EASY CHOCOLATE COOKIES WITH COCOA POWDER RECIPES

Steps:

• You can use regular melted butter or browned butter for this chocolate chip cookie recipe.
• For regular melted butter, melt the butter in the microwave or on the stove, and then cool. When cool to the touch, use the melted butter in the recipe below.
• For browned butter (our favorite), melt the butter in a light-colored skillet over medium heat. Swirl the pan occasionally to be sure the butter is melting evenly. As it melts, the butter will begin to foam and the color will change from light yellow to golden, and finally to brown. This only takes a minute or two.
• When the browned butter smells nutty and the butter is a light golden brown, transfer the browned butter to a heatproof bowl to cool. When cool to the touch, use the browned butter in the recipe below.
• In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, baking soda, and salt together. Set aside.
• In a large bowl, whisk the sugars, whole egg, egg yolk, vanilla, and the melted butter or browned butter together. Whisk in espresso powder (optional).
• Switch to a large rubber spatula, and then add the dry ingredients in 3 parts, stirring gently until they disappear. Fold in most of the chocolate chips, saving a handful for adding to the tops of each scooped cookie before baking.
• Heat oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit (160C) and line a cookie sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
• Drop 1 1/2 tablespoon-mounds or use a medium cookie scoop onto baking sheets. Leave 2 inches between the cookies to allow for spreading. (For larger cookies, use 3 to 4 tablespoons of dough and space them apart by 3 inches.) Press a few extra pieces of chocolate into the tops of each cookie dough mound.
• Bake the cookies, one sheet at a time and rotate once during cooking, for 12 to 16 minutes. The cookies should be golden brown around the edges but light in the middles. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Before serving, sprinkle a few flakes of sea salt over each cookie (optional).
• Store the baked cookies in an airtight container for up to 3 days at room temperature or up to a week in the refrigerator.

Steps:

• Heat oven to 190C/170C fan/gas 5. Butter the base and sides of two 20cm round sandwich tins and line the bases with baking parchment.
• In a large bowl, beat together 200g golden caster sugar, 200g softened unsalted butter, 4 large eggs, 200g self-raising flour, 2 tbsp cocoa powder, 1 tsp baking powder, ½ tsp vanilla extract, 2 tbsp milk and a pinch of salt until pale.
• Divide the mixture between the prepared tins. Bake for 20 mins or until a skewer inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean.
• Leave to cool in the tin for 10 mins, then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
• For the buttercream, put 100g chopped milk chocolate in a heatproof bowl and melt in the microwave, stirring every 30 secs. Leave the melted chocolate to cool for 5 mins.
• Mash 200g softened butter and 400g icing sugar together with a fork, then switch to a wooden spoon or electric beaters, if you have them.
• Sift in 5 tbsp cocoa powder with a pinch of salt and pour in the melted chocolate and 2 tbsp milk. Mix again until smooth.
• On a cake stand or large plate, sandwich the cakes together with half of the buttercream, then spread the rest on top. Decorate with chocolate shards, if you like.
• To make chocolate shards: melt 50g dark chocolate and pour it onto a tray lined with baking parchment or foil.
• Now melt 25g milk chocolate and 25g white chocolate and drizzle them over the dark chocolate before it sets.
• Shake the tray gently to level the mixture then leave to set somewhere cool. Chop into shards.