Mean Chef's Double Chocolate Chip Cookies With Pecans

Submitted by newspapergal

"I adopted this recipe after its original poster, Mean Chef (IHHDRO), departed the site. Mean posted it on Feb 12, 2003, and had these comments: "These cookies are fabulous. A double dose of chocolate. Make sure you don't overbake them. You could substitute walnuts for the pecans.""

 

• Ready In: 35mins
• Ingredients: 12
• Yields: 12-24 cookies
• Serves: 24

ingredients

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1⁄2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1⁄2 teaspoon salt
• 11 ounces bittersweet chocolate or 11 ounces semisweet chocolate
• 1⁄2 cup unsalted butter, cut into cubes
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 2 teaspoons instant espresso powder
• 3 large eggs
• 1⁄3 cup packed light brown sugar
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 12 ounces chocolate chips (about 2 cups)
• 1 3⁄4 cups chopped pecans

directions

1. Position 1 rack in the top 1/3 and another in the bottom 1/3 of the oven and preheat to 350°F.
2. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
3. Sift together the flour, baking soda and salt into a medium bowl and set aside.
4. Melt the chocolate and butter in the top of a double boiler over hot, simmering water.
5. Remove from the heat but keep the chocolate mixture over a bowl of hot water to ensure that the mixture does not set.
6. In a small bowl, combine the vanilla extract and the espresso powder and whisk until the espresso powder is dissolved.
7. Stir the espresso mixture into the chocolate mixture.
8. Combine the eggs and both sugars in the bowl of a heavy-duty electric mixer (you can double the recipe and it will fit a 5 or 6 qt mixer bowl).
9. Set the bowl over a pan of hot, hot simmering water.
10. Stir with a hand-held wire whisk until warm to the touch.
11. Attach the bowl to the mixer stand.
12. Using the wire whip attachment, whip the mixture on high speed until pale, thickened and cool, about 5 minutes.
13. Fold into the warm chocolate mixture.
14. Fold in the flour.
15. Stir in the chocolate chips and pecans.
16. Drop the dough by rounded tablespoons onto the 2 prepared pans leaving about 1 to 1/2 inches between the cookies (at work I make these a lot bigger so that they come out about 5 inches across).
17. Bake for 12-14 minutes or until the cookies are set: switch the positions of the baking sheets halfway through the baking time for even baking.
18. Cool the cookies on the baking sheets on wire racks for about 3 minutes, then transfer the cookies to wire racks to cool completely.
19. Repeat with the remaining dough.

Reviews

[Missy Wombat]

Meanie has a lot of great 5 star recipes but this one is amongst the best. These are rich and decadent and absolutely gorgeous. Mine did spread a bit so make sure you leave a decent gap between cookies if you are giving them away. Mind you, if you don't, then you have first option on the rejects... :-D

 

[ladyirony]

Holy cow, these really ARE delicious! Mega-chocolatey, which is a huge plus in my book. They also seem to keep very well in the fridge in a plastic bag. Reheating a cookie in the microwave makes it especially good.

 

[mianbao]

Just amazing. Easy. Delicious. I made these about a month ago, and have begun dreaming about making them again with diced candied orange peel. That is the reason for the late review. If and when I get to them, I'll repost. Thank you for the recipe.

 

[skat5762]

Warning: these cookies are gullet-bombs! They are everything that a chocolate cookie should be: rich, decadent, intense, and indulgent. Not a cookie for the meek. I unfortunately didn't have any pecans to use with these, and I think their addition would help to tame some of the over-top intensity. Nonetheless, they were incredible. Please note that I knew these were 'the ones', when I heard what a co-worker of my husband's did (yes, I send leftovers to work with him, so as not to tempt me): he apparently went back after trying one, and snuck a couple away for the next day. He then brought in a carton of milk to enjoy these cookies in the traditional manner. He said they were the best cookies he's ever eaten- and due to his girth, I have the feeling that he wouldn't lie about such matters. ;)

 

[KeyWee]

What a great idea to post this recipe just days B4 Valentine's Day! Made these for my chocoholic husband and he said "yes, they're chocolate alright!". Now keep in mind that this is huge high praise coming from someone who says "good" when the rest of us say TDF! I didn't change anything except could NOT find the espresso powder (hey, this is Wisconsin and we are rural!) so I used Swiss Mocha instant cappuccino powder instead (sorry, MC - I did my best) and these were still delish. My efforts yielded 28 large (4") cookies. Oh, and I didn't use parchment paper, either (sorry again, but I was out!) but I used my Doughmakers cookie sheets and didn't have a problem. Thanks for this recipe MC - it's a keeper!!