Bake

Red Wine Brownie Cookies

October 29, 2021
5
4 Ratings
Photo by Chelsea Kyle
  • Prep time 20 minutes
  • Cook time 40 minutes
  • makes 18 Large Cookies
Author Notes

Red wine and chocolate combine to create a decadent brownie cookie that is rich, fudgy, and as full bodied as a cookie can be. Since the wine is reduced, you can use any type of dry red wine you have on hand, including the cheap stuff—or even mix a few varieties to use up your almost-empties. The cookies end up with a bold red-wine flavor and a super-satisfying chewy texture.

Reprinted with permission from Cookies. Copyright© 2021 by Jesse Szewczyk. Photographs copyright ©2021 by Chelsea Kyle. Published by Clarkson Potter/Publishers, an imprint of Penguin Random House.Jesse Szewczyk

Test Kitchen Notes

This recipe was featured on our cook-along podcast Play Me a Recipe. Listen as Jesse whisks, mixes, and bakes his way through this recipe.
—The Editors

What You'll Need
Ingredients
  • 2 sticks (16 tablespoons/226 grams) unsalted butter
  • 2 cups (473 milliliters) dry red wine, any variety
  • 1/3 cup plus 2 tablespoons (99 grams) granulated sugar, divided
  • 3 1/4 cups spooned and leveled all-purpose flour (416 grams)
  • 1/2 cup (45 grams) natural, unsweetened cocoa powder, sifted
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1 1/2 cups (300 grams) packed light brown sugar
  • 2 large eggs, room temperature
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 8 ounces (227 grams) semisweet chocolate, roughly chopped (about 1 1/3 cups)
Directions
  1. Make Ahead: If wrapped tightly in plastic, the finished dough can be stored in the refrigerator for several days before baking. If too firm to scoop, let sit at room temperature for 15 minutes and try again.

    Storage: The cookies will keep in an airtight container for up to 1 week.
  2. In a small saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter. Continue cooking, stirring often to prevent the milk solids from burning, until the butter foams and then darkens in color slightly and is very fragrant, 4 to 6 minutes. Immediately pour the butter into a large heatproof bowl. Do not wash the pan.
  3. To the saucepan used to melt the butter, add the red wine and 2 tablespoons (32 grams) of the granulated sugar and bring to a simmer over high heat. (Be careful; the wine will sizzle when you pour it in the pan.) Reduce the heat to medium and simmer, stirring occasionally, until reduced to ⅓ cup (79 ml), 16 to 18 minutes. (The easiest way to test if the reduction is ready is to pour it into a heatproof measuring glass to see if it’s at the ⅓-cup mark.) Pour the reduced wine into the bowl with the butter and let the mixture cool for 15 minutes.
  4. As the butter/wine mixture cools, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl. Preheat the oven to 350°F and set 2 racks at the upper-middle and lower-middle positions. Line 3 baking sheets (or as many as you have) with parchment paper or nonstick baking mats.
  5. Whisk both the brown sugar and the remaining ⅓ cup (67 grams) granulated sugar into the butter/wine mixture, then whisk in the eggs and vanilla extract until smooth. Add the flour mixture and stir with a rubber spatula until a soft dough forms, then stir in the chopped chocolate. Using a large 2⅓-inch (#16) cookie scoop or ¼-cup measure, portion out the dough and roll into large balls. Place the dough balls at least 3 inches apart on the prepared baking sheets (6 per sheet).
  6. Bake 2 sheets at the same time, swapping the top sheet to the bottom rack and bottom sheet to the top midway through baking, until the tops lose their shine but their cracks still appear slightly wet (don’t be tempted to overbake), 11 to 14 minutes, then bake the remaining baking sheet of cookies on either rack. Let the cookies cool completely on the baking sheets.

See what other Food52ers are saying.

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4 Reviews

Melissa B. May 8, 2024
These are probably the best gooey chocolate cookie I’ve ever had.
 
Rs123 December 14, 2021
Amazing. I made a half batch and wish I had made a full one - next time! Do not overbake, cookies will be very soft when they come out of the oven but will firm up on cooling.
 
Miss_Karen November 11, 2021
Yum! All I had on hand was Glogg (spiced wine/ Gluwine).....The only other change I made was for high elevation.
 
Jonathan R. November 9, 2021
I made this recipe to see if I should buy Jesse's book, and lets just say I bought the book. Made exactly as written and these cookies are some of the best and most delicious I've ever baked.