Gooey Chocolate Fudge Cookies

Ingredients

For the Cookies:

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened

1 cup granulated sugar

1 cup brown sugar, packed

2 large eggs

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips (or a mix of dark and milk chocolate chips)

Optional Toppings:

Sea salt flakes for sprinkling

Additional chocolate chips for topping

Instructions

Preheat the Oven:

Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Prepare the Cookie Dough:

In a large mixing bowl, cream together the softened butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar until light and fluffy (about 2-3 minutes).

Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Then mix in the vanilla extract.

Combine Dry Ingredients:

In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt.

Mix Wet and Dry Ingredients:

Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture, mixing until just combined. Be careful not to overmix.

Fold in the chocolate chips until evenly distributed throughout the dough.

Scoop the Cookies:

Using a cookie scoop or tablespoon, drop dough balls onto the prepared baking sheet, spacing them about 2 inches apart. Flatten the dough balls slightly for more even baking.

If desired, sprinkle a few extra chocolate chips on top of each cookie and a pinch of sea salt flakes.

Bake:

Bake in the preheated oven for about 10-12 minutes, or until the edges are set but the centers still look slightly underbaked (they will continue to cook as they cool).

Cool and Serve:

Remove the cookies from the oven and allow them to cool on the baking sheet for about 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.