Giant Chocolate Cookie with Cacao Nibs and Flaky Salt

Cut into wedges, this cookie resemble chocolate shortbread, but this treat — studded with chopped bittersweet chocolate and cacao nibs — is far more elaborate. To make this oversized cookie even more festive, bring it to the table topped with scoops of your favorite ice cream so that everyone can share. Smith says vanilla ice cream and coffee ice cream work well here. A drizzle of caramel sauceand/or fresh berries are other great options.

Frequently asked questions

How do you know when a giant cookie is done baking?

Even after the cookie is out of the oven, it will continue to cook for a little while due to residual heat in the cookie and from the baking sheet, known as carryover cooking. Smith says that when she was testing the recipe, she had to under-bake the cookie for this reason. To see if it's ready to come out of the oven, she says you can "carefully press your finger on the edge of the cookie." If the sides are almost set, it should "leave the slightest indent." (With smaller cookies, on the other hand, you'd want the sides to be completely set.) Smith recommends checking a few times in the final minutes of baking.

How do you transfer a giant cookie to a cooling rack?

We've all felt the frustration of having a cookie break apart when transferring it (usually prematurely) from the baking sheet to a wire rack to cool — and this is no ordinary cookie. Its large size makes it more fragile while hot, so to be safe, allow it to cool on the sheet. If you want to enjoy it warm, give it 10 minutes; otherwise, let it cool completely for about 20 minutes.

Notes from the Food & Wine Test Kitchen

Feel free to play around with the ingredients mixed into the cookie. Smith explains that the cacao nibs add crunch to the cookie, but you can leave them out if you'd like. Alternatively, you could swap in chopped toasted nuts, like walnuts. For a hint of citrusy flavor, she suggests tossing in a bit of grated orange zest to the cookie dough when you add the vanilla, and replacing the flaky-salt garnish with sanding sugar.

Suggested pairing

To turn this cookie into a full dessert experience, try pairing it with a cognac cocktail or coffee cocktail.