Roxana Jullapat’s Chocolate Dynamite Cookies

Made with dark rye flour, these rich, melty, super-chocolately cookies are wheat-free and entirely whole-grain — which seems kind of miraculous. The recipe is adapted from Jullapat’s Mother Grains: Recipes for the Grain Revolution.

[Read our review of Mother Grains.]

Why “dynamite”? Because, as Jullapat’s headnote explains, “these cookies elicit explosive reactions in all who try them.”

The headnote warns never to skip the step of chilling the dough for at least an hour before baking. Jullapat’s original recipe calls for using a stand mixer; we tested it using a hand-held mixer, and adapted it so that you can use either.

Makes about 16 cookies.

Ingredients

1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons (80 g) dark rye flour

2 tablespoons Dutch-processed cocoa powder

1/4 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

6 tablespoons (3/4 stick / 85 g) unsalted butter, cut into 1-inch cubes

2 cups (350 g) bittersweet chocolate chips

1 cup (200 g) sugar

2 large eggs

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions

1. Sift the rye flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt into a small bowl.

2. Place a large skillet on a burner, and add about one inch of water. Place the butter and half of the chocolate chips in a large heat-resistant bowl (stainless-steel or tempered glass; if you will be using a stand mixer, use a heat resistant mixer bowl). Place the bowl in a skillet, bring the water to a simmer over medium heat. Once it is simmering, immediately turn off the heat and let the chocolate and butter melt together. Use a heat-resistant rubber spatula to stir to combine.

3. Add the sugar to the bowl with the melted chocolate and butter, and combine on low speed using a stand mixer or hand mixer. Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing briefly after each addition. Add the vanilla and the sifted dry ingredients and mix on low speed until a uniform dough forms. Stir in the remaining chocolate chips and mix just to combine. The dough will be very sticky, almost like a cake batter.

4. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or overnight. (Or you might want to transfer the dough to a smaller bowl, first, to conserve space.)

5. Place two oven racks in the middle positions and heat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Remove the cookie dough from the refrigerator. Divide the dough into 16 equal portions, about 1 1/2 ounces (42 g) each. Working quickly, roll each into a ball. Place the balls on the prepared sheets, spaced at least 2 inches apart. They will expand and grow significantly as they bake.

6. Bake for 8 minutes. Then rotate the sheets, switch their positions in the oven and bake for another 7 or 8 minutes, until the tops of the cookies are no longer shiny (except for a few visible melty chocolate chips). The ideal cookie will be set around the edges with a softer, almost underdone center. Remove the cookies and let cool completely, or enjoy while still slightly warm.