Triple Chocolate Cookies (Death By Chocolate Cookies)

There's a song about how great Friday is (the song isn't great but still...) how come there isn't a song about how epic the weekend is?! Saturday is WAY better than Friday in my books! 

Anyways, Happy Saturday! I always try to make time for baking on the weekend because I love making treats for other people. I have been making treats and bringing them in to my coworkers who never complain about having goodies in the office. I try to stress everything in moderation. Although personally I don't like sweets, I firmly believe if you eat healthy and workout regularly, then there is nothing wrong with having an occasional treat. Of course I bring healthy treats in too- and often no one knows there are healthy swaps (mwhahaha)! 

These cookies have by far been the favorite I have brought in so far. One of my friends nicknamed them "Death By Chocolate" cookies because they're loaded with chocolate. My family was sneaking cookies while they were cooling until finally I started guarding them because my whole batch would have disappeared! The only downside to asking your family to be taste-testers :) If you make these cookies for work you are sure to make a zillion friends at the office, plus they're great for treats for BBQ's, picnics, or any fun occasion!    

Triple Chocolate Cookies (AKA Death By Chocolate Cookies)

• 2 cups all purpose flour
• 1/4 cup Hershey's special dark cocoa powder
• 1 package Hershey's instant chocolate pudding mix
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 cup sugar or stevia
• 3/4 cup brown sugar
• 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 7 oz. Hershey's milk chocolate chocolate bar, chop into small chunks
• 3/4 cup butter, if using sticks soften the butter but do not melt butter
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 eggs

In a mixer on a medium speed beat together butter, sugar, brown sugar eggs, and vanilla until combined.

Add the pudding mix and cocoa powder into the mixer and scrape down the sides of the bowl. Mix on a slower speed until combined.

Scrape down the sides of the mixer and add in flour and baking soda. Mix on low-medium speed only until combined.

Again, scrape down the sides of the mixer. Add chopped chocolate bar and chocolate chips into the bowl. Mix on a LOW speed only until combined, you do NOT want to over mix the dough. 

The dough needs to be chilled to stop the cookies from running and spreading during baking. You can scoop the dough into cookie balls and chill on the cookie sheets or you can place the whole mixing bowl in the fridge to cool- I found it was easier to scoop the cookies and then chill the dough as the dough is a bit harder after chilling.

Chill the dough for 1.5-2 hours or chill overnight. It is SUPER IMPORTANT to chill the dough!!

Preheat the oven to 350F degrees.

Line a baking sheet with tin foil or parchment paper and spray with nonstick cook spray or coconut oil or use a baking liner.

Using a tablespoon scoop one heaping tablespoon of dough onto the baking sheet. Repeat until dough is gone. You should get 25-30 cookies. Remember to leave a little space between the cookies as they will get a bit bigger when they bake.

Bake for about 12 minutes until the edges are firm. You don't want to over bake the cookies, which is easy to do because the cookies are dark. Every oven is different so keep an eye on the cookies. 

Allow the cookies to completely cool before storing them. I took them to work on a paper plate covered in tinfoil and they evaporated in about 2.5 seconds!