Triple-Chocolate Cookies

I have made these to-die-for cookies so many times now -- my daughter has a standing order for them whenever we visit them in Boston (or whenever they come to visit). She loves eating them warmed up as a dessert after dinner, with a glass of milk. I also like them warm and soft and gooey, but my hubby says they're perfect just as they are. Put them in a sealed container and they will keep on the kitchen counter for a couple of weeks!

Ingredients:

2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour

1/2 cup Dutch-processed cocoa powder

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon kosher salt

16 ounces semi-sweet chocolate, chopped

12 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips (about 2 cups)

4 large eggs

2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

2 teaspoons instant coffee or espresso powder

10 tablespoons unsalted butter (1 1/4 sticks), softened

1 1/2 cups packed light brown sugar

1/2 cup granulated sugar

36-40 pecan halves, for garnish

Directions:

Sift together the flour, cocoa, baking powder, and salt in medium bowl; set aside. Melt chocolate in a medium heatproof bowl set over a pan of almost-simmering water, stirring once or twice, until smooth; remove from heat. In a bowl, beat eggs and vanilla lightly; sprinkle coffee powder over to dissolve, and set aside.

Fit the bowl of a mixer with the paddle. Beat the butter at medium speed until smooth and creamy, about 5 seconds. Beat in sugars until combined, about 45 seconds; mixture will look granular. Reduce speed to low and gradually beat in egg mixture until incorporated, about 45 seconds.

Add the melted chocolate and chips in a steady stream and beat until combined, about 40 seconds. Occasionally scrape bottom and sides of bowl with rubber spatula. With mixer at low speed, add the dry ingredients and mix until just combined. Do not over-beat. Cover with plastic wrap and let stand at room temperature until consistency is scoopable and fudge-like, about 30 minutes.

Adjust oven racks to the upper-middle and lower-middle positions and heat oven to 350°F. Line two cookie baking sheets with parchment paper.

Using a 13/4-inch ice cream scoop, scoop dough onto parchment-lined cookie sheets, leaving about 1 1/2 inches between each ball. Bake for about 10 minutes, or until edges of cookies have just begun to set but centers are still very soft (reverse position of the baking sheets halfway through baking, from top to bottom and front to back).

Cool cookies on sheets for about 10 minutes; slide parchment with cookies onto wire racks, and cool to room temperature. Cover one baking sheet with a new piece of parchment paper and scoop and bake the rest of the dough. (Resist the urge to bake the cookies longer than indicated; they may appear under-baked at first but will firm up as they cool.) Makes about 2 to 3 dozen.