Chocolate Turtle Cookies

Total Time: 44 mins Preparation Time: 20 mins Cook Time: 24 mins

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 tablespoons instant espresso powder (i grind coffee beans in the coffee grinder)
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 12 ounces semisweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
• 4 ounces unsweetened chocolate, coarsely chopped
• 1/4 cup unsalted butter, cut into 4 pieces
• 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar, divided
• 4 large eggs, lightly beaten (at room temperature)
• 2 cups coarsely chopped walnuts (or pecans)
• 12 ounces about 2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 2 cups pecan halves, for decoration

Recipe

• 1 preheat the oven to 350°f.
• 2 line two baking sheets with parchment paper or aluminum foil.
• 3 in a medium bowl, stir together the flour, baking powder, and salt.
• 4 in a small cup, dissolve the espresso powder in the vanilla extract.
• 5 in the top of a double boiler over hot, but not simmering water, melt the coarsely chopped chocolates with the butter, stirring frequently until smooth.
• 6 transfer the chocolate mixture to a large bowl. using a wire whisk, stir in 1/2 cup of the sugar. gradually stir in the eggs. mix in the remaining 1 cup of sugar and the espresso/vanilla mixture. stir in the flour mixture. stir in the chopped nuts and chocolate chips.
• 7 using a 1/4 cup measuring cup, drop the dough onto the prepared baking sheets, leaving about 2 inches between cookies. insert 5 pecan halves around the bottom of each cookie to represent the "turtle's" 4 legs and head.
• 8 bake the cookies, 1 baking sheet at a time, for 10-12 minutes, or until the cookie's tops start to crack. do not overbake; the cookies should be soft and fudgy.
• 9 cool the cookies on the sheets, set on a wire rack.
• 10 store in an airtight container for up to 5 days. these cookies freeze well.