Chocolate Saucepan Cookies

I love chocolate in just about any form or fashion--except chalky-dry chocolate cakes or other treats that seem to be chocolate in name only. I pretty much want to be hit over the head with chocolate flavor.

That, my friends, is what these cookies deliver.

Made with almond meal instead of flour, they are effortlessly gluten free and have a delightfully mealy texture almost reminiscent of moist, cakey cornbread.

About as easy to throw together as cookies from a mix, Saucepan Cookies are so called because the ingredients are all mixed up in the saucepan used to melt the chocolate, butter, and sugar.

For the best and deepest chocolate flavor, use a chocolate with a cacao content of at least 60%. Flavored chocolates can add subtle interest as well. I particularly love these cookies made with 1.5 oz Green and Black's Organic Ginger Dark Chocolate and 2.5 oz Green and Black's Organic Maya Gold Dark Chocolate (both 60% cacao). The Maya Gold chocolate is flavored with notes of orange and spices, and the Ginger has flecks of crystallized ginger throughout. I love the combination of chocolate and spices, but plain dark chocolate will work equally well if you want to keep it simple.

Chocolate Saucepan Cookies
4 oz dark chocolate
4 oz salted butter (I prefer Kerrygold)
3 oz sugar
1/4 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
6 oz almond flour (aka almond meal)
2 eggs

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Melt the chocolate, butter, and sugar together in a medium-sized saucepan over med-low heat, stirring occasionally. Remove from the heat and thoroughly stir in the salt, vanilla, and almond flour/meal, allowing the mixture to cool a bit.  Add the eggs, one at a time, stirring to fully incorporate. Use a small-to-medium-sized cookie scoop to transfer blobs of dough to the parchment, spacing about two inches apart.

Bake the cookies for 9-10 minutes. Allow to cool 1-2 minutes on the baking sheet before transferring the whole sheet of parchment to a cooling rack to cool completely. These cookies are best after resting for at least 30 minutes and are even better the next day. Store in an airtight bag or container at room temperature for up to 5 days.

Thanks for reading! Here's to Being the Secret Ingredient in your life.