I’ve always been a bit of a perfectionist when it comes to certain things. Whether it’s school assignments, a new hobby, or even just arranging my room, I like things to be just right. But if there’s one thing that’s taught me to embrace imperfection, it’s baking—especially when it comes to chocolate cookies.
For the longest time, I tried to perfect my chocolate cookie recipe. I wanted the cookies to come out the exact same way every time: perfectly round, perfectly chewy, perfectly chocolatey. And every time they weren’t “perfect,” I’d get frustrated, tweaking the recipe or trying different techniques, hoping that this batch would be the one.
Then one day, I had a bit of an epiphany. I was in the kitchen with my younger sibling, who isn’t exactly the most precise baker. They were helping me scoop the dough onto the tray, and instead of neat, uniform cookies, we ended up with blobs of dough all over the place. I almost stepped in to correct it, but something stopped me. I decided to let go of my need for control and see what happened.
When the cookies came out of the oven, they weren’t perfect at all—but they were delicious. Some were a little bigger, some a little smaller, some crispier around the edges than others, but they were all rich, chocolatey, and absolutely irresistible. My sibling and I shared them with our family, and everyone loved them just the same.
That’s when I realized that sometimes, it’s not about perfection—it’s about enjoying the process and the result, no matter how it turns out. Baking isn’t about getting everything right; it’s about having fun, experimenting, and sharing something sweet with the people around you.
These chocolate cookies remind me of that. They’re simple, they’re indulgent, and they don’t need to be perfect to be loved.
Ingredients:
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips or chunks
Instructions:
1. Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt.
3. In a large bowl, cream together the butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg and vanilla extract until combined.
4. Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, mixing until just combined. Fold in the chocolate chips or chunks.
5. Scoop tablespoon-sized balls of dough onto the prepared baking sheet, leaving about 2 inches between each cookie.
6. Bake for 9-11 minutes, or until the edges are set but the centers are still soft. Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet for a few minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
Tips:
- For an extra gooey texture, slightly under bake the cookies. They’ll firm up as they cool but stay deliciously soft in the middle.
- Mix things up by adding a sprinkle of sea salt on top of the cookies before baking—it adds a perfect balance to the rich chocolate.
- If you prefer your cookies thicker, chill the dough for 30 minutes before baking to help prevent them from spreading too much.
Enjoy,
Lauren