Dorie Greenspan’s Chocolate Chunkers

Craveable and comforting, sometimes only chocolate will do.  When an intense desire for chocolate comes over me, I don’t fool around with something that has chocolate in it or is chocolate flavored, I go straight for the good stuff.

These treats are chocolate in cookie form.  In fact, they remind me of the Chunky candy bars from my childhood.  We’re talking batter that is primarily melted chocolate with two kinds of chocolate mixed in.  Add to that a little crunch from toasted nuts and a little chew from plump raisins and you’ve got something special.

Plus these cookies come together quickly which is very important because when you “need” chocolate, you don’t want to wait.  Your chocolate emergency can be over in 30-35 minutes.

Adapted from a recipe by Dorie Greenspan

• 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 3 pieces
• 6 ounces bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
• 1 ounce unsweetened chocolate, coarsely chopped
• 2 large eggs, at room temperature
• 2/3 cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 6 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped into chunks, or 1 cup store-bought chocolate chips or chunks
• 6 ounces premium-quality white chocolate, chopped into chunks, or 1 cup store-bought chocolate chips
• 1 1/2 cups coarsely chopped toasted pecans
• 1 cup moist, plump golden raisins

Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with parchment or silicone mats.

Sift together the flour, cocoa and baking powder.

Set a heatproof bowl over a saucepan of simmering water.  Add the butter, kosher salt, bittersweet and unsweetened chocolate and heat, stirring occasionally, just until melted.

Remove the bowl from the heat and set it on the counter to cool.

Working with a stand mixer, preferably fitted with a paddle attachment, or with a hand mixer in a large bowl, beat the eggs and sugar together on medium-high speed for about 2 minutes, until they are pale and foamy.

Beat in the vanilla extract, then reduce the mixer speed to low and add the melted butter and chocolate, mixing only until incorporated.

Scrape down the bowl, then, on low speed, mix in the dry ingredients.

Mix just until the dry ingredients disappear into the dough, which will be thick, smooth and shiny.   Mix in the semisweet and white chocolate chunks, toasted pecans and raisins — you’ll have more crunchies than dough at this point.

Drop the dough by generously heaping tablespoonfuls onto the baking sheets, leaving about an inch of space between the mounds of dough.  You may want to flatten them a little with the palm of your hand if you want them to be a more traditional cookie shape.  They don’t flatten as they cook.

Bake the cookies one sheet at a time for 10 to 12 minutes.  The tops of the cookies will look a little dry but the interiors should still be soft.  Remove the baking sheet and lift the cookies still on the parchment or silicone mat onto a cooling rack to cool to room temperature.

Repeat with the remaining dough making sure to cool the baking sheets between batches.

Chocolate craving satisfied!

Recipe Source: http://makinglifedelicious.com/2010/12/13/dorie-greenspans-chocolate-chunkers/