Chocolate Chunk Cookie
Some people may think this is silly but my husband likes to take along some of my baked treats (cookies for the most part) when he travels. Sometimes I oblige and make them and sometimes I don’t. As he was preparing for a trip he was making to Florida last weekend he was surprised when I told him I would make his favorite, chocolate chip cookies, to take along. I figured it’d be a nice gesture since it was going to be his first trip away from me since we got married.
As luck would have it, as I was gathering the ingredients to make the cookies, I realized I did not have chocolate chips and would not have time to go to the supermarket to grab some. As an alternative I picked up a few bars of Scharffen Berger 70% Cacao Bittersweet Chocolate (translation – the good stuff) from the drug store on my way home one day last week. My plan was to stick them in the fridge so that they would get hard and then chop them up into chunks to add to the cookie batter.
What resulted was pure magic! If you are a chocolate lover, chunks is the way to go over chips. I’m sure it helped that I used premium chocolate. But after just one bite of this cookie, there was a chocolate explosion in my mouth. I used my go-to chocolate chip cookie recipe and subbed chips for chunks. One important thing to note when chopping bars of chocolate into chunks is that the chocolate should be cold of of the fridge (that’s my preference at least) so that it doesn’t melt during the chopping process. My chunks were mostly slightly bigger than the chips would have been. In addition to the chunks, the chopping process produces what looks like chocolate shavings which were sprinkled through out the batter and added to the rich chocolate flavor.
If a chocolate chip cookie is simply a vehicle for you to eat chocolate, then you should definitely try chunks vs. chips the next time you make them.
And for those of you who were wondering – the hubby loved them (and loved me for making them). A good portion of them didn’t even make it off the plane when he landed in Florida. I guess food is the way to a man’s heart 
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Shari@Whisk: a food blog — October 6, 2009 @ 7:10 pm
Fascinating! And served warm, the chocolate would just melt in your mouth. Beautiful!
Kim — October 6, 2009 @ 8:03 pm
These cookies look wonderful. There is nothing better than a chocolate chip cookie. I'll have to give the chocolate chunks a try.
Paris Pastry — October 6, 2009 @ 9:08 pm
I love Scharffen Berger chocolate! I also stash chocolate in the fridge when using it in recipes, much easier to chop.
CookiePie — October 6, 2009 @ 9:22 pm
Those cookies look fantastic!
Tracey — October 7, 2009 @ 12:57 am
How sweet of you to make your hubby treats when he travels! My hubby doesn't travel much for work but I try to keep treats on hand for him to take with his lunch
Your cookies look awesome! I tend to use chocolate chips because it's easier than chopping chocolate but I'll have to give chunks a try sometime.
Bunny — October 7, 2009 @ 1:05 am
AWE you are a wonderful wife making your hubby cookies! I bet he thinks of you and home every time he eats one! You have totally convinced me, aI'm trying the chunks!
Karin — October 7, 2009 @ 1:34 am
You're not silly at all for doing that! I just found out my husband may have to go away for five weeks and I was trying to think of what I could make him to last the duration… and I love chunks in my cookies. Sometimes I cheat and buy the chunks in a bag, but good quality chocolate makes such a difference!
Jen @ My Kitchen Addiction — October 7, 2009 @ 1:40 am
I really need to get my hands on some of the Scharffen Berger chocolate… Your cookies look amazing!
Megan — October 7, 2009 @ 2:27 am
Oh yes… definitely a fan of the chocolate chunks! I never refrigerate my Scharffen Berger bars or Callebaut blocks though. Some of the the tiny pieces that flake off do melt, but mostly the chocolate is fine. Beautiful cookies… why do I think I'm going to be making a batch of chocolate chunk cookies very soon?!
Melanie Anne — October 7, 2009 @ 2:32 am
What a sweet wife you are! My husband is leaving for a trip in morning, without homemade cookies…poor guy! These cookies sound amazing!!
Shandy — October 7, 2009 @ 2:54 am
Aaaahhhh! You are so sweet to bake up chocolate chips cookies using your good chocolate. Chocolate chunks is definitely the way to go and we love them too.
5 Star Foodie — October 7, 2009 @ 11:42 am
Scharffen Berger chocolate chunks sound just perfect for the cookies, delicious!
Liliana — October 7, 2009 @ 1:19 pm
Your cookies look amazing. I am sure your husband is one happy man!I also use chunks instead of chips in my cookies although good quality chocolate is not always easy to find. I started baking cookies for my husband when we first were married and 26 years later, I am still baking them!!
spike. — October 7, 2009 @ 1:26 pm
That sounds great! I always travel with baked goods too
Teanna DiMicco — October 7, 2009 @ 1:50 pm
I'm all about the chunks over chips! That is a great cookie, and Scharffen Berger really is top of the line, even if it is a little pricey! It's worth it! Hahaha!
Ulla — October 7, 2009 @ 3:27 pm
that looks so good. i love chocolate chunk cookies!
steph- whisk/spoon — October 7, 2009 @ 7:20 pm
that's so nice–how could your husband not love them!
Katrina — October 7, 2009 @ 11:21 pm
Just have to say yum! I've chopped chocolate for ccc's before and think it's pretty fab. We just got a bunch of Scharfen Berger chocolate at Food BlogHer and I love it. (Can't find it in stores here in my town!)Off to go check on your go-to ccc recipe!
Pamela — October 8, 2009 @ 12:24 am
How sweet of you to bake for your sweetie! I'm sure he appreciated it. The cookie looks fabulous. And I just picked up my first bar of Scharffen Berger chocolate! I'm so excited to use it.
Sophia — October 8, 2009 @ 3:04 am
food is the way to MY heart, too! Haha!I agree: chunks are so much better. I always picked out the chips, I just didn't like them. They were too damn trying to be cute.
Lauren — October 8, 2009 @ 3:49 am
Love this idea! Chunks sound wonderful – I'll have to try it =D.
Half Baked — October 8, 2009 @ 12:57 pm
Mmm anything that adds more chocolate to the cookie is a winner! Love the chocolate chunks:)
Ingrid — October 8, 2009 @ 5:03 pm
Aw, no wonder your honey loves you so! You're a sweetie!
~ingrid
pinkstripes — October 8, 2009 @ 6:00 pm
How cool! What a great gesture. I'm glad they were a success with the hubby. The cookie looks delicious.
Donna-FFW — October 8, 2009 @ 10:37 pm
He is a lucky guy!! These look perfect. Chunks are a-ok with me!
Sweet and Savory — October 9, 2009 @ 2:57 am
I am finding that the chocolate chunks are better than chips. These look amazing.
Emily — October 9, 2009 @ 8:12 am
Yum! I'm going to have to try this recipe. These cookies look excellent!
Maria — October 9, 2009 @ 10:39 pm
I love cookies, these look great!
Andrea — October 17, 2009 @ 4:28 am
I don't think it's strange at all that he wants to take your lovely baked goods with him! I'd like to start doing the same, in fact, if you don't mind
You're blog is beautiful, but the way!
Andre Crown — October 19, 2009 @ 3:47 pm
Who doesn't love a good chocolate chip cookie. Always hits the spot. This looks delish. I think I'll have one later this afternoon to get me through this drab Monday.
lavienouveau — October 22, 2009 @ 11:56 pm
oooo these look great! My family is ubber obsessed with chocolate chip cookies and I'm always looking for different recipes