Double Dark Chocolate Merlot Cookies
I made cookies for you today. Well actually it was yesterday… but they include two of my favorite things. Wine and Chocolate. Yes I’m serious.
I was only a smidgen scared but mostly excited to make these cookies. I didn’t know exactly what I was in for, but I had to try it out. The night before while I was editing photos and sipping on a glass of wine, as I reached for my dark chocolate chocolove bar {that I keep under my computer monitor just for this very reason}, I had an idea. What would it taste like to have a dark chocolate cookie spiked with wine? Could it be done? Of course it could be done… there are stout cakes out there for crying out loud! Why couldn’t I make a cookie?
You should totally smell these suckers, better yet… you should taste them! Absolutely unbelievable I tell you. I’m not usually a fan of a cookie straight out of the oven, in fact I’ve always loved them the next day with the chocolate chips are hardened a little. But I couldn’t help myself! It must have been breathing in all that chocolate-wine aroma may have gotten me a little buzzed! I kid, but in all honesty the final baked cookie, you won’t so much taste the wine, it’s sort of like how coffee accentuates chocolate, well so does the wine. It kind of makes it “pop” so to speak.
Here’s how I did it…
I started out with a base cookie recipe, and modified it a tad… and *poof* these cookies were born. Like magic.
In a medium bowl, throw in the flour.
Then in goes the special dark cocoa powder.
Kosher salt and baking soda.
Stir to combine and then set aside. Don’t be alarmed by the grey ashy color, it’s supposedto be that ugly.
In a large bowl, add the sugars and butter. I really was feeling lazy so I pulled out my hand mixer instead of the Kitchen Aid. I always regret it because the hand mixer takes double the time and my wimpy old hands can only tolerate it for so long before they want to give up.
Luckily before I gave up the batter was light and fluffy. PHEW!
Crack in one egg.
3/4 a teaspoon of real vanilla extract.
And then pour in the half a cup of Merlot. Eeeek! I was soooo excited about this part.
Mix until combined. Again, not so pretty ehh? Don’t worry… keep’a scrollin’.
Working in batches, add a little of the dry ingredients into the wet and mix well {scraping down the sides} as you go. A waft of wine and chocolate should be smacking you in the face right.about.now.
It’s going to thicken…
…and darken tremendously as you add more of the dry ingredients. Now remember this is grown up batter, so only grown-ups can lick the beaters. You’re welcome. 
Toss in the dark chocolate chips. I like the Ghirardelli chocolate chips, mainly because they are flatter than traditional chips, and they melt bea-u-tifully!
Stir.
Until the chocolate chips are mixed in.
Using a tablespoon to measure…
Drop cookies on to a prepared pan two inches apart from one another, and slide the cookie sheet into a prepared 375 degree oven for 8-10 minutes.
Do not adjust your screens… the cookies are actually this color!
Valentine’s Day is coming up, so make them for your girlfriend, boyfriend, best friend or husband… whichever the reason, just make them… you’ll be so glad!
They’re so soft and chewy…
They’re my new favorite cookie! My best friend and I threw down a few with some wine and it only made the cookies even more delicious. Who knew it was even possible?
Double Dark Chocolate Merlot Cookies
Yield: make 2 1/2 dozen cookies
Ingredients:
1-1/2 cups All Purpose Flour
3/4 cups Special Dark Cocoa Powder
1 teaspoon Kosher Salt
1 teaspoon Baking Soda
1 stick Unsalted Butter, softened
3/4 cup Granulated Sugar
3/4 cup Dark Brown Sugar, packed
1 whole Large Egg
3/4 teaspoon Real Vanilla Extract
1/2 cup Merlot
10 ounces {one bag} Ghirardelli 60% Cacao Bittersweet Chocolate Chips
Directions:
In a medium bowl combine, the flour, cocoa, salt and baking soda. Stir and set aside.
In a large bowl; cream together the sugars and butter until light and fluffy. Add the egg, vanilla and Merlot. Once combined, gradually add in the dry ingredients and mix well after each addition. Fold in chocolate chips and spoon out a rounded tablespoon onto a prepared baking pan, leaving two inches or so in between.
Bake in a preheated 375 degree oven for 8-10 minutes. Let cool slightly before transferring to a wire cooling rack.
Over the past few years I’ve been on a mission to find and create recipes that I can make from scratch. I hope you enjoy the recipes on this blog as they are tried and true from my kitchen to yours! (
Genius! I like that I can sneak wine during the day with these! And your pics are stunning, as always.
Exactly!!
i LOVE how DARK these cookies are!! and I love the secret wine in here
who doesn't love that 
Beautiful!! What a brilliant idea to combine red wine with chocolate in a cookie. Seriously. Genius! I can imagine how the wine makes the chocolate more chocolaty, much like coffee does for chocolate.
These sound really neat! Love the merlot addition!
I almost spilled my coffee when I saw this! It's a definite girl's night in or date night recipe!
Wine and chocolate in the form of a cookie does sound delicious. Also, the fact that these are black and shiny tell me that they are rich and chewy-yum! Definitely a keeper-great post.
Mother of pearl! That deep, dark chocolatey cookie has me spellbound. I'm thinking chocolate and merlot are about the best combination on the planet, so these cookies are genius…
These look amazing! Have pinned them to try and would love for you to share at my link party up now!
