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Fudge Drops




Source of Recipe


King Arthur Flour






Recipe Introduction


These intensely chocolate cookies develop an attractive shiny, cracked top surface as they bake. Be sure to allow them to cool for 5 minutes before moving them off the baking sheet, as they're very delicate while hot. They’re tasty and attractive with a chocolate nonpareil placed in the center before baking.






List of Ingredients



• 12 ounces bittersweet or semisweet chocolate* (about 2 cups)
  
• 2 tablespoons butter
  
• 3/4 cup sugar
  
• 3 large eggs
  
• 2 teaspoon espresso powder (optional)
  
• 1 tablespoon vanilla
  
• 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
  
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
  
• 3/4 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
  






Instructions



1. Preheat the oven to 325°F. In a double boiler, or in the microwave, gently melt together the chocolate and butter. To avoid heating the chocolate too much and possibly burning it, the best method is to heat till the butter is melted and the chocolate has partially melted, then remove from the heat. Stir till all the chocolate melts.
   
2. In a separate bowl, beat together the sugar and eggs till they're thoroughly combined. Add the espresso powder, vanilla, baking powder and salt, then stir in the melted chocolate, mixing until well blended. Stir in the flour. Let the batter sit for 5 minutes to thicken.
   
3. Drop the cookie dough in round blobs onto a parchment-lined or greased baking sheet. They should be a bit smaller than a ping-pong ball. Using a cookie scoop (or, if you have one, a small ice cream scoop, one that will hold about 2 level tablespoons of liquid) makes this tasa bit as they bake. Place a nonpareil or chocolate kiss in the middle of each, if desired.
   
4. Bake the cookies for 10 to 12 minutes, until their tops are shiny and cracked. You want these baked all the way through, but just barely; additional baking will make them cakey rather than fudgy. To make sure they're baked, take the sheet out of the oven, and use a spoon or fork to gently cut into one; it shouldn't have any raw-appearing or liquid-like batter remaining in the center, but still be very moist.
   
5. Remove the cookies from the oven, wait 5 minutes, and transfer them to a rack to cool.
   






Final Comments


Yield: about 2 dozen cookies.

*You may use regular chocolate chips, but we prefer the flavor of bittersweet chips, disks, chunks, or chocolate. If you're using bar chocolate (as opposed to chips), chop it into irregular 1/2- to 3/4-inch chunks.