Best of Both Desserts

There are two desserts that I have loved for a good chunk of my life: Chocolate Chip Cookies and the Triple Chocolate Meltdown (from a certain former employer). Well I happened to find this recipe, and let me tell you I can not wait to test it out. I mean it literally is the best of both desserts.

All you really need for these fabulous cookies is your favorite cookie dough and a bag of chocolate chips. I prefer my grandmother's cookie dough, you could just as easily use a store-bought mix or even refrigerated cookie dough. Slice and bake cookie dough would be so simple here!

Chocolate Chip Lava Cookies
from Kevin & Amanda

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened
1/2 cup light brown sugar, packed
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg
1/2 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 3/4 cups  all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 (11.5 oz) bag milk chocolate chips (preferably Hersheys)

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a standard size muffin tin with cooking spray. Place 1/2 cup chocolate chips in a Ziploc bag, and seal shut. Lay the Ziploc bag flat in the microwave, spreading out the chocolate chips in a single layer. Microwave for 30 seconds. Remove bag and flip, microwaving for an additional 10-15 seconds until all the chips are softened. Set aside to cool.

2. With an electric mixer, cream the butter and sugars until light and fluffy, about 3-5 minutes. Add egg and vanilla and beat until well combined. Meanwhile, in a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, and baking soda. Add to the wet ingredients and beat on low speed until just combined. Add the remaining chocolate chips (1 cup) and stir to combine.

3. Using half the cookie dough, grab a 1.5-2 tbsp scoop of dough (I used a Pampered Chef Medium Scoop for this) and flatten it out a bit. Place the flattened cookie dough in the bottom of a well-greased standard sized muffin tin. Repeat for a total of 10 cookies.

For the gooey, rich milk chocolate filling. Place 1/2 cup milk chocolate chips in a Ziploc bag, and seal shut. Lay the Ziploc bag flat in the microwave, spreading out the chocolate chips in a single layer. Microwave for 30 seconds. Remove bag and flip, microwaving for an additional 10-15 seconds until all the chips are softened. Cut a small tip off the Ziploc bag and gently squeeze a layer of chocolate over the cookies. If you have any leftover chocolate, save it — I’ll show you what to do with it in a minute. Scoop and flatten the remaining dough and place on top of the chocolate layer. 5:14 PM 2/14/2012Scoop and flatten the remaining dough, and place on top of your lava cookies.

4. Bake at 350 for 15-20 minutes, until the edges are just browned. As soon as they come out of the oven, run a knife around the edges to make for easy removing later. Cool completely before removing from the muffin tin, running a knife around the edge to help loosen.

Try warming these in the microwave for 10 seconds, top with vanilla ice cream, and drizzled with chocolate sauce. You can use any leftover melted chocolate here!