I…..I can't….move. WINE COOKIES?! You have won my heart.
Would it be bad to serve these to a group of 14 and 15 year old boys? Not sure if their mothers would approve, but these sound great for a birthday sleepover tonite!
Adorable blue canisters! Love them. This recipe looks so yummy, anything from scratch I am dying to make! Thanks for sharing ! So glad I am following your blog !
xo.Britt The Magnolia Pair
Beautiful~ I love the rich color, they look so good! I thought I was the only person on the planet who didn't like cookies straight out of the oven.
Must. Make. These.
Merlot? In cookies? With chocolate? Hello, lover!
Such a great idea! I've made wine cake before but never wine cookies – these look amazing!
PERFECT for valentines day…and any other day for that matter. Gorgeous pics, especially the last few.
I literally just made a chocolate cake with red wine in it. I feel the same as you do with the cookies- the wine enhances the chocolate, but you don't really know it's there. It's really a fantastic combination. Great minds think alike!
oh wow..these cookies look terrible…YET AWESOME LAURIE..
Aarthi
http://yummytummy-aarthi.blogspot.com/
You are so very smart. What a great idea! I can't wait to give these a try.
Don't you just love when an idea turns out to be as good as you imagined it. These look so good. I love the blackness of the dough. I don't even like white chocolate, but I think some white chocolate chips could look really cool in those cookies.
the cookies look divine!
Oh my gosh these look so good!
the rich color is unreal
i haven't seen dark cocoa powder in my local grocery store. i guess i have to go online to buy some!
all that DARK choc and cocoa powder and merlot…these are just what the doctor ordered to put a smile on anyone's face! YUM!
WOWZA! That is some dark chocolate if I ever saw it! They look so delicious and I love that you added merlot…how creative!
You are my hero! My three favorites things (wince, chocoalte, and cookies) are all in one glorious bite!
OH my goodness. You are a genius! Trying this!
Oh wow, this is brilliant. Definitely making these for Valentine's Day…if I can wait that long!
I love how dark these cookies are! They look amazing. Also..Red wine AND dark chocolate? You can almost say they're health cookies too.
Yes! Thank you for the grown up batter! Oh so …… beautiful. Just gorgeous!
I love cooking and baking with my daughter but I think I also need cookie recipes like this that would be labelled : "for-grown-ups-only". I kinda like the cookie batter. Thanks for sharing!
For grown ups only for sure!!!! This sounds and looks amazing!!!!!!
Chocolate and merlot= perfection! These cookies look divine!!
oh wow, these look dangerous- all I love in the world!
Very lovely color. This is so pretty.
What are great recipe. The color of these cookies is amazing. I can't wait to try these, probably before Valentine's Day
This might very well be the GREATEST cookie EVER! Oh my, dark chocolate and merlot. I'm in heaven!
This will be the NEXT cookie I make. Unbelievable!
I love how deep, dark, chocolatey these look to be! Well worth the probably cookie smears on the chin
I just don't know what to say about these right now – other than, are you freakin' kidding me?!?! SERIOUSLY?!
Dropped. Dead.
I can seriously taste these in my mouth right now. LOVE it!
I love them..can't wait to try them!
Wine and chocolate! Love both, these look like rich amazing cookies!
Wow, just wow! Sipping red wine and chocolate is sort of a pass time of mine
So I know I'd love your cookies. The colour is amazing! Thanks for sharing.
Just awesome no super awesome
These cookies look amazing! I like many others am a huge fan of wine and chocolate (sipping a little Cab as we speak) and can't wait to give this recipe a try!
My batch is in the oven as I type ( and my keyboard is sticky because the dough is all over my fingers). The batter is to die for! I can't wait to eat a cookie!! I'd like to post this recipe as a review on my blog if it's okay with you (and add your recipe link). Awesome. Thanks for sharing.
Mindy
Of course!! Glad to hear you loved them!!
Love these! And I’ve been inspired to feature your cookies in my Friday Food Fetish roundup and on Pinterest. I can't wait to see what you come up with next and please let me know if you have any objections…
If I don't want to use the wine, what should I use to substitute? Water?
Nicole… Although I've never made these without the wine… I'd try milk before water
My cookies appear to be thinner than yours that are shown in the photos. I have made them twice with the same result, even after refrigerating the dough a bit before baking. I used fine sea salt, instead of kosher salt. They do taste great, but I'd prefer a little thicker cookie. Any tips for getting a slightly thicker cookie from this recipe?
Hmmm well, I've had friends make it with out problems, which leads me to wonder how fresh is your baking soda? I've had issues with thin cookies before never realizing that my baking soda was years old! yikes! Hope this helps you out!
These are perfect in every way. They were so easy, rich, moist…I don't even LIKE chocolate cookies, and I can't stop eating them! I have liked every recipe you've posted that I have tried so far – my taste buds thank you!
I baked these cookies to take to a potluck dinner and they were a BIG hit… They are so delicious, especially if you are a chocolate lover! This recipe is a keeper!
These look amazing! The color is unbelievable. I was wondering — what would be the best substitution for the Merlot?
Those look amazing!! Merlot and chocolate, this is genius! I will be trying these very (VERY) soon!
I bought all the ingredients and waiting to make these! But I was wondering if you could exchange the merlot for a cabernet sauvignon?