Dark Chocolate and Red Wine Cookies

I have been dying to make these dark chocolate and red wine cookies ever since I found the recipe this summer, and I'm very excited to finally cross them off my baking bucket list! It's taken me so long because I'm not a huge red wine drinker, so I rarely ever have any on hand. It's a different story altogether with the dark chocolate though, as I usually have at least 3-4 different bars of it in my freezer at one time! The perfect opportunity to make these finally presented itself a couple of weeks ago when my good friend left half a bottle of red wine at my house after a party. Moral of this story: If you leave alcohol at my house you may only get it back in the form of baked goods!

I can't think of a more rich, indulgent combination than dark chocolate and red wine. The batter definitely showcases the red wine flavour, but once the cookies are baked they are left with just the smallest hint. The intensity of the red wine flavour might also depend on the type of wine you use, but there's no denying the presence of bold dark chocolate in this soft, chewy cookie. If there was ever a cookie that could be called sexy, then this cookie would definitely be the one.

Ingredients:

1 and 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

3/4 cup cocoa powder

1 tsp. salt

1 tsp. baking soda

1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, room temperature

3/4 cup white sugar

3/4 cup brown sugar

1 egg

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1/2 cup red wine (I used a Shiraz)

10oz. (about 1 and 1/4 cups) dark chocolate, roughly chopped

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, salt, and baking soda. Set aside.

In a separate large bowl, cream together the butter, white sugar, and brown sugar with an electric mixer until combined and smooth. Add in the egg, vanilla, and red wine. Continue to mix until combined.

Slowly add in the dry ingredients, mixing on low speed until combined. Fold in the chopped dark chocolate until evenly distributed in the batter.

Spoon the batter onto the prepared cookie sheets, spacing about 1-2" apart. Bake for 8-10 minutes. Remove the cookie sheets from the oven and allow the cookies to cool for 2-3 minutes on the sheet before transferring to a wire rack.

Enjoy with a glass of your favourite red.

*Recipe adapted from Keep It Simple Foods