Chunky Triple-Chocolate Cookies

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.

• Ready In: 37 mins
• Serves: 48
• Yields: 4 dozen

Ingredients

• 8  ounces  semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 3  ounces  unsweetened chocolate, chopped (3 squares)
• 1⁄2 cup butter, softened
• 3  eggs
• 1 1⁄4 cups sugar
• 2  teaspoons vanilla
• 2⁄3 cup flour
• 1⁄2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1⁄4 teaspoon salt
• 1 1⁄2 cups  semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 1 1⁄2 cups walnuts, chopped and toasted
• 1 1⁄2 cups pecans, chopped and toasted
• 1 1⁄2 cups  semi-sweet chocolate chips (optional) or 1 1⁄2 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.