Double Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ingredients:

• 1 oz (30g) unsweetened chocolate, coarsely chopped
• 1 cup (4 1/2 oz/140 g) all-purpose (plain) flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 6 tablespoons (3 oz/90 g) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 2 tablespoons vegetable shortening
•  2/3 cup (5 1/3 oz/165 g) firmly packed light brown sugar
• 1/4 cup (2 oz/60 g) granulated sugar
• 1 large egg, at room temperature
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup (6 oz/185 g) bitter-sweet or semisweet (plain) chocolate chips
• 1/2 cup (2 oz/go g) coarsely chopped pecans or walnuts (optional) 

Directions:

Gather Ingredients.

Preheat the oven to 350F  (180C) and line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.

Put the chopped chocolate in the top of a double boiler (Double boiler: a pot of water with a glass or metal bowl that can fit just over the pot) Set over simmering water and melt, whisking until smooth. Set aside to cool.

In a bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt until blended. In another bowl, beat together the butter, shortening, brown sugar, and granulated sugar until well blended and fluffy. Beat in the melted chocolate. Add the egg and vanilla and mix until well blended. Add the dry ingredients and stir until almost blended. Add the chocolate chips and, if using, the walnuts or pecans. Continue stirring until well blended.

Drop the dough by heaping tablespoonfuls onto the prepared baking sheets, spacing them about 1 1/2 inches (4 cm) apart. 

Bake the cookies, 1 sheet at a time, until they are puffed but still look moist on top, about 15 minutes. Let cookies cool on racks the room temperature. Serve immediately or store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.

My Experience:

I have been busy and exhausted so I decided to go with something easier this week. I thought these cookies would be perfect to do! It didn't take that much time or energy to do at all! It was fun to use a double boiler because I don't generally work with them that often. I had a few off things about the cookies though. I put in two extra tablespoons of butter due to exhaustion and not paying enough attention, and I also only had 1/2 a teaspoon of vanilla instead of 1 teaspoon, but the cookies came out super good so I suppose that didn't matter so much. Baking is about experimenting so a few slip ups aren't so bad.

Enjoy!xx