Chocolate Whoppers

Chocolate Whoppers - made dough November 19, 2019 from Happiness is Baking by Maida Heatter

Whenever I make chocolate cookies, I wish I was a better food photographer. No matter what I do, I can't make the pictures of the cookies come out as well as they taste. I've even had someone insult how a past chocolate cookie looked in a picture I posted a few years ago. Sigh.

This cookie is very rich. And you know I have a high tolerance for chocolate richness so if *I* say they're rich, trust me, they're rich. But that's not a bad thing when it comes to chocolate anything, particularly chocolate cookies. But I do advise making these a little small. Or be like me and take an hour to eat a cookie, pausing for sips of water in between. Chocoholics, rejoice, this is your cookie.

The only baking caution is to time these and take them out at 15-17 minutes, no more. No, they won't look "done" and the middles will look raw. Never mind. Take them out anyway and let them cool completely. The chocolate will set and you'll get that fudgy middle. They're just fragile though so I wouldn't suggest mailing these in a care package.

2 ounces unsweetened chocolate
6 ounces semisweet chocolate
3 ounces (3/4 stick or 6 tablespoons) unsalted butter
1/4 cup sifted unbleached all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs
3/4 cup granulated sugar
2 teaspoons instant espresso or coffee powder
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
6 ounces (1 cup) semisweet chocolate morsels
4 ounces (generous 1 cup) walnuts, chopped or broken into large pieces (I left them out)
4 ounces (generous 1 cup) toasted pecans, chopped or broken into large pieces (I left them out)

1. Place the unsweetened chocolate, semisweet chocolate and butter in the top half of a double boiler set over hot water on moderate heat. Cook, covered, for a few minutes. Then stir occasionally until melted and smooth. Remove the top of the double boiler and set aside, uncovered, to cool slightly.
2. Sift together the flour, baking powder and salt; set aside.
3. In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the eggs, sugar, coffee or espresso and vanilla at high speed for 1-2 minutes.
4. Beat in the melted chocolate and butter on low speed just to mix. Add the sifted dry ingredients and beat on low speed until just combined. Stir in the chocolate morsels, walnuts and pecans.
5. Using a 1/3 cup measuring cup, portion out the dough into mounds. Cover, chill or freeze for several hours or overnight.
6. When ready to bake, preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
7. Evenly space chilled or frozen dough balls on prepared baking sheets. Bake for 15-17 minutes, no longer. Let set on baking sheets for several minutes before removing to wire cooling racks to cool completely.