Chocolate Chunkers

I've discovered a great cookie recipe. Brownie-like in texture with ridiculously excessive mix-ins. I used up a lot of the boxes of chocolate I received over Christmas - lindt balls (dark, milk, white, hazelnut), hazelnut marble chocs + choc chips + macadamias. Yummmmmmmm. Only got to sneak a try of one as they were a gift so will have to make them again soon with different add-ins.

Chocolate Chunkers
Adapted from the recipe on Dorie Greenspan's blog
 
Ingredients
1/3 C all-purpose flour
1/4 C unsweetened cocoa powder (I used Dutch process)
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp baking powder
3 tbsp unsalted butter, cut into 3 pieces
170g bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
30g unsweetened chocolate, coarsely chopped
2 large eggs, at room temperature
2/3 C sugar (I used caster)
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
170g semisweet chocolate, chopped into chunks, or 1 cup store-bought chocolate chips or chunks
170g premium-quality milk or white chocolate, chopped into chunks, or 1 cup store-bought chocolate chips (or any chopped chocolates you like! filled choc bars, lindt balls etc etc)
1 1/2 cups coarsely chopped nuts, preferably salted peanuts or toasted pecans (I used macadamias)
1 cup moist, plump raisins or finely chopped moist, plump dried apricots (I omitted these)


Method
1. Preheat the oven to 160C (fan-forced). Line two baking sheets with baking paper or silicone mats.

2. Sift together the flour, cocoa, salt and baking powder.

3. Set a heatproof bowl over a saucepan of simmering water. Add the butter, bittersweet and unsweetened chocolate and heat, stirring occasionally, just until melted -- the chocolate and butter should be smooth and shiny but not so hot that the butter separates. Remove the bowl from the heat and set it on the counter to cool.

4. Working with a stand mixer, preferably fitted with a paddle attachment, or with a hand mixer in a large bowl, beat the eggs and sugar together on medium-high speed for about 2 minutes, until they are pale and foamy.

5. Beat in the vanilla extract, then scrape down the bowl.

6. Reduce the mixer speed to low and add the melted butter and chocolate, mixing only until incorporated.

7. With a rubber spatula, scrape down the bowl, then, on low speed, add the dry ingredients. Mix just until the dry ingredients disappear into the dough, which will be thick, smooth and shiny.

8. Scrape down the bowl and, using the rubber spatula, mix in the semisweet and milk (or white) chocolate chunks, nuts and raisins -- you'll have more crunchies than dough at this point.

9. Drop the dough by generously heaping tablespoonfuls onto the baking sheets, leaving about an inch of space between the mounds of dough.

10. Bake the cookies one sheet at a time for 10 to 12 minutes. The tops of the cookies will look a little dry but the interiors should still be soft. Let cool for about 5 minutes then, using a broad spatula, lift the cookies onto a cooling rack to cool to room temperature (or eat warm... mmmmmmmm)

11. Repeat with the remaining dough, baking only one sheet of cookies at a time and making sure to cool the baking sheets between batches.

12. Store in an airtight container on the counter or in the fridge for a firmer cookie.