictures, they are stunning!
Comment by Nafisa— September 20, 2008 #
Yeah, I thought a chill would help. Oops. Your cookies look delicious!
Comment by Jules— September 20, 2008 #
Great looking chunkers. I love Port Douglas. The church over the water is just stunning. I was cross my hubby took me up there AFTER we got married. He knew I would have wanted to have had the ceremony there… Have a great time.
Comment by andreainthekitchen— September 20, 2008 #