Chocolate Mudslide Cookies

One of my favorite mixed drinks is a mudslide, yet I haven't had one for over a year now. When I saw the title of these cookies, I immediately thought about the alcoholic mudslides. Unfortunately, these cookies aren't really similar to the mudslide drink. Personally, I thought the cookies were too rich, but my friends devoured them at our gathering, so I think it depends on one's taste buds.

Recipe from Crepes of Wrath

The Jacques Torres Chocolate Mudslide Cookies
from Chocolate with Jacques Torres

Total Prep and Baking Time: 30-45 minutes to prep, about 15 minutes per batch to bake
Yield: 40-50 cookies

1/2 cup plus 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/8 teaspoon kosher salt
6 ounces unsweetened chocolate
16 ounces bittersweet chocolate
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, cubed and room temperature
2 1/4 cups plus 1 tablespoon granulated sugar - 15.75 ounces, pluse 1 tablespoon
5 eggs, room temperature
1 1/4 cups plus 1 tablespoon walnuts, chopped (I used almonds)
16 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped
fleur de sel or sea salt, for sprinkling
*parchment paper, for lining the baking sheets (parchment paper with a little non-stick spray worked best for these)

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F if you are using a convection setting, but if you don’t have one, like me, then preheat your oven to 325 degrees F. Whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt and set aside. Melt together the 6 ounces of unsweetened chocolate and the 16 ounces of bittersweet chocolate in a medium sauce pot over medium-low heat, stirring frequently to prevent burning. Set aside to cool for a bit.

2. Beat together the butter and sugar for a few minutes, until it has the texture of wet sand. Add in the eggs, one at a time, scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary. Add in the flour mixture, and mix until just moistened, then beat in the melted chocolate, until just combined. The dough will seem very wet at this point, but don’t worry! It’ll come together.

3. Chop your walnuts and additional 16 ounces of bittersweet chocolate, and fold them into the batter. At this point, I found it easier to scoop the dough onto the baking sheets after refrigerating the dough for 15-30 minutes, but it’s not necessary if you just can’t wait! I did about half without refrigerating because I didn’t think of it. I do highly recommend using parchment paper to line your baking sheets, though, or at least using a lot of butter or non-stick spray, as they can be a little tricky coming up if you made large cookies, as I did.

4. Use a a 2-tablespoon sized ice cream scoop or two spoons to drop the dough onto the baking sheets (it will be too wet to actually handle with your hands), then sprinkle with a bit of fleur de sel or sea salt. Bake at 350 degrees F on the convection setting for 10 minutes or so, or at 325 degrees F on a regular setting for 12-15 minutes. Allow to cool completely before removing from the sheets.