These Marbled Cookies Will Make You Rethink Ordinary Chocolate Chip

You know whose chocolate chip recipe you want? The one the test kitchen director who has been perfecting hers since she was 10 years old developed.

That’s Belle English, for you. The daughter of two chefs exclaims, “A chocolate chip cookie is my desert island dessert; I didn’t think it could be improved.” She added that she’d thought, “Don’t fix what’s not broke… but wait, maybe it can be!” So she broke out her Goldtouch Pro® cookie sheets (which she loves for their even heat retention and easy cleanup), and got to work.

The Inspiration

Belle’s cookie inspiration? The marbling trend she sees making a comeback in the baking world, along with the “brookie” (brownie + cookie). Belle tested (and tested, and tested) her recipe, finally realizing that bread flour was key. That particular flour adds a certain “chew factor,” she says, thanks to its high protein level. “The chew is essential to the brownie portion of these cookies.”

The Process

Belle is a perfectionist at heart, as the best bakers are, and spent lots of time finessing the marbled aspect of the cookies, too. She didn’t want to have you make two separate doughs from scratch, so just weigh out the vanilla and chocolate portions, transform each, and combine them as you wish, Jackson Pollocking your way to a stunning final result. (Pro tip: To get the best marbling, she says, “You cannot really over-roll the dough!”)

The Best Ingredients

Use real Dutch-process cocoa powder, which Belle insists is “key to achieving that rich cocoa flavor and color with the least amount of actual powder.” And note that no actual chocolate chips were harmed in the baking of this cookie… just the best-quality 70% chocolate you can get your paws on!

The Delicious Result

The result of all this hard work is a swirly mix of chocolate brownie and vanilla cookie that’s like a chocolate marble Bundt cake and a chocolate chip cookie mash-up. It’s epic. So get rolling! Enjoy Belle’s Brookies ASAP.

Marbled Chocolate Chip Cookies

Note: Use Dutch process cocoa for both the true cocoa flavor and pigment to shine through. A kitchen scale is highly suggested – not only for weighing the flour and chocolate, but also to weigh the dough for evenly marbled cookies!

Ingredients:

• 1 1/3 cups plus 2 Tbs. (5 3/4 oz./180 g) bread flour, plus 1 1/2 Tbs. bread flour
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 1 tsp. baking powder
• 1 tsp. kosher salt
• 8 Tbs. (1 stick) (4 oz./125 g) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1/2 cup (3 1/2 oz./105 g) firmly packed dark brown sugar
• 6 Tbs. (3 oz./90 g) granulated sugar
• 1 egg, at room temperature
• 1 1/2 Tbs. vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract
• 6 oz. (180 g) dark chocolate chips (70% cacao preferred)
• 3 Tbs. Dutch-process cocoa powder  

Directions:

Position 1 rack in the upper third and 1 rack in the lower third of an oven and preheat to 350°F (180°C). Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the 1 1/3 cups plus 2 Tbs. (5 3/4 oz./180 g) flour, the baking soda, baking powder and salt. Set aside.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the flat beater, beat together the butter, brown sugar and granulated sugar on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes, stopping the mixer to scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed. Add the egg and vanilla and beat on medium speed until combined, about 30 seconds. With the mixer running on low speed, slowly add the flour mixture, then increase the speed to medium and beat until combined, about 1 minute.

Transfer half of the dough to a medium bowl (if possible, weigh the dough with a kitchen scale so you can divide it evenly). Add the remaining 1 1/2 Tbs. flour to the dough to this bowl. Using a rubber spatula, fold in the flour until combined, then fold in 3 oz. (90 g) of the chocolate chips. This is the vanilla dough. Set aside.

To the remaining dough in the mixer bowl, add the cocoa powder and beat on medium speed until combined, about 1 minute. Using a rubber spatula, fold in the remaining 3 oz. (90 g) chocolate chips. This is the chocolate dough.

Divide each dough into 16 equal portions, each weighing 21 g (about 3/4 oz.). Using the palms of your hands, roll 2 portions of vanilla dough and 2 portions of chocolate dough together into a ball so they slightly marble into each other. Split the ball of dough in half with your fingers, rotate one of the halves vertically 180 degrees, and press the flat sides back together. Briefly roll again between the palms of your hands. Repeat, if desired, until the desired marbling is achieved. Repeat with the remaining portions of dough to form a total of 8 cookies. Place the cookies on the prepared baking sheets, spacing them about 3 inches (7.5 cm) apart.

Bake the cookies for 5 minutes, then remove the baking sheets from the oven and gently bang the sheets on a heat-proof surface once or twice; they should deflate slightly. Return them to the oven, rotating the sheets between the racks and from front to back. Bake until the cookies are set, 4 to 6 minutes more. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheets for 5 minutes, then transfer the cookies to a wire rack and let cool completely. Makes 8 cookies.

For Belle’s step-by-step tutorial on how to make her marbled chocolate chip cookies, check out our video:

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