A family favorite, these easy Mocha Chocolate Truffle Cookies are double chocolate chip cookies enhanced with espresso. With a crunchy exterior, a soft interior, and pools of melted chocolate chips, they're like eating truffle balls in cookie form!
Preheat the oven to 350 °F. Line a half sheet baking pan with a Silpat silicone mat or parchment paper. Sift the cocoa powder to remove any lumps.
In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
In a large microwave safe bowl, melt 1 cup (170 grams) of chocolate chips with the butter on High in 30 second bursts for about 1½ to 2 minutes. Alternatively, melt 1 cup of chocolate chips with the butter together in a large saucepan over Low heat. Remove the chocolate mixture from the heat.
Stir in the espresso powder and allow the mixture to cool for 5 minutes.
Stir in the granulated sugar and brown sugar into the chocolate mixture until it's completely mixed, then add in the eggs and vanilla extract.
Add the flour mixture to the chocolate mixture and mix until combined (be prepared for an arm workout - the dough will get hard to stir). Fold in the remaining chocolate chips into the dough.
Using a small cookie scoop, portion the dough in 1-tablespoon balls and place on the prepared baking pan, 2-inches apart.
Bake for 8 to 10 minutes for a softer cookie, or up to 12 minutes for a firmer interior. The cookies don't spread much at all, and often look underdone even though they're not. You want to the outside to at least be set and appear dry.
Let the cookies cool for 1 minute before removing from the baking pan. Transfer cookies to a wire cooling rack to cool completely. Serve and enjoy!
Storage instructions: The baked cookies can be stored in an air-tight container at room temperature for a few days. They will firm up as they sit.
Make-ahead instructions: These cookies freeze well, both raw and baked, stored in an airtight plastic bag for up to 3 months. To freeze the raw dough, scoop 1-tablespoon balls of dough onto a wax paper-lined baking pan and freeze for 30 minutes before transferring to a ziplock bag. Bake the frozen cookie dough at 325 °F for 13 to 16 minutes. There's no need to defrost them first.
Recipe Notes
I get about 5 dozen cookies using my 1 tablespoon small cookie scoop. I find that the 1-tablespoon size is plenty because these cookies are rich. You can make a larger cookie (with a longer baking time) if you prefer. I'll leave it to you to decide which way you'll go, but don't say I didn't warn you!