TRIPLE-CHOCOLATE COOKIES

Recipe from Barb Cummings (recipe exchange 9/07)

(makes about 3 dozen cookies)

Bake at 350 degrees for 11-14 minutes

 Ingredients:

3 OUNCES UNSWEETEND CHOCOLATE, CHOPPED

1 ½ CUPS OF BITTERSWEET CHOCOLATE CHIPS (like Hershey’s Special Dark or Ghiradelli Double Chocolate bittersweet chips)

7 TABLESPOONS UNSALTED BUTTER CUT INTO PIECES

2 TEASPOONS INSTANT COFFEE (optional)

2 TEASPOONS VANILLA

3 LARGE EGGS, at room temperature

1 CUP SUGAR

½ CUP ALL-PURPOSE FLOUR

½ TEASPOON BAKING POWDER

½ TEASPOON SALT

1 ½ CUPS SEMISWEET CHOCOLATE CHIPS

Directions:

1.       Melt unsweetened chocolate, bittersweet chips, and butter in a saucepan or microwave, stirring frequently, until completely smooth and glossy. Set aside to cool slightly.

2. Stir coffee powder and vanilla extract together in small bowl until dissolved. Beat eggs and sugar in large bowl with electric mixer at medium-high speed until very thick and pale, about 4 minutes. Add vanilla-coffee mixture and beat until incorporated, 20 seconds. Reduce speed to low, add chocolate mixture, and mix until thoroughly combined, about 30 seconds.

3. Whisk flour, baking powder, and salt together in medium bowl. Using large rubber spatula, fold flour mixture and semisweet chips into batter. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and let stand at room temperature for 20 – 30 minutes until batter firms up (it will more closely resemble thick brownie batter than cookie dough).

Meanwhile, adjust two oven racks to upper and lower middle positions and heat oven to 350 degrees. Either line cookie sheets with parchment or grease with shortening. Using 1 heaping tablespoons of batter per cookie, place cookies 2 inches apart on prepared cookie sheets. Bake until cookies are shiny and cracked on top, 11 – 14 minutes, rotating baking sheets top to bottom and front to back halfway through baking time. Best to leave cookies cool on cookie s