A chocolate cookie to end all cookies...
When the foodie internet was still youngish, I started following some of the pioneering food bloggers, dreaming that one day I too would be part of their special kids club. Well, work, motherhood, wifehood, life and all the rest of it gave me so many excuses not to find the time. I’m now trying to make up for that!
One of my favorite bloggers from the olden days is Clotilde Dusoulier, who does the impeccable Chocolate and Zucchini blog out of Paris. Her recipes (many of which are gluten free and vegetable forward) are among my favorites. This cookie recipe is all hers and I absolutely love it, so much that I never tweaked it one little bit! It’s a perfect recipe in that it is simple to prepare, easy to freeze and bake later, and can be eaten many ways (warm and gooey, cold and chewy, as a vehicle for carrying salty caramel ice cream to your pie hole...).
Here is how it goes:
Pecan Mudslides (from Chocolate and Zucchini)
Ingredients
15 ounces of good bittersweet chocolate chips (Guittard Extra Dark 63%)
1/2 cup toasted pecan halves
2/3 cup sugar
2 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
2 eggs, room temperature
1/2 cup gluten free flour (I am a fan of Cup 4 Cup)
1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
Method
Makes 16 substantial cookies
Line a 9 inch square baking dish with 2 pieces of parchment that hang over the edges and act as handles when you grab them. Spray with a good nonstick cooking spray.
Reserve around 6 ounces of the chocolate and set aside in a bowl with the pecan halves.
Melt the remaining chocolate in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water, stirring regularly until smooth. Set aside to cool slightly.
Cream together the sugar and butter until fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition.
Combine the flour, baking powder, and salt in a bowl, then add that to the previous batter, mixing until just combined.
Add the melted chocolate, mix until just combined, then add the reserved chocolate and pecans and stir them in.
Pour the mixture into the prepared baking dish and spread it into an even-ish layer with a spatula. Place in the fridge for 20 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 375°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Remove the dough from the fridge and cut the dough into 16 pieces.
Roll each piece into a ball and place on the tray.
(If you want to freeze some to bake later, stick them in the freezer now until solid, then transfer to a ziplock bag or container. Bake without thawing.)
Bake for 15 minutes (16 if they were frozen), until the surface is just set, but still soft when gently pressed in the middle. Let the cookies settle on the baking sheet for 20 minutes before transferring them to a rack to cool completely.
