Double chocolate chip cookies are often so disappointing. You always come into them with very high hopes. They’re always deep and dark—practically black—and just promising deliciously rich chocolate delight. And then… they unusually aren’t. And it’s sad. There are, of course, exceptions to this rule (oddly enough, Subway is one…). These cookies are definitely one of those exceptions, and as a bonus, they do not require you to take yourself to a sandwich shop that smells almost-but-not-quite like real freshly baked bread. Also, you can have as many as you like without pretending you’re getting cookies for 15 people and/or worrying about getting a curiously disgusted look from your teenage cashier.

These chocolatey cookies are rich, delicious, and wonderful. They’re studded with caramel coated pecans, which is extra awesome. I also threw in a handful or two of white chocolate chips (for visual contrast and deliciousness).  They are fantastic Christmas baking, “I’m sorry I sneezed on you last week and now you have my cold” baking, or just “I really need chocolate right now” baking. And they are just fantastic.

These cookies start with some fantastic caramel tossed pecans, which you can easily make yourself with just sugar, water, and the nuts. You can use any kind of nut you like if you don’t have (or like) pecans. The caramel is so fantastic. I’m not usually into caramel because it’s usually too sweet and too gooey. Not this caramel. You can cook it to be as dark and bitter as you like (or by accident…), and it isn’t soft, and not horridly sweet. Because it’s so thin when it’s hot you never get too much of it at once, and I love that.

Because these cookies are so rich, I like to freeze them in little dough balls so I can bake them up a few at a time. Sometimes I’ll bring a baggie of cookie dough balls to informal dinner parties and bake the cookies right there in my friend’s oven, which always goes over well. Mmmm, cookies.

Deadly Double Chocolate Caramel Cookies

1 cup all-purpose flour
¼ cup cocoa powder
½ tsp baking powder
¼ tsp table salt

227g/80z semi-sweet chocolate

2 eggs, at room temperature
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp instant coffee powder
10 tbsp butter, softened
1½ cups dark brown sugar
1 cup white sugar

1 cup white chocolate chips
1 cup caramel coated pecans

Whisk the flour, cocoa, baking powder, and salt together in a small bowl.

Set a metal bowl over a pan of simmering water. Melt the semi-sweet chocolate in that bowl, and then let it cool a bit.

Cream the butter until nice and smooth, and then add the sugars and beat that all together for a minute. Add the eggs, vanilla, and instant coffee, and beat until mixed through. Add the melted chocolate, and gently mix it in.

Add in the flour mixture, taking care not to over-beat while you incorporate it. Lick the beaters while you dump in all the chocolate chips and chopped candy, and stir it all together with a wooden spoon. Press some plastic wrap down onto the surface of the dough, and let it sit at room temperature for 30 minutes while the oven preheats to 350°F (175°C).

When you’re ready to bake, drop walnut- sized lumps of dough onto parchment-lined baking sheets, and bake for 8 to 10 minutes, or until the edges are set, but the tops are still moist and shiny. Cool cookies for 10 minutes on the sheet before moving to a wire rack to cool the rest of the way, or devouring like the cookie monster you are.