Bready or Not: Soft Batch-Style Chocolate Chip Cookies Stuffed with Chocolate
How do you make Chocolate Chip Cookies better? More chocolate, of course–in this case, a chocolate disc inside these Soft Batch-Style Chocolate Chip Cookies Stuffed with Chocolate makes them extra delicious.
Fun fact up front: this is a modification of my most reliable, most-baked cookie recipe. The differences: add another cup of chocolate chips, and remove the chocolate discs. These Soft Batch-esque cookies are the ones I make whenever I go home to California. I usually have a round or two frozen in case of urgent cookie needs at home, too.
This new take on my old favorite adds a luscious chocolate layer right in the middle. If you can’t find the Ghirardelli version of these discs, seek out another one, or even use a pinch of chocolate chips! A Hershey’s Kiss or Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup would work, too, though you might need to add some extra dough to seal them inside.
Even better, these cookies will keep for weeks, if you have the fortitude to make them last. That makes these great for gift-giving, cookie exchanges, and mailing (if you’re not someplace hellishly hot).
Bready or Not: Soft Batch-Style Chocolate Chip Cookies Stuffed with Chocolate
Equipment
- tablespoon scoop
- cookie sheet
Ingredients
- 1 cup unsalted butter (2 sticks) room temperature
- 1 1/2 cups brown sugar packed
- 1/2 cup white sugar
- 2 large eggs room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 4 teaspoons cornstarch
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 cups chocolate chips
- 10- ounces Ghirardelli Dark Melting Wafers
- flaked salt or coarse sugar to sprinkle on top, optional
Instructions
- Cream butter and sugars together until light and fluffy, which takes several minutes in a mixer. Add eggs and vanilla. Mix in flour, cornstarch, baking soda, and salt. Fold in the chocolate chips.
- The cookies can be made right away, but texture is thicker if the dough is chilled for several hours or overnight. Cover with plastic wrap if it will be in for a while.
- When it’s time to bake, preheat oven at 350-degrees. Use a tablespoon scoop to form a ball of dough. Make a deep imprint and shove a chocolate wafer inside. Fold and press the dough to completely encase. Repeat, spacing them out to allow for spread on the pan. If desired, sprinkle some flaked salt or coarse sugar atop each to provide extra texture and flavor.
- Bake for 11 to 13 minutes, until the cookies look golden and set. Let them continue to rest on pan for 5 to 10 minutes before moving them to a cooling rack.
- Store in a sealed container at room temperature. These cookies can keep for weeks.
OM NOM NOM!
Bready or Not Original: Quick Maple Cookie Fudge Redux
Let’s finish off the year 2022 by reviving a recipe first on Bready or Not in 2016: Maple Cookie Fudge!
This is a shortcut fudge without any need of a candy thermometer or stress. I like to use the microwave, but you can use the stovetop if you want. You can keep the maple cookies chunky, if you desire, or grind everything to crumbs–your choice! I actually like some small chunks mixed in for texture.
The maple flavor is nice and consistent here, not cloying, while the marshmallow fluff grants the texture some extra oomph. The nuts add an extra flavor and crunch, but you can omit them if you want.
This maple cookie fudge is just about perfect if you ignore the pesky nutritional side of things.
Bready or Not Original: Quick Maple Cookie Fudge
Equipment
- 9×13 pan
- aluminum foil
- nonstick spray or butter
Ingredients
- 3 cups white chocolate chips
- 12.3 ounces maple crème cookies crushed/chopped/maimed, about 20 cookies
- 7 ounces marshmallow fluff
- 14 ounces sweetened condensed milk
- 1 teaspoon maple flavor
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup chopped nuts walnuts, pecans, macadamias, etc
Instructions
- Prepare a 9×13 pan by lining it with foil and applying nonstick spray.
- Either in microwave or on stovetop, carefully melt chocolate with sweetened condensed milk and marshmallow cream. If microwaving, do it in short bursts because it can burn fast! Stir often.
- When the mix is smooth, add the maple flavor and vanilla. Fold in the maple cookies and nuts. Pour fudge into the prepared pan. Use an uneven spatula to smooth out the top.
- Refrigerate at least 3 hours, until the fudge is firm. Cut into bite size pieces. Keep stored in fridge between layers of wax paper. Unlike some other quick fudges, this will keep well for hours at room temperature.
OM NOM NOM!
Bready or Not: Sugar-Dipped Butter Cookies
These Sugar-Dipped Butter Cookies are an absolute classic. Easy to make. Nothing fancy. Great to make with kids.
As simple as these cookies are, this recipe suggests a fantastic technique that will be great to apply to other recipes: shape the dough ball, then dip it into water, then dip it in the colored sugar. This gets the sugar to adhere beautifully.
One thing I love about these cookies is that you can mix up the sugar dependent on the season. Making them for Christmas? Go red and green. Make them for a sports gathering? Use team colors. Make them for a birthday? Use favorite colors.
Really, this is a recipe that has fun dough, and is a fun one to make all the way through. Plus, the cookies are tasty, especially with some milk, coffee, or tea.
Bready or Not: Sugar-Dipped Butter Cookies
Equipment
- teaspoon scoop
- baking sheet
- parchment paper
Ingredients
- 1 cup white sugar
- 3/4 cup unsalted butter (1 1/2 cubes) room temperature
- 1 large egg room temperature
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/3 cup colored sugar
- water
Instructions
- Preheat oven at 375-degrees. Line baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Beat together white sugar and butter until creamy. Add egg. Mix in flour, baking powder, and salt.
- Place colored sugar in a bowl. Put a small amount of water in a saucer.
