Chocolate Chocolate Chip Cookies

Holiday Cookie Recipe #3 
Chocolate Chocolate Chip Peppermint Cookies

This past summer I saw a recipe in the newspaper for chocolate cookie ice cream sandwiches. The weather was hot and the ice cream sandwich was calling me.

So I made the cookies but when I tasted the cookies they were so rich and chocolatey I didn't want to make them into ice cream sandwiches. I just wanted to enjoy the cookie with an ice cold glass of milk. Then I could still enjoy the ice cream by itself. The perfect indulgence for a summer day.

Since the summer I have made these cookies many times but I never had a chance to post it. Now that I'm baking for the holiday cookie exchange I'm adding this cookie recipe and dressing it up with peppermint.

Chocolate Chocolate Chip Cookies
Ingredients:

• 2 1/2 cups Ghirardelli 60% cacao bittersweet chocolate chips (divided)
• 4 TBLS. butter
• 3/4 cup packed brown sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup all purpose flour
• 1/4 tsp. baking powder
• 1/8 tsp. salt
• chopped candy canes (optional)

Directions:

1. Melt 1 1/2 cups of chocolate chips with the butter in a double boiler. Set aside to cool (approx. 15-30 minutes).
2. In a small bowl, sift the flour, baking powder and salt. To the cooled chocolate mix in the sugar, eggs and vanilla stirring until well blended and then stir in the flour.
3. Stir in the remaining cup of chocolate chips to the chocolate mixture.
4. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and chill about 1 hour.
5. Preheat the over to 350 degrees.
6. Use either a tablespoon or cookie scoop and add the cookies onto parchment lined cookie sheets. Press gently to flatten each cookie.
7. *If using the peppermint candy canes, sprinkle chopped candy on top of each cookie before baking.
8. Bake approximately 12 to 14 minutes. Test by lightly tapping the center of the cookie and if it a little soft and doesn't collapse it is done. Cool completely on the cookie sheet.
9. Chill for a few hours and pack in cellophane bags for gifting.

*For the peppermint topping, I bought mini candy canes that were individually wrapped. Leave the wrapper on and smash them with the rolling pin a few times, then add them to the mini chopper and pulse until they are chopped to the size you want.