Chocolate Espresso Cookies

I have been having some major baking urges lately, but I never seem to have the right ingredients and equiptment to bake the complicated desserts I crave. Really, I just need to buy a few new kitchen tools (like a tart pan and some round cake pans), and plan ahead a bit. For now, though, these cookies did the trick. They were easy to make, super rich and chocolatey, and used only ingredients that I had around my kitchen. And even if you go to Target to get a metal bowl and they don't have any, you can still use a wok as the top part of your double boiler (see below). I tend to get creative if the baking urge is strong enough!



Chocolate Espresso Cookies
From Gourmet Magazine, March 1997

3 ounces unsweetened chocolate, chopped
2 cups (12 ounces) semisweet chocolate chips
1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, cut into pieces
3 large eggs
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
2 1/4 teaspoons finely ground dark-roast coffee beans, such as Italian-roast
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/3 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup walnuts

Preheat oven to 350°F and grease 2 large heavy baking sheets.

In a double boiler or a metal bowl set over a saucepan of barely simmering water melt unsweetened chocolate, 1 cup chocolate chips, and butter, stirring until smooth, and remove top of double boiler or bowl from heat. In a bowl with an electric mixer beat eggs, sugar, and ground coffee on high speed until very thick and pale and mixture forms a ribbon when beaters are lifted, about 3 minutes, and beat in chocolate mixture. Into mixture sift in flour, baking powder, and salt and stir until just combined. Stir in remaining chocolate chips and walnuts.

Drop batter by heaping tablespoons about 2 inches apart onto baking sheets and bake in batched in middle of oven 8 to 10 minutes, or until puffed and cracked on top. Cool cookies in baking sheets 1 minute and transfer to racks to cool completely.