Tarry Health Fitness, Weight Loss, Workouts and Healthy Eating 
Author Notes: Topped with a generous sprinkling of flaky sea salt, these rich cookies have a chewy, soft, brownie-like interior and a thin crackly exterior, like that shiny crust layer of a brownie. They come from the Ghirardelli archives, and are nearly flourless. —Posie Harwood
Makes about 15 cookies
- 2cups bittersweet chocolate chips (or chopped bittersweet chocolate), divided into 1 1/2 cups and 1/2 cup
- 2tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2eggs
- 1/2cup sugar
- 1teaspoon vanilla
- 1/4cup all-purpose flour
- 1/4teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4teaspoon salt
- 1/2teaspoon espresso powder (optional, for enhanced chocolate flavor)
- 3tablespoons flaky sea salt
- In a double boiler, melt together 1 1/2 cups of the chocolate with the butter. Set aside.
- Beat together the eggs and sugar until pale and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Slowly add the warm chocolate mixture, beating as you add.
- Add the vanilla to the egg/chocolate mixture and mix well.
- Add the flour, baking powder, salt, and espresso powder (if using) and mix thoroughly.
- Add the remaining 1/2 cup of chocolate (if the batter is still rather warm from the chocolate, let it cool until it’s warm but not hot before adding the chocolate so that it doesn’t melt the additional chocolate), and stir to combine.
- Chill the batter for 10-15 minutes, while you preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Using a spoon or scoop, scoop heaping tablespoonfuls of the batter onto parchment-lined baking sheets. Sprinkle liberally with flaky sea salt, and bake for 7-8 minutes. Remove the cookies as soon as they start to look dry on the top and develop cracks—do not overbake!! They will still look a bit too soft; that’s okay.
- Remove from the oven and let cool.
