Triple Chocolate Cookies

Triple Chocolate Cookies are filled with decadence - heavy cream, dark cocoa, toasted sugar and Nutella with a smattering of chocolate chips! A touch of tapioca flour makes them chewy and soft for days - if they last that long!

Some days require chocolate - and a lot of it. The whole of last week screamed a need for comfort everything, as not only did I have exams (the last for my undergrad, though not the last of the last) but we lost two pets as well. Even though neither animal's passing was unexpected, it's never easy saying goodbye and my sister (who is a vet tech) took it particularly hard. When I am under stress, I turn to the kitchen for comfort, and this time was no different. Chocolate needed to be involved, and fast!

Cookies are always an easy sell to my sister, especially packed full of chocolate, and these ones are so rich they're like eating baked truffles. Not only are they sinfully rich, but they are fast to whip up, meaning I had a batch cooling in under an hour that would be enough to last us at least a few days. The addition of the tapioca starch - a trick I believed I picked up from Alton Brown years ago - made the cookies chewy and almost brownie-like and kept them that way for ages. Even my sister commented that she was shocked they stayed soft even 4 days later (and they were on a plate covered with a towel, that's it!). Since we are not only chocolate, but Nutella lovers (well I was until my allergies developed) a hearty dose of the spread made their way into the batter too.

While the circumstances surrounding the baking of these sweet treats were unfortunate, to say the least, I'm still glad they could bring a dose of comfort to my sister during a no-good week. Chocolate may not have all the answers, but my answer will always be more please!

Triple Chocolate Cookies
Makes ~16
2/3 cup heavy cream, cold
1/4 cup egg replacer (I used VeganEgg)
3 tbsp Nutella
3/4 cup toasted sugar
1 tbsp vanilla
1/3 cup tapioca starch
1/3 cup dark cocoa
1 cup flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp sea salt
3/4 cup bittersweet chocolate chips

1. Heat the oven to 350F and line a baking sheet with parchment parchment paper.
2. In a large bowl, beat together the cream, egg replacer, Nutella, sugar, vanilla, tapioca and cocoa until well blended.
3. Add the flour, baking soda and salt and stir to make a soft but scoopable dough (add a touch more flour if necessary).
4. Fold in chocolate chips.
5. Scoop 2 tbsp mounds of dough onto the lined baking sheets and flatten slightly (cookies do not spread much).
6. Bake for 12 minutes. Cool 5 minutes on the sheet, then move to a cooking rack and cool completely.