Chunky Triple-Chocolate Cookies

ShaGun's Note:

These are brownie-like cookies filled with chunks of nuts and chocolate and can be dipped in chocolate as well. I make these for Christmas and Valentine's Day and get lots of requests for the recipe. These are one of the few cookies I have to get out of my house quickly or I'll eat them all myself.

• Total Time: 37 mins
• Prep Time: 30 mins
• Cook Time: 7 mins

Ingredients:

Serves: 48

Yield: 4.0 dozen

• 8 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 3 ounces unsweetened chocolate , chopped (3 squares)
• ½ cup butter , softened
• 3 eggs
• 1 ¼ cups sugar
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 2⁄3; cup flour
• ½ teaspoon baking powder
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 1 ½ cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 1 ½ cups walnuts , chopped and toasted
• 1 ½ cups pecans , chopped and toasted
• 1 ½ cups semi-sweet chocolate chips (optional) or 1 ½ cups white chocolate chips (optional)
• 1 tablespoon shortening (optional)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 325°F; spray 3 baking sheets with non-stick cooking spray or line them with parchment paper.
2. Melt 8 ounces semisweet chocolate chips, 3 ounces unsweetened chocolate, and butter in the microwave (about 1 1/2 minutes in my microwave) or over double broiler over simmering water. Cool.
3. Beat eggs with sugar. Beat in chocolate mixture and vanilla. In a separate bowl combine flour, baking soda, and salt. Stir into chocolate mixture just until combined. Stir in 1 1/2 cups semisweet chocolate chips and nuts. If desired, refrigerate dough until ready to bake.
4. Drop by teaspoonfuls 2 inches apart onto baking sheets. Bake 7-8 minutes, until barely firm and tops are slightly cracked.
5. Cool on cookies sheets 2 minutes and then transfer to wire racks.
6. After cookies have cooled, if you would like to make these cookies look extra special, dip them in melted chocolate: Melt chocolate chips (either semi-sweet or white) along with shortening in a small bowl. Dip 1 half of cookie in melted chocolate. Lay onto waxed paper or a wire cookie rack to dry. Sometimes I dip the cookies in semisweet chocolate and then drizzle them with melted white chocolate.