The Essential Ingredients

• Semi-Sweet Baking Chocolate (60% Cacao+): The foundation of the cookie. Melting high-quality bars provides the fudgy texture that chips cannot replicate.
• Unsalted Butter: Acts as the vehicle for flavor, creating a silky batter and rich mouthfeel.
• Large Eggs (Room Temperature): Essential for leavening; when beaten with sugar, they create that iconic meringue-like crackle.
• Granulated & Brown Sugar: Granulated sugar creates crisp edges, while light brown sugar adds moisture and depth.
• All-Purpose Flour: Used in small amounts to maintain a dense, chewy brownie perfection rather than a cake-like crumb.
• Dutch-Processed Cocoa Powder: Deepens the chocolate intensity and provides a dark, professional aesthetic.
• Flaky Sea Salt: A tiny pinch balances the sugar and makes the dark chocolate notes stand out.
• Pure Vanilla Extract: Rounds out the bitterness of the cocoa for a multi-dimensional flavor.

Step-by-Step Instructions

1. Melt and Emulsify: Melt the chopped chocolate and butter together until smooth. Let it cool slightly to avoid cooking the eggs prematurely.
2. Aeration Stage: Beat eggs and both sugars on medium-high for 5 minutes. This creates the volume necessary for the crackly top.
3. Folding: Gently fold the chocolate mixture into the eggs. Sift in the dry ingredients and fold until just combined to keep the batter airy.
4. The Quick Scoop: The batter sets fast. Use a cookie scoop to drop mounds onto parchment paper immediately.
5. High-Heat Bake: Bake at 350°F (175°C) for 10–12 minutes. They should look soft in the center when removed to ensure a gooey interior.