Giant Chocolate Sugar Cookies

Rating: 3.81 stars
212 Ratings
  • 5 star values: 69
  • 4 star values: 65
  • 3 star values: 52
  • 2 star values: 20
  • 1 star values: 6

These oversize sugar cookies don't need any mix-ins or frostings -- their bold chocolate flavor says it all.

Martha Stewart Living, March 2007

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Credit: Victor Schraeger

Recipe Summary test

Servings:
8
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Ingredients

Directions

  • Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Whisk together flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl; set aside.

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  • Put butter and sugar into the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix on medium-high speed until pale and fluffy. Mix in shortening (or additional butter). Add egg and vanilla; mix until creamy. Reduce speed to low. Gradually add flour mixture, and mix until just combined.

  • Using a 2 1/2-inch ice cream scoop, drop dough onto baking sheets lined with parchment paper, spacing about 4 inches apart. Bake until edges are firm, 18 to 20 minutes. Let cool on sheets on wire racks. Cookies can be stored in an airtight container up to 2 days.

Cook's Notes

In addition to a stick of butter, this recipe calls for vegetable shortening or additional butter. The former will yield flaky cookies with a soft center and a crisp edge; the latter will result in thinner, uniformly crunchy cookies.

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Reviews (36)

212 Ratings
  • 5 star values: 69
  • 4 star values: 65
  • 3 star values: 52
  • 2 star values: 20
  • 1 star values: 6
Martha Stewart Member
Rating: 5 stars
03/16/2019
These were delicious! Slightly hard edge and soft middle, but what I truly loved was the texture and richness. I used the shortening as suggested, and I truly believe it made the difference. I made some plain, some with mini-chips on top, and some with sprinkled sugar on top. This is a SUBSTANTIAL cookie! One is treat!
Martha Stewart Member
Rating: Unrated
10/19/2016
I have made these several times making them small and using all butter and they have always been very good. After reading the comments I am now confused about the shortening. If I decide to use shortening do I melt it first? The recipe says melter butter but doesn't state to use melted shortening.
Martha Stewart Member
Rating: Unrated
12/25/2014
I made these smaller than suggested and added small choc chips they did not flatten out tasted more like choc brownie bites. I flattened the second batch somewhat, I also used 1 stick of butter vs crisco.
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Martha Stewart Member
Rating: 1 stars
06/13/2014
These didn't turn out at all as I expected. The dough was very dry and they did not spread at all. I used melted butter in the place of vegetable shortening as recommended. I was not able to find dutch cocoa at my local shop, so I used premium unsweetened cocoa powder; the cookies have a mild chocolate flavor. This batch yielded 35 0.25-oz cookies (it was the measuring device I had handy) I reduced the baking time to 14 minutes. I won't use this recipe again.
Martha Stewart Member
Rating: Unrated
09/21/2013
So good. Have made them repeatedly and turn out great each time.
Martha Stewart Member
Rating: 2 stars
08/13/2013
I made these cookies for the first time and followed the recipe. I substituted butter for shortening like the recipe listed and they came out okay. They taste more like regular sugar cookies with a hint of chocolate then chocolate cookies. I would make these again but next time I will add more cocoa. Other than that the cookies aren't bad.
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Martha Stewart Member
Rating: Unrated
06/22/2012
This recipe says nothing about flattening them out. I thought they would flatten out as they baked, but they came out looking just as they did when I put them in the oven - like snowballs! I think this written recipe needs some adjustments. The grnadkids liked them though. We called them chocolate snowballs (on a 90 degree day.
Martha Stewart Member
Rating: Unrated
02/26/2012
My family loves these chocolate sugar cookies! I made the recipe to a T & they turned out great! I made them smaller so I was able to get 30 cookies & cooked them for 12 minutes! I will make them again! Thanks Martha! :)
Martha Stewart Member
Rating: Unrated
09/01/2011
QUESTIONS: My husband is diabetic. Can I substitute Splenda for the sugar; also can I substitute organic cacao powder for the dutch-process cocoa???
Martha Stewart Member
Rating: Unrated
06/16/2011
I forgot to add that all I had was Hershey's Baking Cocoa. Used it and they came out just fine, but some time I would like to try the cocoa the recipe calls for.
Martha Stewart Member
Rating: Unrated
06/16/2011
I made these with my little grandsons. The dough was very easy to work with & the cookies were delicious! Instead of making 8 giant cookies, we used a TBSP to measure out the dough. Can't recall how many we ended up making, because the boys were devouring them right out of the oven. The smaller size cookie took aprox. 12 mins. to bake. I also opted for all butter & no vegetable shortening. We sandwiched some of them with peanut butter...sensational! Will add butterscotch chips the next time!
Martha Stewart Member
Rating: Unrated
05/24/2011
I made these but I wanted more that 8. So I used a smaller scoop and baked for 12 minutes @ 375 and they turned out great. p.s. I got around 27 cookies.
Martha Stewart Member
Rating: Unrated
05/22/2011
I should spend at least an hour of my time for 8 cookies??? I don't think so. I would have to at least a doubled recipe to satisfy my needs....triple would be even better. Mykele
Martha Stewart Member
