Salted Dark Chocolatey Cookies |

One thing I love about Vancouver, particularly our location in the middle of downtown, is that you encounter such a variety of people all the time. Yesterday I popped into Marketplace IGA, I was standing in front of the dairy case, making world-ending decisions about whether I should or shouldn’t buy cottage cheese when a man with a walker insisted on moving me from my place to do the same. It was clear that his cottage cheese needs were more urgent so I wandered off to ponder other purchases. When I meandered back to the dairy case, mind made up, I was approached by an older lady. I quickly moved out of her way, assuming that she too couldn’t wait for cottage cheese, when she lightly grabbed my elbow. I turned around and she, in the sweetest, most elderly, heavily-French accented voice asked for my assistance. She guided me over to the yogurts and asked if I could help her. She was gazing hopefully up to the top shelf, and I realized, she can’t reach! This sweet, petite French woman really wanted the strawberry yogurt but she was about a foot short of laying her hands on it. I snagged her a tub and she enthusiastically thanked me. Day made. I got to be a friendly giant!
Then, as I wandered home from the store, enjoying the sunlight and mild weather that the few-blocks walk afforded me, I decided to take the alley behind our apartment instead of wandering up past the construction site and around the corner. This is regularly a busy alley, with a restaurant and bank on one end and a business and two apartment buildings making up the rest, so I’ve never felt worried about it. Well low and behold, in the middle of the day in a nice part of town(‘s alley… okay makes sense), I come across two flanneled gentlemen clearly exchanging drugs, money, and whatever else. Curses Vancouver, from sweet little French lady to nefarious flanneled gentlemen in the span of 20 minutes! Anyway, I nonchalantly cruised past them, glancing back only to check for cars while crossing the alley to my building. What can you do, not everyone is content to be outside in the sun, some people just need to flannel up and make mischief.

Please don’t take away from the story above that I am against flannel. I support flannel in the appropriate time and place, though really those gentlemen weren’t helping flannel’s cause.

Once home from my brief adventure, I set about making these delicious dark chocolatey cookies. I know, I know, salting sweet things is super trendy right now, but for good reason, it is delicious! The little bites of saltiness contrast and compliment the chocolate sweetness and the bittersweet chunks. These cookies have a fudgy flavour that is enhanced by the bittersweet chocolate throughout, making these an ultimate chocolate cookie. To top things off they are crispy, crunchy around the edges and tender in the centre, fllaaarrrgghhhh so good! Also, let it be known that this post, these cookies are dedicated to John, a plucky Irishman who, though impossible to understand, is a wonderful fellow! I will be bake-battling him the first chance I make it to London to visit my beautiful friend, Caelin!

Salted Dark Chocolate Cookies

INGREDIENTS

2 cups flour
1/2 cup cocoa powder
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp coarse salt
1 cup butter, softened
1 1/4 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
2 oz bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped

coarse salt for topping

DIRECTIONS

Heat oven to 350°F. Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper, set aside.
In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa, baking powder, and salt.
In a large bowl, beat the butter and sugar until pale and fluffy.
Add the eggs and vanilla, beating until well combined.
Add the flour mixture in three parts, mixing until well combined. Stir in chocolate and mix through.
Scoop tablespoons of dough onto the prepared cookie sheets and press down lightly with a fork. Sprinkle with coarse salt.
Bake for 10-15 minutes, until they have flattened and have set on top (they will look wet if they are not fully cooked).
Carefully move cookies to wire rack to cool. Enjoy!