Triple Chocolate Cookies

Lola, my stand mixer, is spoiling me. Using her makes everything so easy...almost too easy. My brain is programed to stand at a mixing bowl, right elbow parallel with the counter, dull ache running down the side of my hand, and an occasional need for neck stretching while starring at ugly wooden cupboards as I listen to the monotonous grind of a hand-held mixer. I can't quite adjust yet to the lightening speed of of a KitchenAid. Everything is accomplished so smoothly that I keep waiting for some problem to arise. It can't be that easy, everything comes with a price. At least with my hand held mixer there was pain involved in the process. What is Lola going to ask of me in return for such efficiency? I mean, I can actually leave the kitchen while something is being mixed! But it feels strange to walk away, I have to keep peeking inside the bowl just to be sure nothing earth shattering is going to happen.

Cookies are not difficult to make, ergo they are the perfect candidates for curing S.H.a.M.E (Stupid, Hand-held Mixer Estrangement.) As soon as these dark beauties came out of the oven, they made me forget all about my newly found, uncomfortably-easy, baking process.

It would be almost impossible to cram any more chocolate into a cookie. These are as rich as they come. Texture wise, they actually have more of a brownie-like quality. Not cakey mind you, but more in the realm of fudgy, soft, chewiness. If you are in the mood for something more akin to sablés, but with almost just as much chocolate, try Dorie Greenspan's World Peace cookies. And since they are cookies, you don't really feel quite as gulity about eating a few (or more) than you should. I recommend these for anyone in need of a chocolate fix or forgetting about phantom wrist aches.

Triple Chocolate Cookies
(adapted from the Los Angeles Times)
*printer friendly Recipe*

Ingredients
1/4 pound (4 ounces) unsweetened chocolate
4 tablespoons ( 1/2 stick) butter, cut into pieces for easier melting
3 eggs, at room temp.
2 teaspoons of pure vanilla extract
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup of all purpose flour
2 tablespoons cocoa powder
1/4 teaspoon of ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon baking Powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 pound (about 2 2/3 cups) of bittersweet chocolate (chunks or chips)
Sea salt for sprinkling

Method
In a bowl set over a pot of simmering water, melt the unsweetened chocolate and butter. Remove from the heat and cool slightly.

In the bowl of a mixer with a paddle attachment, or in a large bowl using a fork, combine the eggs, vanilla and sugar. Mix just until incorporated and set aside.

Sift together the flour, cocoa powder, cinnamon, baking powder and salt into a medium bowl. Set aside.

Add the melted chocolate to the egg mixture and mix just until combined. Stir in the sifted dry ingredients and mix just until combined, then stir in the bittersweet chocolate.

Cover the batter with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour to chill thoroughly.

Heat the oven to 350 F.

Divide the dough into 18 portions. Grease your hands (to prevent the dough from sticking) and shape the portions into balls. Place the balls on a greased, parchment-lined sheet pan, leaving 2 to 3 inches between each.

Bake until the edges of the cookies are just set and the center is still soft, 10 to 12 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through. Place the cookies, still on the parchment, on a rack and cool completely before serving. They will be very soft.

Makes about 18-20 devilish cookies