Super Gooey Chocolate Drops - Fancy

Last night I baked my first holiday cookie of the season, which is the focus of this blog post. The cookie I chose to attempt first is the Super Gooey Chocolate Drop. I know, it sounds amazing right? At least if you're a chocolate lover, which I am. Only one word can be used to describe this cookie - Fancy. Yep, it tastes fancy. So if you're looking for a simple chocolate chip or shortbread cookie this is not it. However, if you're looking to impress a food critic or the judges on Top Chef you're good to go.

These ladies are fancy like my cookies.

The cookie's taste is literally multi-dimensional. It starts out with a rick taste of chocolate, the middle incorporates  the taste of cherry, ending with an after taste of cinnamon. Sounds crazy right? It's a taste explosion in your mouth. I read the reviews after making the cookie and noted that several of the ingredients caused debate. The first of these was the cinnamon. Some love it, some hate it. Greg was a fan of the cinnamon and thought it cut the chocolate nicely. Another point of contention was the cherries. Greg was not as much a fan of this aspect, however I like it (but I also love cherries, so I'm biased). The verdict is if you want a simple chocolate cookie, just cut out both the cinnamon and cherries. However, if you're looking for something a little more out of the ordinary, leave the recipe just as it is. It will be sure to raise some eyebrows and it will certainly land you some points in the creativity (aka "Fancy") department.

Super Gooey Chocolate Drops

Festive, no?

My Rating: 4/5 **** (To tell the truth I'm not quite sure what to make of them - but they are tasty)
Cook Time: 15 min
Level:Easy
Yeild: about 2 dozen large cookies

Ingredients
    * 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
    * 4 ounces unsweetened chocolate, chopped
    * 4 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped
    * 1 cup packed light brown sugar
    * 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
    * 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
    * 4 large eggs
    * 2 tablespoons buttermilk
    * 1 cup all-purpose flour
    * 1/2 cup natural cocoa powder, such as Hershey's or Scharffen Berger
    * 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon  

       If you don't like cinnamon or are just looking for a chocolate flavor - reduce or leave out entirely.
    * 1/2 teaspoon salt
    * 11 ounces (1 bag) semisweet chocolate chunks
    * 1 cup dried cherries. optional

        If you don't like cherries, don't add cherries.

Directions
Position racks in the lower and upper third of the oven and preheat to 325 degrees F. Line 3 baking sheets with parchment or silicone mats. (If you don't have 3 pans, simply cool the pan between batches.)

Put the butter and the unsweetened and semisweet chocolates in a medium microwave-safe bowl. Heat at 75 percent power in the microwave until soft, about 2 minutes. Stir and heat again until melted, up to 2 minutes more. (Alternatively, put the chocolates and butter in a heatproof bowl. Bring a saucepan filled with an inch or so of water to a very slow simmer; set the bowl over, but not touching the water, and stir occasionally until melted and smooth.)

Stir the light brown and granulated sugars and vanilla into the chocolate mixture with a wooden spoon. Add the eggs and buttermilk and beat vigorously until thick and glossy.

In another bowl, whisk the flour, cocoa, cinnamon and salt together. Add the dry ingredients to the wet and stir until just mixed. Stir in chocolate chunks and dried cherries, if using.

Drop the batter in heaping tablespoons onto baking sheets--a small ice cream scoop is ideal for this. Space the cookies about 2-inches apart. Bake until the cookies set but are soft and fudgy on the inside, 12 to 15 minutes - I found they take at least 15-16 minutes to bake.

Cool cookies on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to a rack to cool completely. Serve.

Store cookies in a tightly sealed container at room temperature for up to a week.

Recipe courtesy of:

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/food-network-kitchens/super-gooey-chocolate-drops-recipe2/index.html