My brother John's Ginormous Double Chocolate Cookies

Over Labor Day weekend we had a family gathering at our house and my brother John promised he would bring his latest culinary invention -- 1/2 pound chocolate cookies. My brother is a perfectionist when is comes to cooking, so he tries a recipe and tries it again until he gets it perfect. These cookies are pretty near perfect if you ask me, but if you're not a chocaholic, they might be just a little too much cookie for you.

Am I baiting you? Maybe  ;-)

Really, I couldn't even eat a whole cookie at one sitting -- not even a half, so they really are a lot of cookie. But if you have the need, these cookies definitely fit the bill. One recipe would make a whole batch of cookies, but with this recipe you divide the dough up into six or seven giant balls and end up with six or seven half-pound cookies. The texture is wonderful -- soft and chewy but not gooey. They would be a great addition to a tailgate party or home football party -- even if you had to cut them in quarters to give them away.

My brother's notes are in italics.

John's Ginormous Double Chocolate Cookies

 3 cups flour

1/4 t. salt
1 t. baking powder
1/4 t. baking soda
1 T. corn starch
1/2 cup cocoa

1 cup white sugar
2/3 cup brown sugar (I use dark but it can be either)
2 eggs
1 cup butter
1 t. kahlua

2 cups quality chocolate chunks (I use Graeter's dark chocolate)

In a bowl, mix the dry ingredients.  (I didn't sift, just made sure they were well mixed)

In a separate bowl cream butter with the sugars.  Add eggs and kahlua, and mix.

Slowly mix in the flour mixture.  (I did it about a cup at a time).  This is a very heavy dough.

Stir in 2 cups of chocolate chunks.

Bake (on a parchment paper covered pan -- extra large cookie sheet) in preheated oven at 375 for 8 minutes.  

Without opening oven door turn temperature down to 325 and bake an additional 8 minutes.  Remove from oven and allow to cool on sheet for 10 minutes. 

NOTE: When placing the dough on the cookie sheet I go with 6 at a time.  I make them somewhere around tennis ball sized, maybe a touch smaller.  I've never weighed them but I would go with somewhere between 6 - 8oz each.