Rating: Unrated
10/05/2010
I have made these three times Everyone loves these cookies. I used butter flavored shortening. Then since I couldn't bake them right away I made them into rolls wrapped in parchment paper put them into the fridge over night. Next day cut rolls into 1/2 inch pieces and baked for 12 to 13 min. They came out perfect my grandson loves them, as well as the rest of the family.
Martha Stewart Member
Rating: Unrated
08/04/2010
wasn't too impressed with this. they weren't horrible, but weren't amazing either. taste a little store-bought. maybe more cocoa will give it a deeper chocolate flavor? also, people having trouble with baking time need to note that the recipe is for GIANT cookies. if you're making normal-sized ones, less time is needed. 11-12 mins in the oven should do the trick.
Martha Stewart Member
Rating: Unrated
07/01/2010
I made these last night and they came out great! I used butter instead of shortening. I also used a 1 inch scoop and baked them for only 10-12 minutes. However, I only had the regular kind of unsweetened cocoa, not Dutch-process. They still tasted chocolaty, but I'm going to make them again with the Dutch-process cocoa and see if there's a difference.
Martha Stewart Member
Rating: Unrated
06/30/2010
I baked these today. Baking time is too long. Mine did NOT flatten out and are DRY!!!
Martha Stewart Member
Rating: Unrated
06/30/2010
burnt area from over cooking. (continued from previous comment)
Martha Stewart Member
Rating: Unrated
06/30/2010
I made these today substituting oil for the melted butter and turbinado sugar for white sugar. Cookies came out fine, however they looked nothing like the picture, no cracks, they were flat. 18-20 is way too long to bake, some burned. I cooked second tray for 15 minutes and even that was too long. Maybe oven should be 350 and not 375 as most cookie recipes are. They were crunchy and tasted good, but recipe definitely needs to be corrected on cooking time. Had to scrape off bottoms to get rid of
Martha Stewart Member
Rating: Unrated
06/30/2010
Since the recipe calls for melted butter (or shortening), you could use oil as a substitute. It might alter the outcome just a bit but I don't think it's a big deal.
Martha Stewart Member
Rating: Unrated
06/30/2010
To CHEFCAB: NO you cannot sub. oil for shortening. Shortening/butter are solids; oil/melted butter are liquids.
Martha Stewart Member
Rating: Unrated
06/29/2010
So the total butter/shortening in the recipe is 1 cup? Is that correct?
Martha Stewart Member
Rating: Unrated
06/29/2010
Butter--always makes a crisper cookie. It spreads out more on the cookie sheet--thus crispier. Ruth
Martha Stewart Member
Rating: Unrated
06/29/2010
which makes a crispier cookie butter or shortening?
Martha Stewart Member
Rating: Unrated
06/29/2010
Can vegetable oil be substituted for shortening?
Martha Stewart Member
Rating: Unrated
05/24/2010
Wow..these cookies are SO GOOD! Great texture and flavor. They were thick just like the picture..so tasty! Do NOT overbake. Mine took about 16 mins and they were baked perfectly. I got about 15 pretty large cookies, so I am not sure why they said it only makes 8. Mine were a nice size also....this recipe is a keeper!! Delicious results!
Martha Stewart Member
Rating: Unrated
03/13/2010
Mine looked nothing like the photo above. The flavor was great, but I took them out after 15 minutes and I thnk even that was a bit too long. Mine didn't flaten, so I think I'll do that with a spatula next time before I put them in the over. Good cookie, but needs some adjustments.
Martha Stewart Member
Rating: Unrated
12/09/2009
These have the most perfect consistency! The flavor was great too. I tried putting chocolate chunks in one batch, and it was just too much chocolate. These are perfect chocolate sugar cookies by themselves. I made tablespoon sized cookies and got about 2 dozen. PERFECT with milk.
Martha Stewart Member
Rating: Unrated
04/29/2009
Love the flavor! Proportions are good but tweaked the instructions. First batch - followed directions exactly, but looked nothing like the photo - flat, wrinkly, and too crunchy (still tasty, but I prefer softer cookies). Second batch, rolled them in sugar and very lightly flattened. Took them out early (started checking at 10 min, but can't remember the exact baking time!) - when they had flattened out and were cracked like the photo. They were quite delicate at that point, but after cooling a
Martha Stewart Member
Rating: Unrated
04/19/2009
Just tried these yesterday. Great flavor, but mine didn't flatten. Any ideas why?
Martha Stewart Member
Rating: Unrated
07/16/2008
Crunchy cookies were probably baked too long (an easy thing to do with dark cookies). Take them out just after the edges set when they still look slightly underdone. I've made these many times, using just butter (no shortening) and sometimes adding chocolate chunks, with fabulous results each time.
Martha Stewart Member
Rating: Unrated
03/27/2008
The cookies were yummy- Mine didn't look like the picture and I did't bake them for 18 mins. I used dark chocolate cocoa powder. They were crunchy-a good crunch but I am not sure that I would make them again
Martha Stewart Member
Rating: Unrated
03/08/2008
I just made these cookies and used dark chocolate cocoa powder. They were great. I made them a little smaller and served warm with vanilla ice cream. thanks, PC
Martha Stewart Member
Rating: Unrated
03/05/2008
I have read that using melted butter makes crispier cookies. Maybe if you use butter without melting it?
Martha Stewart Member
Rating: Unrated
03/04/2008
To make a chewier cookie, take them out of oven at 16 minutes.
Martha Stewart Member
Rating: Unrated
03/04/2008
I like these cookies, but would prefer them to be a bit chewier. How can I accomplish that?
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