- Shape dough into 1-inch balls. Dip top of ball in water, then in sugar. Place colorful side-up on baking sheet, spaced out.
- Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, until set with golden edges. Let cool on a rack, then pack into a sealed container.
OM NOM NOM!
Bready or Not: Chocolate Gingerbread Cookies
These Chocolate Gingerbread Cookies are a fantastic holiday treat. They truly do taste like gingerbread and chocolate together, a great combo if ever there was one.
These are made even better by the crunchy outer coating of Swedish pearl sugar, too. If you haven’t baked with it before, you’re in for a treat, This stuff is great on cookies and also pastries. You can find it on Amazon. [affiliate link]
The end result is a cookie that is firm to hold, but soft and chewy to bite into, with the sugar crunching pleasantly between the teeth.
Need other recipes with Swedish pearl sugar? I can help!
Swedish Cinnamon Rolls in the Bread Machine
Bready or Not: Chocolate Gingerbread Cookies
Equipment
- baking sheet
- parchment paper
- teaspoon scoop
Ingredients
- 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 2 teaspoons ground ginger
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon cloves
- 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 Tablespoon baking cocoa or Dutch-process cocoa, sifted
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter (1 cube) room temperature
- 1/2 cup brown sugar packed
- 1/2 cup molasses
- 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
- 7 Tablespoons Swedish pearl sugar
Instructions
- Preheat oven at 325-degrees. Line baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Stir together flour, baking soda, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, salt, and cocoa. Set aside.
- In a mixing bowl, beat the butter and brown sugar until they are light and creamy. Add molasses. Gradually mix in the dry ingredients. Fold in the chocolate chips.
- Measure the pearl sugar into a bowl. Use a scoop or spoon to create balls of dough. Roll them in the pearl sugar and then set spaced out on pan.
- Bake for 7 to 10 minutes. Let sit on pan for 10 minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack.
- Store in a sealed container at room temperature.
OM NOM NOM!
Bready or Not: Peppermint Truffle Bars
These Peppermint Truffle Bars are loaded with peppermint flavor, perfect for the holiday season or year-round!
If you like chocolate peppermint (or know someone who does), this is the recipe for you. A shortbread base is topped with a dense layer of soft chocolaty goodness infused with peppermint extract.
As with many chocolate recipes, this one has a deeper flavor if you make it a day ahead. Build that info your baking plans.
To make for neat bars, I cut off the edges. These are not to be wasted, of course–set them aside for select people to enjoy, and present the neatly-edged bars to a more discriminating audience.
Modified from Best Holiday Recipes from Taste of Home 2011.
Bready or Not: Peppermint Truffle Bars
Equipment
- 9×13 pan
- nonstick spray
- wax paper
- heavy glass
Ingredients
Bottom crust
- 3/4 cup unsalted butter cold and cubed (1 1/2 sticks butter)
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 3/4 cup confectioners’ sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Chocolate layer
- 16 ounces semisweet chocolate chips or chopped chocolate
- 3/4 cup milk or half & half
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter cubed
- 4 large eggs room temperature
- 2/3 cup white sugar
- 1 teaspoon peppermint extract
Instructions
- Line a 13×9 baking pan with foil and apply nonstick spray. Preheat oven at 325-degrees.
- In a large bowl, combine the flour, confectioners’ sugar, and salt. Add vanilla. Dice in the butter. Mix ingredients until the butter resembles fine crumbs. Distribute into prepared pan. Use a piece of waxed paper and a heavy glass to compress the dough into a firm layer.
- Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until the edges are lightly brown. In the meantime, start mixing the top layer.
- In a large pot, combine the semisweet chocolate, milk, and butter and cook on low heat until the mixture is smooth. Remove from heat and let cool for a bit.
- In a large bowl, beat eggs and white sugar until it is smooth and thick. Add the peppermint extract and the chocolate mixture. Beat until incorporated and smooth. Pour over the bottom crust.
- Bake for 30 to 35 minutes until the middle is set and passes the toothpick test. Cool in pan on a rack, then place in fridge to set for several hours or overnight.
- Use foil to lift contents onto a cutting board. Slice into bars. Store in sealed container or individually wrapped in the fridge.
OM NOM NOM!
Bready or Not: Maple-Walnut Cookies
It’s been too long since I featured a maple recipe. Let’s finish off November with Maple-Walnut Cookies!
The texture of these cookies is pillowy and light. Overall, they are soft and chewy, though the bottom is crisp thanks to the pan, while the turbinado sugar creates a crust on top.
Walnut and maple are such a great combination. Here, the walnut half crowns each cookie and not only adds great flavor and texture, but they just plain look lovely.
Bready or Not: Maple-Walnut Cookies
Equipment
- parchment paper
- tablespoon scoop
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter (1 stick) room temperature
- 2/3 cup brown sugar packed
- 1/2 cup pure maple syrup
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon maple flavor
- 1/2 cup turbinado sugar
- 3/4 cup walnut halves
Instructions
- Combine the flour, baking soda, and salt in a small bowl. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, beat butter and brown sugar on medium-high until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Mix in maple syrup, egg, vanilla, and maple flavor. The ingredients may look curdled.
- Gradually add in the dry ingredients, scraping the bottom of the large bowl a few times. Chill bowl in fridge for about 30 minutes to reduce stickiness.
- Preheat oven at 350-degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Measure out the turbinado sugar in a small bowl.
- Roll tablespoon-sized balls of dough in the turbinado sugar. Set spaced out on baking sheet. Press a walnut half into the top of each round.
- Bake for 12 to 14 minutes. Cookies should be set but still soft. Let rest on sheet for 10 minutes before transitioning to a cooling rack.
- Store in a sealed container at room temperature.
