Preheat oven to 325 degrees F., rack in the middle position.

Hannah’s 1st Note: This cookie recipe is from Michelle’s friend, Julia Meister. It won grand prize at a fair and if you bake it, you’ll know why!

1 cup all-purpose flour (pack it down in the cup when you measure it)

¼ cup Dutch-process cocoa powder (if your store doesn’t carry it, use the same dark cocoa powder you use for the following ingredient)

¼ cup dark cocoa powder (such as Hershey’s Special Dark)

½ teaspoon baking soda

¼ teaspoon salt

½ cup salted butter (1 stick, 4 ounces, ¼ pound)

4 ounces bittersweet chocolate (I used Baker’s Bittersweet—4 squares)

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 large eggs, beaten (just whip them up in a glass with a fork)

1 and ¼ cups white (granulated) sugar

1 and ½ cups bittersweet chocolate chips (I used Ghirardelli 60% cacao chips)

Hannah’s 2nd Note: Florence doesn’t carry Dutch process cocoa powder or dark chocolate cocoa powder down at the Red Owl. Not only that, she doesn’t carry any bittersweet chocolate, either in one-ounce squares or in chips. I wanted to make these right away so I used Hershey’s regular cocoa powder in place of the two cocoa powders, regular semi-sweet baking chocolate to melt with the butter, and regular chocolate chips. Despite all these substitutions, the cookies were still incredibly superior chocolate cookies. I made them again once I’d managed to find the Dutch process cocoa powder, the Hershey’s Dark Cocoa Powder, the bittersweet baking chocolate, and the bittersweet chocolate chips. The resulting flavor was deeper, darker, and absolutely marvelous. My point here is that even if you can’t find some of the ingredients at your store, this is still a superb chocolate cookie recipe.

Hannah’s 3rd Note: Bittersweet chocolate is any chocolate with 60 percent cacao.

Line your cookie sheets with parchment paper or baking paper. (I also took the precaution of spraying my parchment paper with Pam. With all the substitutions I made in the original recipe, I was afraid the cookies might stick.)

Mix the flour, cocoa powders, baking soda, and salt together in a small bowl with a whisk. Whisk until they are evenly combined.

Place the stick of salted butter in a microwave-safe bowl. Roughly chop the bittersweet chocolate and add it to the bowl with the butter. Melt in the microwave for 1 minute at full power.

Let the butter and chocolate mixture sit in the microwave for another minute and then attempt to stir it smooth. If it’s not yet melted enough to do this, heat it in the microwave in additional 20-second increments until you can stir it smooth. (You can also do this on the stovetop over low heat, but make sure to stir it constantly.)

Stir the vanilla into the melted butter and chocolate mixture. Let it cool on the counter.

Use an electric mixer to beat the eggs and sugar together at MEDIUM speed until the mixture is light yellow in color and fluffy. (This takes 3 to 4 minutes.) You can also do this by hand, but it takes some muscle.

Turn the mixer down to LOW speed and slowly pour the chocolate and butter mixture into the mixer bowl. Mix this until it’s well combined.

Leave the mixer on LOW speed, and sprinkle in the flour mixture. Mix until it is combined, but DO NOT over-mix. (This is like brownie batter. Mix it too much and it will lose its fluffiness.)

Take the bowl out of the mixer and fold in the chocolate chips by hand.

Scoop out rounded tablespoons of dough and drop them on the cookie sheets. (Lisa and I use a 2-Tablespoon cookie scoop to do this down at The Cookie Jar.) The cookies should be at least 2 inches apart, no more than 12 cookies to a regular size cookie sheet.

Bake the cookies at 325 degrees F., for 12 to 13 minutes, or until the outside of the cookies are “set”, but the insides are still soft and slightly under-baked. (Just like brownies.)

Remove the cookies from the oven and transfer the cookie sheets to a wire rack. Cool the cookies on the cookie sheets for 4 minutes. Then pull out the cookie sheet, leaving the cookies and parchment paper on the wire rack to completely cool.

Store these cookies in an airtight container at room temperature. Julia says they are best enjoyed within a week, but I’m almost certain they won’t last even half that long!

Yield: 2 and ½ to 3 dozen incredible chocolate cookies, depending on cookie size.