make + eat: maida's chocolate whopper cookies.

{chocolate whopper cookies}

a few years ago my aunt gave me a print out of maida's chocolate whopper cookie recipe along with my christmas present (thank you nancy). since i had never had one of these cookies, i didn't think much about it. i did however, have enough sense to file it away and ultimately made them this past mother's day. they were such a hit! so amazingly delicious that when i received an invitation to a cookie party this past week, i didn't have to think twice about what i would bring.

a little afterthought...while writing this post i was reminded how the simplest gifts usually turn out to be the best gifts.

Maida's Chocolate Whopper Cookies

recipe found at cookiemadness.net

ingredients:

2 ounces (2 squares) unsweetened chocolate


6 ounces semisweet chocolate

3 ounces (3/4 stick) unsalted butter


1/4 cup sifted all-purpose flour


1/4 teaspoon baking powder


1/2 teaspoon salt


2 eggs


3/4 cup granulated sugar


2 teaspoons powdered (not granular) instant coffee or espresso


2 teaspoons vanilla extract


6 ounces (1 cup) semisweet chocolate morsels


4 ounces (generous 1 cup) walnuts, broken into large pieces (i chopped them up)


4 ounces (generous 1 cup) toasted pecans, broken into large pieces (i chopped them up)

directions:

adjust two racks to divide the oven into thirds and preheat oven to 350°F. if you are baking only one sheet, adjust a rack to the middle of the oven. line cookie sheets with parchment paper or foil.

• place the unsweetened chocolate, semisweet chocolate, and butter in the top of a small double boiler over hot water on moderate heat. cook, covered, for a few minutes (i didn't cover). then stir occasionally until melted and smooth. remove the top of the double boiler and set aside, uncovered, to cool slightly.

• sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt, and set aside (i was rushing and accidentally only sifted the flour and then added the rest without sifting).

{melted chocolate + butter}

• in the small bowl of an electric mixer, beat the eggs, sugar, coffee or espresso, and vanilla at high speed for a minute or two. beat in the melted chocolates and butter (which may still be quite warm) on low speed just to mix. add the sifted dry ingredients and again beat on low speed just to mix, scraping the sides of the bowl as necessary with a rubber spatula to incorporate the ingredients. remove from the mixer and transfer to a larger bowl (i did this whole step in the large kitchen aide bowl. did not transfer).

• stir in the chocolate morsels, the walnuts, and the pecans.

• use a 1/3-cup metal measuring cup to measure the amount of batter for each cookie. put five cookies on each cookie sheet, one in the middle and one toward each corner. use a rubber spatula to push the mixture into the measuring cup and then to scoop it out onto the lined sheet (the dough is gooey). do not flatten the tops.

{i made them just a little too big...}

• bake two sheets at a time, reversing the sheets top to bottom and front to back once during baking to ensure even baking. Bake for 16 to 17 minutes-no longer. the surface of the cookies will be dry but the insides will still be soft. there is really no way to test these; just use a portable oven thermometer before baking to be sure your oven is right, and then watch the clock.

makes about 14 cookies (sadly, i made them a little too big and only yielded 9)