bittersweet decadence cookies

bittersweet decadence cookies

today's recipe comes from the book Bittersweet by Alice Medrich, full of wonderful chocolate recipes and beautiful pictures (photographed by Deborah Jones). the name is the best description for what this cookie is like: chocolate and decadent. so it is important to use a good quality chocolate for this recipe. it is slightly crispy on the outside and warm and soft on the inside. when you bite into a bittersweet chocolate chunk, it is like a slap on the butt (the sexy kind).


1/4 C all purpose flour
1/4 t baking powder
1/8 t salt
8 oz. bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
2 T unsalted butter
2 large eggs
1/2 C sugar
1 t pure vanilla extract
2 C walnuts or pecans, broken or chopped into large pieces
6 oz. bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, chopped into chucks


1. preheat oven to 350 degrees F. line 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper.

2. in a small bowl, mix the flour, baking powder, and salt together thoroughly; set aside.

3. place 8 oz of chocolate and butter in a large heatproof bowl in a wide skillet of barely simmering water and stir frequently just until melted and smooth. remove the chocolate from skillet and set aside. leave the heat on under the skillet.

4. in a large heatproof bowl, whisk the eggs, sugar and vanilla together thoroughly. set the bowl in the skillet and stir until the mixture is lukewarm to the touch. stir the eggs into the warm (not hot) chocolate. stir in the flour mixture, then the nuts and chocolate chunks.

5. scoop lightly rounded tablespoons of the batter 1 1/2 inches apart on cookie sheets. bake until the surface of the cookies looks dry and set but the center is still gooey, 12-14 minutes.

6. place cookie sheets on racks and let cool or carefully slide the cookies onto the racks to cool.




this book is a great investment, and i highly recommend it. this is only one of many awesome recipes.