Soft Frosted Double Chocolate Cookies

February. The dreary middle. Highs in the 20s, snow on the ground, no promise of spring yet. The book tour is in my inbox again. Sarah asked me Monday if I would consider a three-city mini-tour in April. I said no. She said, "Okay." I said, "With my mother in our house and Dave's back what it is, I cannot leave for a week." She said, "Understood." I love Sarah. She understands.

Drove a short Lincoln run Tuesday. Did not drive otherwise. Wrote. Cooked. Gayle and I made Valentine's sugar cookies Saturday — an enormous amount, enough for the kids to give at school. Her hands shook a little but we got through it. She rolled, I cut, she decorated, I packaged. We made 84 cookies. Josie took 30 to school. Tyler took 20 for shop class. Justin took 18 for the team. I saved some for Gayle. I saved some for me and Dave.

Dave gave me Valentine's Day flowers Sunday — a day early because he said he would be running errands Monday. A dozen roses from Hy-Vee, which is not fancy, but which is what Dave gives because Dave is Dave. He said, "Brenda. I know it has been a lot." I said, "It has been a lot." He said, "You are a good daughter." I said, "You are a good husband." We hugged. Gayle was watching from the living room. She pretended not to see. She saw. She smiled later.

Amber came home Saturday night. She showed me a paper she had written on childhood trauma. It was 20 pages. It was excellent. I read it and cried twice. She said, "Mom. Sorry to give you that." I said, "Baby. It's your work. I want to read it." She kissed me on the forehead. She drove back Sunday.

Book two at 23,000 words. The shape is forming. It will have nine driver portraits at its core. It will be their voices and their recipes and their stories. I am not in most of it. I am the driver among drivers. I am one of them. The book is about us.

We made 84 sugar cookies that Saturday, Gayle and me, side by side at the counter — her hands a little unsteady, mine a little tired, both of us getting through it together. That is the kind of baking I believe in: not perfect, just present. These Soft Frosted Double Chocolate Cookies are what I reach for when I want to extend that same feeling, when the Valentine’s mood is still in the house and the kids have gone back to school and I want something tender and rich sitting on the counter for whoever wanders through. Dave will take two without asking. That is how I know a recipe is right.

Prep Time: 20 min | Cook Time: 10 min | Total Time: 30 min | Servings: 24 cookies

Ingredients

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
For the frosting:
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar, sifted
3–4 tablespoons whole milk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions

Preheat. Heat your oven to 350°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
Whisk dry ingredients. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt until evenly combined.
Cream butter and sugars. In a large bowl, beat the softened butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar together with a hand mixer or stand mixer on medium speed for 2–3 minutes until light and fluffy.
Add eggs and vanilla. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then add the vanilla extract. Mix until fully incorporated.
Combine. Add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture and stir until a soft dough forms. Fold in the chocolate chips.
Scoop and bake. Drop rounded tablespoons of dough onto the prepared baking sheets, spacing about 2 inches apart. Bake for 9–11 minutes, until the edges are just set but the centers still look slightly underdone. Do not overbake — they firm up as they cool.
Cool completely. Let the cookies rest on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack and cool completely before frosting.
Make the frosting. Beat the softened butter and cocoa powder together until smooth. Add the powdered sugar and vanilla, then mix in milk one tablespoon at a time until the frosting is creamy and spreadable.
Frost. Spread a generous layer of chocolate frosting over each cooled cookie. Allow to set for 10 minutes before stacking or packaging.

Nutrition (per serving)

Soft Frosted Double Chocolate Cookies — The Batch We Made Together