Softbatch Cream Cheese Cookies

Softbatch Cream Cheese Chocolate-Chocolate Bar Cookies

These are some of the best chocolate cookies I’ve ever made. When you’re really craving chocolate and nothing else will do, make these. The cookies are deep, dark, indulgent, and cream cheese helps them stay extra soft and moist. Use old-fashioned brick-style cream cheese. You can use lite brick-style, but not fat-free. Corrnstarch gives them softbatch-style softness and they stay that way for days, but don’t overbake them. The cookies are decadent, dense, and wonderfully thick.

INGREDIENTS:

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened
2 ounces (1/4 cup) brick-style cream cheese
3/4 cup light brown sugar, packed
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg
1 tablespoon brewed coffee (leftover from the morning brew okay)
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 cup hot chocolate
1 teaspoon instant espresso powder (optional)
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
3 tbsp cocoa powder
2 teaspoons cornstarch
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste
1 - 1 1/2 cups your favourite crushed candy bar or chocolate chips

DIRECTIONS:

1. To the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or large mixing bowl and electric mixer) add the butter, cream cheese, sugars, egg, optional coffee (doesn't make cookies taste like coffee, serves to enhance the chocolate flavor), vanilla, and beat on medium-high speed until well-creamed, light and fluffy, about 4 to 5 minutes.
2. Stop, scrape down the sides of the bowl, and add the hot chocolate powder, cocoa, optional espresso powder, and beat on medium-high speed until combined, 1 to 2 minutes.
3. Stop, scrape down the sides of the bowl, and add the flour, cornstarch, baking soda, salt, and mix until just combined, about 1 minute.
4. Add chocolate bar (or chocolate chips) and beat on low speed until just combined, about 30 seconds.
5. Using your hands, form approximately 16 equal-sized mounds of dough, roll into balls, and flatten slightly. Tip - Strategically place a few chocolate chips right on top of each mound of dough by taking chips from the underside and adding them on top.
6. Place mounds on a large plate or tray, cover with plasticwrap, and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, up to 5 days. Do not bake with unchilled dough because cookies will bake thinner, flatter, and be more prone to spreading.
7. Preheat oven to 350F, spray cookie sheets with cooking spray. Place dough mounds on baking sheet, spaced at least 2 inches apart (I bake 8 cookies per sheet) and bake for about 10 minutes, or until edges have set and tops are just set, even if slightly undercooked or glossy in the center; don't overbake which is easy to do with chocolate cookies. Cookies firm up as they cool so pull them before you think you need to. Allow cookies to cool on baking sheet for about 10 minutes before serving. I let them cool on the baking sheet and don't use a rack.
8. Cookies will keep airtight at room temperature for up to 1 week or in the freezer for up to 6 months. Alternatively, unbaked cookie dough can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days, or in the freezer for up to 4 months, so consider baking only as many cookies as desired and save the remaining dough to be baked in the future when desired.

NOTE:

‘Whipped’ or ‘spreadable’ cream cheese isn’t thick enough, has too much water content, and the cookies will spread. 

"Bon Appetit!"