Double Chocolate Chunk Nougat Cookies
Over the past year, I’ve posted these cookies twice to my social media. Messages and e-mails followed and after quite a few requests, I am finally able to share the recipe with you! These Double Chocolate Chunk Nougat cookies are rich but not overly sweet and the cakey texture creates the perfect balance with the softness that comes from the chocolate chunks and the chewiness from the sweet nougat. The funny thing is that while these cookies are beautiful, are certainly impressive to look at and taste even better, they’re even easier to make! Butter, sugar, flour, eggs, cocoa, chocolate, and some nougat make all the magic happen, but I am here to share it with you!
It’s important to use a high-quality chocolate and a good nougat in these cookies. Nougat can certainly be store bought or homemade. A couple years ago I ventured out to make my own nougat and if you follow me on Instagram, that fun can be found in a highlight reel. Since then, I’ve been perfecting my nougat and I’m excited to share an update on that very soon. In the meantime, check out the original nougat recipe I’ve shared here. Another thing to note about nougat is that it can come in many different flavors. For this specific batch, I’ve used a dark chocolate macadamia raspberry nougat (so good) and in the past I’ve used almond nougat, chocolate hazelnut and plain is always a good choice.
For the chocolate, I think Guittard is always a great option; so is Valrhona and if you’re looking for a great grocery store find, Ghirardelli never fails. This recipe calls for a fair amount of cocoa powder, including an extra helping of Dutch processed cocoa which has a higher fat content and is smoother in taste. The bit of espresso powder enhances the chocolate flavor, making a richer tasting cookie overall.
The texture of these cookies is truly something unique and wonderful. As I mentioned, the cookie is soft and cake-like so the soft chocolate and the way the nougat melts into the cookie provides just enough chewiness to make these an irresistible dessert, especially for a chocolate lover. I’m not really a chocolate lover and I couldn’t get enough of these so let that attest to how good they are! I hope you enjoy making [and eating] these!
Let's get baking!
Double Chocolate Chunk Nougat Cookies
INGREDIENTS
2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
½ cup granulated sugar
½ cup light brown sugar
2 large eggs, at room temperature
2 tablespoons cream or whole milk
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
2 ¼ cup unbleached, all-purpose flour
½ cup unsweetened cocoa
¼ cup Dutch processed cocoa
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon sea salt
10 ounces semisweet chocolate (60-70%), finely chopped (2 ounces reserved for topping)
8 ounces nougat, finely chopped (half reserved for topping)
DIRECTIONS
Line baking sheet(s) with parchment paper and set aside. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl of a stand mixer using the paddle attachment (a handheld mixer works too), cream butter and sugars together until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Mix in one egg at a time followed by cream and vanilla extract.
In a small bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Slowly pour into sugar mixture and mix until fully combined. The dough will be slightly tacky but should come together and easily peel away from the bowl. Using a spatula, gently fold in chopped chocolate and half of the nougat. Refrigerate dough for 15 minutes.
Form dough into 2 ½ -inch sized balls (think clementine sized) and lightly flatten in hands, using your fingers to press the edges, rounding them out. Place on baking sheets about 2 inches apart. Top each cookie with about 2 pieces of nougat and a few pieces of chocolate. Bake for 15 to 18 minutes. Remove cookies from oven and allow to rest for 15 minutes or until fully cooled before serving.
