Double Chocolate Cookies

         

    Ok, I'm going chocolate crazy. We had a bit of a snow storm yesterday, at least in Nashville terms, and I've been confined to the home for, well, a day, by choice, at least. I'm pretty sure the ice is gone now, but it's fun to imagine you can't leave for a while. Anyhow, this being inside is making me a tad restless and awfully snacky. Not good. I took puppy for a walk but have, otherwise, been laying like a vegetable all morning and am loving it. The chocolate comes into play in that I had (note the past tense) a tupperware of leftover cookie dough in my fridge that has been taunting me since I woke up. I had to take action. Now I believe a glass of milk and another walk might be in store...
     I'm so happy with these cookies. I found the recipe to try for a Christmas party on Saturday and they turned out fabulous. Warm, gooey, layers of chocolate, barely firm on the edges. I mean, man, so tasty. I made half of this batch with semi-sweet chocolate chips and some leftover white chocolate chips I had on hand. The other half included the same but with Andes Peppermint Chips mixed in (not to be confused with the standard Andes Mint chocolates, which could also be chopped up and used here interchangeably). So stinkin' good. I'd also love to try chopping up some Reese's Peanut Butter Cups and mixing them in. Toasted walnuts or pecans would also be a nice addition, if you like such.

Double Chocolate Cookies

adapted from Kathy's recipe on allrecipes.com

yields approx. 3 dozen

ingredients:

1 cup butter, softened

1 cup light brown sugar, packed

1/2 cup white sugar

2 eggs, room temperature

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

2 cups all-purpose flour

2/3 cup cocoa powder

3/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt (i put in a heaping 1/4 teaspoon)

2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips (or whatever mix-in you choose)

1/2 cup chopped walnuts, optional

directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. 

2. In large bowl, cream butter and sugars until well-incorporated, about a minute. Beat in vanilla and add eggs, one at a time.

3. In separate bowl, sift flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt. Whisk together until well-combined. 

4. Mix dry mixture gradually into wet mixture (it will be thick). Stir in add-ins.

5. Drop by the heaping teaspoon onto parchment-lined baking sheets. Bake for *7 to 9 minutes. Let cool on pan for several minutes before eating.

*12/29: I just made these again and baked the first tray for 8 minutes (as i did the first time, and initially recommended here) but they turned out a bit on the dry side, not at all like the first ones I made. So, I put the second batch in for 7 minutes and they were just right. Err on the shorter side. They should feel fairly doughy when you take them out still. Just let them cool and harden a bit on the tray before serving. Just an fyi. :)