Chocolate Boulders

Photo: flickr user Bernt Rostad

Ingredients

cup pecan pieces

8 ounces semisweet chocolate chopped ¼" pieces

8 ounces semisweet chocolate chopped ⅛" pieces

pound unsalted butter cut 1-oz pieces

1 cup light brown sugar - (tightly packed)

3 lrgs eggs

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

3 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

Preparation

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Toast the pecans on a baking sheet in the preheated oven for 10 minutes. Remove the nuts from the oven and set aside to cool to room temperature before using.

Heat 1 inch of water in the bottom half of a double boiler over medium heat. With the heat on, place the 1/4-inch pieces of chocolate in the top half of the double boiler. Use a rubber spatula to stir the chocolate until completely melted and smooth, about 4 to 6 minutes. Transfer the melted chocolate to a 1-quart bowl and set aside until needed.

Place the butter and brown sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle. Beat on medium speed for 3 minutes until soft. Use a rubber spatula to scrape down the sides of the bowl, then beat on high for 2 minutes until fairly smooth. Scrape down the bowl. Add the eggs and the vanilla extract and beat on medium for 3 minutes until smooth. Scrape down the bowl. Beat on high for 2 minutes until very smooth. Add the melted chocolate and beat on medium for 1 minute until incorporated.

Operate the mixer on low speed while gradually adding the flour, baking soda, and salt and mix until incorporated, about 30 seconds. Stop the mixer and add the chocolate chopped into 1/8-inch pieces and the toasted pecans, and mix on low for 30 seconds. Remove the bowl from the mixer and use a rubber spatula to finish mixing the dough until thoroughly combined.

Using a heaping tablespoon of dough for each cookie (approximately 1 3/4 ounces), portion 12 cookies, evenly spaced, onto each of 3 nonstick baking sheets. Place the baking sheets on the top and center racks of the preheated oven and bake for 12 to 14 minutes, rotating the sheets from top to center halfway through the baking time (at that time also turn each sheet 180 degrees). Remove the cookies from the oven and cool to room temperature on the baking sheets, about 30 minutes. Store the cooled cookies in a tightly seal

This recipe yields 3 dozen 2 1/2-inch cookies.

Comments: If you love sweets but haven't put in many hours in the kitchen (and prefer to keep it that way), these cookies are for you. Chocolate Boulders are best eaten within a day or two of baking. In fact, they are at their best when served within a few hours of being removed from the oven.

Yield: 2 dozen