THE CHOCOLATE LOVERS’ Chocolate Chip Cookie

You can’t beat this classic… but you CAN improve it! Ditch the store-bought chocolate chips in exchange for premium Venezuelan chocolate from Chocolates El Rey. With a higher cacao content and lower sugar content than mass-produced chocolate chips, our dark chocolate discs pack a punch of true chocolate flavor. We chop them into nickel-sized pieces

This recipe makes about 12 large cookies, or 24 medium cookies

Ingredients

• 2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
• 1 cup packed brown sugar
• 3/4 cup white sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 1/5 cups Mijao 61% Dark or Bucare 58.5% Semi-Sweet Chocolate Discs, chopped
• 1/2 cup pecans, toasted and chopped, optional

Directions

1. In a mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together the butter and sugars until very light and fluffy.
2. Lower the speed of the mixer and add the eggs, one at a time. Add vanilla along with the last egg.
3. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, and baking soda.
4. Gradually add flour mixture to mixer.
5. Add chopped chocolate and pecans. Scrape the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula to evenly incorporate.
6. Cover bowl with plastic and refrigerate for at least two hours, or up to overnight.
7. When ready, preheat oven to 325 degrees. Remove cookie dough from the refrigerator and roll into tablespoon-sized balls.
8. Place on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper or a silicone baking pad.
9. Bake for 12-15 minutes, until edges have browned slightly and the middles are barely set.
10. Remove from oven and let rest for a minute on the baking sheet before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

Featuring…

Mijao 61% Dark Chocolate Discs

Bucare 58.5% Semi-Sweet Dark Chocolate Discs

A Chocolate-y Crowd-Pleaser

Try this recipe for your next picnic or party. It’s quick, easy, and sure to please! These brownies feature real, melted chocolate, which gives them their rich, fudgy consistency. Add a bit of instant coffee powder to enhance the chocolate flavor, or cinnamon for something different.

Ingredients

• 2 sticks unsalted butter, chopped into pieces
• 8 ounces of Bucare 58.5% Dark Chocolate Discs
• 1 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 4 large eggs
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon instant coffee powder or ground cinnamon, optional
• 2 cups pecans, toasted and chopped, optional

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Butter a 13″x9″ baking pan then line with parchment paper.
3. In a microwave-safe bowl, heat butter and chocolate in 30 second increments until melted, stirring in between bursts.
4. In a small bowl, whisk together flour, salt, and coffee or cinnamon powder if using. Set aside.
5. In another large bowl, whisk together sugars, eggs, and vanilla until well combined. Stir in melted chocolate.
6. Gradually add flour mixture to chocolate mixture, folding gently and scraping the sides to incorporate. Add pecans in with the last bit of flour and mix just until combined, with no dry spots remaining.
7. Transfer batter into prepared pan.
8. Bake for around 40 minutes, until edges are firm and crinkled and the middle is just barely set.
9. Let cool at room temp, cover, then transfer to refrigerator for several hours before slicing.

Featuring…

Bucare 58.5% Dark Chocolate Discs