Chocolate Chip Lava Cookies

A simpler name for this recipe would be Heaven.

It’s the most delicious Thick & Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe in existence, overflowing with molten chocolate lava, and served warm and ooey-gooey. I’m getting hungry just thinking about it! This is one of my absolute favorite desserts to have ever graced my lips. Pure divinity.

I’m sorry, I need a moment.

…Okay. Let me pull myself together here and tell you what an other-worldly experience these Chocolate Chip Lava Cookies are. That cookie recipe in and of itself is out-of-this world, so chewy, soft, and packed with chunks of delicious chocolate. Then, by serving it warm, you get that fresh-out-of-the-oven taste. That alone is enough to give you a food high. But then, we fill that amazing chocolate chip cookie with gobs of smooth, melted chocolate, or as I like to call it, liquid gold. It’s like this special surprise tucked away inside the soft, warm cookie. You’re loving every bite, and then suddenly, your fork strikes gold and the chocolate lava comes rushing out. Hot dog! There’s gold in them there cookies!

When I first had the idea for a chocolate chip lava cookie, I struggled with how to get the chocolate in there. With lava cakes, the cake batter itself forms the molten center through under-baking. But how to get a molten chocolate center in a cookie? The solution I generated was ganache. It sets up to be firm and moldable like clay, so you can easily stuff it in the cookie dough. But then, when it bakes, it melts like magic!

My words can’t every come close to the pure palate bliss that these cookies will deliver. You’ve got that delicious chocolate chip cookie that’s crisp on the edges but so soft and chewy inside. Then you have the velvety chocolate ganache filling, so warm and rich that you’ll wish you could bathe in it.

Oh god, someone get me a fork. You know what, forget the fork. I’m going in face-first.

A Few Tips Before You Get Cooking:

1. You can use dark or semisweet in the ganache filling based on how sweet you like your chocolate.
2. Don’t be skimpy on that chocolate filling. It’ll melt down a lot when it bakes.
3. Assemble these ahead of time for a dinner party or get-together then bake when ready for dessert bliss!
4. Got leftover cookie dough? Unlikely, but if you do, just bake it up into regular cookies!
5. You may have extra ganache. Drizzle it over the finished lava cookies or save for another dessert. You can warm it up and drizzle it over ice cream, top a cake or brownies, or dip fruit in it. Yum!

Chocolate Chip Lava Cookies
Adapted from Baking Illustrated

Makes 4 Lava Cookies

Ingredients:

• 1 cup + 1 tbsp. all-purpose flour
• 1/4 tsp. baking soda
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) unsalted butter, melted and cooled until warm
• 1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 2 1.5-oz. milk chocolate bars, chopped into chunks
• 1/3 cup additional milk, dark, or semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 8 oz. dark or semisweet chocolate, finely chopped
• 1 cup heavy cream

Special Equipment: 4 ramekins (7-9 oz.)

Directions:

1. Make the filling: Put the chocolate and heavy cream in a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave on high for 15 second intervals, whisking in between, until completely melted. Do not cook longer than 15 seconds without stopping and stirring or the chocolate will burn. You can also do this in a double-boiler. Let ganache cool to room temperature then cover and transfer to the freezer for 30 minutes. After it sets up in the freezer, move it to the fridge until ready to bake the dessert.
2. Meanwhile, make the cookie dough: Whisk the flour, baking soda, and salt together in a medium bowl; set aside. With an electric mixer, mix the butter and sugars until thoroughly blended. Beat in the egg and vanilla until combined. Add the dry ingredients a little at a time while beating at low speed just until combined. Stir in the chips and chunks. Chill the dough in the fridge for at least an hour before continuing.
3. When ready to eat, preheat oven to 325 degrees. Place a generous hunk of dough (a bit more than a tablespoon) in the bottom of an ungreased ramekin. Flatten it out with the palm of your hand.
4. Remove the ganache from the fridge. Grab a very generous spoonful (at least 2 tablespoons, or more depending on how much “lava” you want) and roll it into a ball. Place it on top of the cookie dough and flatten out slightly. cover with another hunk of cookie dough, spreading out the dough so that the ganache is completely covered. Repeat with remaining dough.
5. Bake cookies 10-15 minutes or until edges turn golden brown and cookie is set in the center. Do not overbake. Let ramekins sit on a cooling rack for 2 minutes then flip the them onto a plate and let the cookies slide out. Serve immediately. Recommended: top with vanilla ice cream!

*Note: You may assemble these ahead of time, all stuffed with the chocolate and such, and store them in the fridge until ready to bake.