The world needs more chocolate

In light of recent news about a potential worldwide chocolate shortage, I have decided that to make the most of the plentitude of chocolate available to me now. What better way to do so than through cookies, one of God and nature's perfect foods?

These were everything I could ever want in a cookie: not too chewy, not to hard, not too moist, not too dry, and deliciously, perfectly chocolaty. 

I mixed elements from this recipe for Lofthouse-style cookies and from this recipe for chocolate sugar cookies, which I have made before with great success.

Apart from being yummy, these cookies are also the easiest and fastest cookies I have made in a while.

Ingredients:
3/4 cups of softened unsalted butter (1 1/2 sticks)
3/4 cups granulated sugar
1 egg
1 egg yolk (Best separating methods: a special egg yolk separator thingy or carefully cracking the egg and using your fingers, letting the whites run through your fingers while holding the yolk)
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
2 cups flour
3/4 cups cocoa powder

More granulated sugar and cocoa powder for rolling

1. Cream the butter and sugar together until smooth. Add in the egg, egg yolk, and vanilla. Mix well.

2. Add the dry ingredients. Mix well until all ingredients are fully incorporated. The dough should be slightly sticky but firm.

3. Refrigerate for an hour.

4. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

5. In a small bowl, combine equal parts granulated sugar and cocoa powder (you won't need more than a few tablespoons of each). Make small balls (about 1 - 1 1/2 inches in diameter) and roll in the cocoa-sugar mixture.

6. Put cookies on a cookie sheet with an inch or two between each one to allow for the cookies to expand while baking.

7. Bake for 9 minutes or until they look dry. With darker dough, it can be hard to tell when they are done. If in doubt, poke one of the center cookies with a toothpick; if it comes out clean, the cookies are done.

8. Allow to cool on the pan for five minutes. Remove and put on a wire cooling rack to cool completely.

9. Enjoy!


(Note: Rolling the cookies is optional. It gives them a slightly crunchy exterior with the granulated sugar, but the coating does get darker, which can look like they have burned.)