Mocha cookies and Geography Projects !

I have learnt my lesson. Never promise cookies to a bunch of neighborhood girls working hard on their project ! Okay, let me rephrase that ...never promise ..just bake and give them..By promising you just increase their anticipitation and then are bound to be bombarded by "Are they ready"  questions . It doesn't help when the recipe is also not working even if you have diligently followed it ...you need piece of mind to change proportions in an exact science like baking and the constant quering just adds to the confusion. But we love our girls and  maybe it is the magic of  their eager and innocent cravings that makes the recipe work out beautifully in the end.

The recipe for these mocha cookies comes from a famous bakery in Melrose Avenue , Los Angeles and bears the crown of being selected as the best cookie recipe for the year 1990 by Gourmet magazine. If you have been following by blog, you know that I have been trying other award winning recipes from the Gourmet magazine. Case in point being these wonderfully delightful Cottage cheese cookies . But here is the thing , while the recipe for the cottage cheese cookies worked great , for these mocha cookies , I had to add more flour. It was a particularly stressful task as I had a couple of very girls eargerly anticipating their cookies while the batter was just too runny.

Adding extra flour did give wonderful results in the end but I was a tad bit disappointed, Looking at the brighter side, atleast you guys have been forewarned and would hopefully have no such concerns, I have edited the recipe but if you find the batter still too runny , do add more flour. The batter also needs to be kept for 15 minutes before baking .Also, remember to line your bakinbg sheet with parchment paper. They stick  and if not for the parchment paper, might break upon picking. Do not overbake them ..leave them for just 10-12 minutes in the oven , The mocha cookies are meant to be soft and rich . For the coffee brand, don't fuss..any would do ...I used a South Indian express one . Just dissolved it in few dropf of luke warm water few minutes before baking.

Ingredients -

4 ounces unsweetened chopped chocolate

2 cups semi sweet chocolate chips

1/2 cup unsalted butter at room temperature

1 cup all purpose flour (Add more if the batter is too runny)

1/2 tsp baking powder

3 large eggs at room temperature

1 1/2 cup sugar

1 1/2 tbsp instant coffee powder ( dissolve it in few drops of warm water)

2 tsp vanilla extract 

Method - 

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F or 180 degrees C . Also , make sure to line your baking sheet with parchment paper so that the cookies don't stick.

Using the double boiler method (metal bowl set over a sauce pan of simmering water ) melt the unsweetened chocolate . 1 1/2 cups of the chocolate chips and the butter .

Constantly stir it with the help of spatula  until the mixture is smooth and remove the bowl from the heat .

In a small bowl , sift the dry ingredients - flour , baking powder and salt and set aside.

In a separate bowl , with the help of a hand mixer , beat the eggs and sugar till the mixture is pale and thick, Remember to add the eggs one at a time.

Now beat in the coffee  liquid and vanilla.

Gently fold in the chocolate mixture into the egg mixture  with the help of spatula.

Now, fold in the sieved flour mixture and stir in the remaining 1/2 cup chocolate chips. 

Let the batter stand for 15 minutes and then with the help of a spoon , drop the batter onto parchment  paper lined baking sheets.

Bake for 8-10 minutes ( 12 minutes for me )  till they are puffed, shiny and cracked on top.

Let them cool on the baking sheet and then tranfer onto wire rack.

Cool them completely and enjoy with a beverage of your choice!