Tried & True Tuesday: Mudslide Cookies

. Happy Fat Tuesday everyone!

Bah, who am I kidding?  I didn't even know it was Fat Tuesday until I got to work and there were Mardi Gras decorations all over the cafeteria.  I've also noticed an abundance of King Cake (never even heard of that until recently) posts but I guess it all never really made a connection.

So as not to feel completely out of the loop, I did a little research about Fat Tuesday and the reason behind all of the fuss.  Google don't fail me now!

Mardi Gras literally means "Fat Tuesday" and is supposed to signify the last celebration before Lent begins on Ash Wednesday (okay, I do actually know what Lent is!).  So in order to do this right, what  better way to 'go out' then with a truly decadent treat?  I racked my brain for some of the most indulgent and delicious goodies I've made in the past, which brought me to Mudslide Cookies from my Chocolate Bar recipe book (the actual recipe is by Chef Jacque Torres [the chocolate man himself], so that alone already makes these perfect).  By the name you can probably guess that this is a nothing-but-chocolate cookie, something you probably should swear off before you're able to gobble down pounds of chocolatey delightfulness.  This cookie is truly very unique, I have yet to make another cookie even somewhat similar.  The cookie has a slight crispness to the exterior but when you crack these babies open is when the real magic happens.  The center is basically a chocolate pillow, studded with pockets of ooey-gooey chocolate.  Even when the cookies are cooled, the chocolate bits somehow stay melted...I really don't know how this happens.

But what I do know is that you MUST try these puffy chocolate pieces of heaven.  Hurry!  You still have a few hours before Lent begins! .

Mudslide Cookies

This picture is oh, so bad and was taken a very long time ago.  It doesn't do these cookies justice, but trust me on this one and don't miss out!

Ingredients:

6 oz. unsweetened chocolate

16 oz. bittersweet chocolate

3/8 c. unsalted butter, at room temperature

2 c. sugar

5 eggs

1/2 c. all purpose flour

2-3/4 tsp. baking powder

1-1/4 tsp. salt

16 oz. bittersweet chocolate chunks

1-1/4 c. walnuts, chopped (optional)

Directions:

1. Heat oven to 400°F.  Line baking sheets with parchment paper.  Melt unsweetened and bittersweet chocolate together.  Set aside to cool.
2. Cream butter and sugar with mixer until light and fluffy.  Add eggs, one at a time, blending until mixed.  Sift flour, baking powder and salt together; add to butter mixture.  Mix in melted chocolate until combined.
3. Stir in the bittersweet chocolate chunks and nuts.  Pour mixture out onto baking sheet.  Place in refrigerator 5 to 10 minutes (should be slightly but not completely hardened).
4. Lay parchment paper on work surface and reverse chocolate batter onto it.  Using knife, divide mixture into 20 squares.  With hands, roll each square into ball and place on parchment-lined baking sheets, leaving room to allow them to spread.
5. Bake 15 to 25 minutes or until crusty on the outside.  Place on cooling racks and allow to cool at least 20 minutes.

Yield: 20 cookies

*My Notes:

• Yep, the ingredient measurements and directions are a little out of the ordinary.  But do not fret, Jacque Torres knows what he's doing and these cookies don't come out so utterly perfect because they're made like any other cookie!
• Dividing the batter into 20 cookies makes VERY large cookies.  I'm not arguing with a large cookie (who would!), but when I made these, I divided the batter into slightly smaller portions.  You'll see how big they really are when you get to that point, but cookie size is completely up to the baker.