Did you have a nice Father’s Day? Ours was low-key, but both of our adult children were home for the weekend and that was special. I kind of miss the days of making cards with the kids decorated with thumbprint animals — that period of our lives whooshed by in a blink. But Jasper and Maisy, lacking thumbs, still require my assistance:
Even though he’s not my father, he’s the father of my children, and to celebrate his day I baked him a batch of Maida Heatter’s Double Chocolate Whopper Cookies, from her Book of Great American Desserts. (I’m not sure if this is the exact recipe from her book, or just one of the many versions on the interwebs.) They’re nothing new, but I’ve never made them before, and they seemed to have all the bells and whistles (or chips and nuts, as the case may be). These are big, dense, chocolate-overloaded cookies, powered up with a little espresso powder, and are definitely special occasion cookies. Happy Father’s Day!
- 4 ounces semisweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
- 4 ounces bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
- 6 tablespoons butter, cut into pieces
- ¼ cup flour
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon baking powder
- 2 eggs
- ¾ cup sugar
- 2 teaspoons instant espresso powder
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 6 ounces dark chocolate chips
- 1 cup coarsely chopped pecans
- 1 cup coarsely chopped walnuts
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Place the chopped chocolate and butter in a heatproof bowl set over a medium saucepan of simmering water (bottom of bowl should not touch water). Stir gently until melted and smooth. Remove bowl from heat and set aside to cool briefly.
- Whisk the flour, salt, and baking powder together in a small bowl.
- Place eggs, sugar, espresso powder, and vanilla in a large bowl and, using an electric mixer, beat on high speed for 2-3 minutes until light and well combined.
- Slowly add in the melted chocolate and beat on low speed until combined. Add the flour mixture and beat until incorporated. Stif in the chocolate chips and nuts.
- Use a ⅓-cup measure to scoop the dough into 6 mounds on each of the baking sheets, spacing evenly about 2 inches apart.
- Bake one sheet at a time on the center rack for 17 minutes -- tops of cookies should look dry and shiny. Allow to cool on sheet for 15 minutes, then transfer to wire racks to cool completely.
Mmmmm — chocolatey
Worthy of all the “World’s Best Dads” out there
The years sure whooshed by
I loved my Maida Heatter cookbook. Now I need to make sure I still have it. Oldie but goodie!