Giant Chocolate Cookie with Cacao Nibs and Flaky Salt

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The only thing better than a chocolate cookie with a hint of chewiness and a generous sprinkle of flaky salt is an impressively oversized one that’s designed to feed a crowd.

Active Time:
20 mins
Total Time:
55 mins
Yield:
8

Cut into wedges, this cookie resemble chocolate shortbread, but this treat — studded with chopped bittersweet chocolate and cacao nibs — is far more elaborate. To make this oversized cookie even more festive, bring it to the table topped with scoops of your favorite ice cream so that everyone can share. Smith says vanilla ice cream and coffee ice cream work well here. A drizzle of caramel sauceand/or fresh berries are other great options.

Frequently asked questions

How do you know when a giant cookie is done baking?

Even after the cookie is out of the oven, it will continue to cook for a little while due to residual heat in the cookie and from the baking sheet, known as carryover cooking. Smith says that when she was testing the recipe, she had to under-bake the cookie for this reason. To see if it's ready to come out of the oven, she says you can "carefully press your finger on the edge of the cookie." If the sides are almost set, it should "leave the slightest indent." (With smaller cookies, on the other hand, you'd want the sides to be completely set.) Smith recommends checking a few times in the final minutes of baking.

How do you transfer a giant cookie to a cooling rack?

We've all felt the frustration of having a cookie break apart when transferring it (usually prematurely) from the baking sheet to a wire rack to cool — and this is no ordinary cookie. Its large size makes it more fragile while hot, so to be safe, allow it to cool on the sheet. If you want to enjoy it warm, give it 10 minutes; otherwise, let it cool completely for about 20 minutes.

Notes from the Food & Wine Test Kitchen

Feel free to play around with the ingredients mixed into the cookie. Smith explains that the cacao nibs add crunch to the cookie, but you can leave them out if you'd like. Alternatively, you could swap in chopped toasted nuts, like walnuts. For a hint of citrusy flavor, she suggests tossing in a bit of grated orange zest to the cookie dough when you add the vanilla, and replacing the flaky-salt garnish with sanding sugar.

Suggested pairing

To turn this cookie into a full dessert experience, try pairing it with a cognac cocktail or coffee cocktail.

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Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 cups (about 6 3/8 ounces) all-purpose flour

  • 1/3 cup (about 1 1/8 ounces) unsweetened cocoa

  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda

  • 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

  • 1/2 cup (4 ounces) unsalted butter, softened

  • 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar

  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar

  • 1 large egg

  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

  • 1/2 cup chopped bittersweet chocolate (from a 3 1/2-ounce bar)

  • 1/4 cup cacao nibs, divided

  • 1/2 teaspoon flaky sea salt

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Stir together flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl. Set aside.

  2. Beat butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar in bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment on medium-high speed, until fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add egg and vanilla, and beat on medium speed until well combined, about 1 minute. With mixer running on low speed, gradually add flour mixture, beating until just combined, about 1 minute. Fold in chopped chocolate and 3 tablespoons of the cacao nibs.

  3. Transfer cookie dough to a large sheet of parchment paper. Cover top with another sheet of parchment and roll out dough into a 9-inch round, trimming edge as needed. Remove and discard top layer of parchment; transfer dough round on parchment paper to a large baking sheet. Sprinkle with sea salt and remaining 1 tablespoon cacao nibs, pressing lightly into dough to adhere.

  4. Bake until just set around edges, about 15 minutes. Let cool on baking sheet 10 minutes, cut into wedges, and serve warm. Or let cool completely on baking sheet, about 20 minutes, before cutting into wedges.

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    Photo by Jennifer Causey / Food Styling by Rishon Hanners / Prop Styling by Sarah Elizabeth Cleveland

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