Chunky Triple-Chocolate Cookies

Ingredients

• 8 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 3 ounces unsweetened chocolate
• chopped (3 squares)
• 12 cup butter
• softened
• 3 eggs
• 1 14 cups sugar
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 23 cup flour
• 12 teaspoon baking powder
• 14 teaspoon salt
• 1 12 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 1 12 cups walnuts
• chopped and toasted
• 1 12 cups pecans
• chopped and toasted
• 1 12 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips (optional) or 1 12 cups white chocolate chips (optional)
• 1 tablespoon shortening (optional)

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 325F; spray 3 baking sheets with non-stick cooking spray or line them with parchment paper.
2. Melt 8 ounces semisweet chocolate chips, 3 ounces unsweetened chocolate, and butter in the microwave (about 1 1/2 minutes in my microwave) or over double broiler over simmering water.
3. Cool.
4. Beat eggs with sugar.
5. Beat in chocolate mixture and vanilla.
6. In a separate bowl combine flour, baking soda, and salt.
7. Stir into chocolate mixture just until combined.
8. Stir in 1 1/2 cups semisweet chocolate chips and nuts.
9. If desired, refrigerate dough until ready to bake.
10. Drop by teaspoonfuls 2 inches apart onto baking sheets.
11. Bake 7-8 minutes, until barely firm and tops are slightly cracked.
12. Cool on cookies sheets 2 minutes and then transfer to wire racks.
13. After cookies have cooled, if you would like to make these cookies look extra special, dip them in melted chocolate: Melt chocolate chips (either semi-sweet or white) along with shortening in a small bowl.
14. Dip 1 half of cookie in melted chocolate.
15. Lay onto waxed paper or a wire cookie rack to dry.
16. Sometimes I dip the cookies in semisweet chocolate and then drizzle them with melted white chocolate.