Very Very Chocolate Cookies

"When it comes to chocolate, more is always better."
That's the tag line for these super rich chocolate cookies with walnuts.
They are almost like a round brownie and will make any chocolate lover smile.

Remember to plan ahead as this dough needs to be chilled before baking !!

Ingredients:

5 oz. unsweetened chocolate*, chopped
8 oz. bittersweet or semi sweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
1/2 cup butter
4 large eggs
1 1/2 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons unbleached flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup walnuts, chopped and toasted

1) In a small pan over low heat, melt the unsweetened chocolate and 4 oz. of the bittersweet chocolate. Set aside to cool.

2) Using a standing mixer or large bowl with a hand mixer, whip the eggs and sugar on medium speed for 10 minutes until thick and light in color.

3) With the mixer on low speed, add the melted chocolate mixture and the vanilla until blended.

4) With a rubber spatula, fold in the flour, baking powder and salt, scraping the bowl.

5) Fold in the remaining 4 oz. of chocolate and the walnuts.

6) Refrigerate the dough until it is firm enough to scoop, at least 1 1/2 hours.

7) Preheat oven to 350 F. The original recipe says to use an ungreased cookie sheet, I lined mine with parchment.

8) Drop scoops or large rounded tablespoons of dough onto the cookie sheet about 3 inches apart.

9) Bake until the cookies are cracked on top, dry on the surface but soft inside, about 15 minutes.

10) Allow to cool for a minute before removing to a cooling rack.

11) Store in a closed container and see how long you can keep them around ;-) They do freeze well if you have that much restraint.

* The second time I made these cookies I did not have unsweetened chocolate, so I used the darkest chocolate I did have. They still came out VERY chocolaty !!

This year in review: part two.

Here comes the second part of my favorite recipes from this year.
I am trying to balance the sweet and the savory, the veggies and the meat.

1) Whole wheat bread from the bread machine: I make this bread weekly, it is by far the best all whole wheat bread recipe I have found. It makes divine toast !!

2) Quinoa Tabouli: This salad was one of those experiments that worked. Look in the fridge, see what's there, try to make it all go together ;-)

3) Slow Roasted Country Style Pork Ribs: I made this dish twice for dinner guests, always a very big hit. They cook for four hours but are simple to make and so very tender !

4) The Best Chocolate Ice Cream: No lie, truly the creamiest, richest chocolate ice cream I have ever eaten.

5) Winter Squash Biscuits: We made small versions of these and added cheddar cheese to the recipe for appetizers at a party, what a hit !! The photo doesn't do them justice.

6) Pecan Pie Bar: Whoa, these gooey sweet bars were so good, just the right balance of filling and crust. They made great gifts as well.

So there you have it, some highlights from 2012. Which were your favorites ??

I already have some great ideas to start the new year !!

The Most Amazing Chocolate Ice Cream

 Our 27th wedding anniversary this last weekend, the fall equinox and a visit from our friends Rex and Margaret, all conspired to inspire me to make this dark chocolate ice cream. Rex is a committed chocoholic, he prefers the term "connoisseur";-)
Each time he comes to visit I try to make some outrageous chocolate dessert. With our recent garage sale find of the Cuisinart  ice cream maker, this was a natural choice. For Rex the darker chocolate the better !! I was so impressed with how creamy and rich this recipe was.

Dark Chocolate Ice Cream

Ingredients

1 cup whole milk

2 egg yolks

2 cups heavy  whipping cream

1/3 cup  cocoa powder

2/3 cup sugar

6 ounces of dark chocolate, chopped (I used Trader Joe’s Pound Plus Bar)

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/2 teaspoon salt

1) Coarsely chop the six ounces of dark chocolate.

2) Separate  and whisk together two egg yolks in a medium size bowl.

3) Pour the whipping cream, milk and sugar into a heavy bottom saucepan. To add the cocoa powder I used a sieve to prevent lumps.

4) Whisk all those ingredients and heat over medium high heat until just boiling.

5) Remove the pan from the heat and add the chopped chocolate in three batches. Make sure it has all melted before adding the next batch.

6) Slowly add a 1/4 cup of the hot chocolate mixture to the egg yolks. Once it is well combined slowly add the remaining chocolate mixture.

7) Return to the stove. Stir over medium heat  until it begins to thicken, 3 to 5 minutes.

8) Remove from the heat and add one teaspoon vanilla extract and 1/2 teaspoon salt. 
Mix those in. I allow this to cool a bit before putting it into the fridge to chill.

 9) Best to cool it over night or 5-6 hours before churning. The mixture will thicken as it cools, which is great.

10) Follow the instruction on whatever ice cream machine you have. I love mine, it makes ice cream way too easy !!

11) After churning the ice cream, I stored it in the freezer to serve later that evening.

Here's how happy Rex was with his ice cream.

Look at the cute cookies Margaret made us for our 27th wedding anniversary.