Guest Blogger: Tatertots and Jello

I had some technical difficulties with the post when I originally posted it, so I'm re-posting it for you all.  The wonderful and amazing Jen from Tatertots and Jello came by to share something yummy.  


Hi! I'm Jen from Tatertots and Jello! I am so excited to be here at Courtney's blog!! 

I would love to share one of my favorite recipes with you -- Chocolate Ganache Truffles. These are delightful to make for a Christmas Party or a New Years Eve dessert!

Chocolate Ganache Truffles

Ingredients:

10 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped fine
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/2 cup heavy cream
8 ounces semisweet or bittersweet chocolate, chopped fine
• Sprinkles

Directions

• Chop up the Chocolate. I used my food processor. But if you don't have one, you can can chop it up with a knife. 

• Heat the heavy cream in a small saucepan over medium heat until simmering. Remove from the heat and pour the mixture over the melted chocolate mixture; let stand for 2 minutes. 

• Using a rubber spatula, stir gently, starting in the middle of bowl and working in concentric circles until all chocolate is melted and mixture is smooth and creamy.

• Place in the refrigerator for 1 hour. 

• Using a melon baller, scoop chocolate onto a sheet pan lined with wax paper and return to the refrigerator for 30 minutes. 

• Place the 8 ounces of chocolate into a medium mixing bowland microwave the bowl for a minute on power level 3, check it each minute to see if it's melting. 

• Remove the truffles from the refrigerator and shape into balls by rolling between the palms of your hands. Use powder-free vinyl or latex gloves, if desired. 

 

•  Then place the truffle in the bowl of chocolate. Use a slotted spoon and gently remove the truffle from the chocolate and gently place it on the waxed paper. Add some sprinkles to the top.

•  Allow to set in a cool dry place for at least 1 hour; or store in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Serve at room temperature. 

Enjoy!!

Thanks for letting me come over and share one of my favorite recipes!! 

Some other Christmas projects I've made this year have been:

{Ruffled Trees}

{Subway Art Pillow}

{Painted Pillows}

{Glittery Coal Gift Boxes}

Happy Holidays!!! 

xoxo

Thanks so much for stopping by today, Jen!
 Merry Christmas to you all and I hope that you have a safe and enjoyable holiday!

12 Days of Christmas Cookies Countdown Day 12- Minty Chocolate Butter Cookies

Another great find from Baby Center:

Minty Chocolate Butter Cookies

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
1/2 cup sugar
1 teaspoon mint extract
1 large egg
2 1/2 cups flour
1/2 cup cocoa powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips (optional) 

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Using a handheld or stand mixer, beat the butter and sugar together on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 3 to 4 minutes. Add the mint extract and the egg, and mix until smooth, scraping the sides of the bowl if necessary. Sift the flour, cocoa powder, and salt together into a medium bowl and add to the dough. Mix just until smooth. Place tablespoon-size balls of dough 1 inch apart on an ungreased baking sheet. Bake 10 minutes (cookies should not brown at the edges). Transfer the cookies to a cooling rack to cool completely. While the cookies are baking, melt the chocolate chips in a small saucepan over very low heat, stirring continuously. Remove from heat. Decorate cooled cookies with the melted chocolate, and let harden for about 1 hour before serving. (Makes 48 small cookies) 

12 Days of Christmas Cookies Countdown Day 11-Snowballs

So,half of my posts from this last week have just disappeared, including the last two cookie recipes for the countdown.  I'm re-posting them for your reading pleasure :)

This yummy morsels are from my awesome Grandma-in-law and they are fabulous!

Snowballs

1 cup butter or margerine (butter is best)

1/4 cup sugar

2 cups sifted flour

1 cup ground nuts (I like pecans or walnuts)

1 tsp. vanilla,

Red food coloring (optional)

powdered sugar

Cream butter and sugar thoroughly.

Add a few drops of red food coloring here if desired

Add vanilla,

Add flour - 1/2 cup at a time.

Add nuts

Blend.

Chill for at least an hour.

Shape into small balls about the size of marbles.

Bake at 300 degrees for 30 minutes.

Cool and then roll in powdered sugar OR

Roll while hot in powdered sugar and again when the cookies cool.  (Best)

Enjoy!

12 Days of Christmas Cookies Countdown Day 10-Rolo Cookies

One of our fans from Facebook, Michelle, emailed me this recipe that her friend Melanie shared with her.  It sounds absolutely wonderful!  Thanks for sharing, Melanie and Michelle!

Rolo Cookies

Picture via

1 box Devil's Food Cake Mix

1 egg

1/3 cup of oil

24-28 rolos

Unwrap the rolos

Mix all the ingredients except for the rolos (it will be thick)

Roll up the dough into about 26 one inch balls.

Flatten the balls stuff a rolo in....and roll them up again.

Cook them about 7-10 minutes (I do closer to 7-8) at 350 degrees.  You want to pull them out while they are still lumpy in the middle.  Yum.  Double Yum.  Triple Yum. 

12 Days of Christmas Cookies Countdown Day 9- Peanut Butter Blossoms

This delicious number is from Baby Center (they have all kinds of awesome recipes-I definitely recommend checking them out.)

Peanut Butter Blossoms

1 3/4 cup flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
1/2 cup shortening or butter
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
1 egg
2 teaspoons milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
48 chocolate stars

Combine all ingredients except candy is a large mixing bowl. Mix on lowest speed of mixer until dough forms. Shape dough into balls using a rounded teaspoon full of each. Roll balls in sugar and place on ungreased cookie sheet. Bake at 375 degrees for 8 minutes. Remove from oven and top each cookie with a star, pressing it down firmly so cookie cracks around edge. Return to oven and bake another 2-5 minutes

12 Days of Christmas Cookies Countdown Day 8-Vanilla Spritz

Here's another great recipe from Robin!

Perfect Vanilla Spritz Cookies

(with a cookie press or decorators bag and tips)

1 cup butter, room temp

1 cup white sugar

2 eggs

2 tsp vanilla extract

1/2 tsp lemon juice

1/2 tsp salt

2 1/2 cups flour

Preheat oven to 375.

Cream butter and sugar until smooth. Beta in eggs, vanilla, lemon juice and salt.

Add flour, beating until a soft dough forms.  (At this point you can add food coloring if desired)

Pack dough into cookie press or decorators bag and press onto ungreased cookie sheet.

Bake until golden, about 10-12 min.

Transfer to cooling racks.  Store in an airtight container up to 4 days.

These are a scrumdidliumtious little treat.

Enjoy your day, enjoy your family and happy baking.

Merry Christmas!

12 Days of Christmas Cookies Countdown Day 4-Caramel Marshmallow Treats

Today's recipe is from the linky party.  Link up your Christmas cookie recipes and you, too, could be featured!

Emily from Jan Dee Crafts linked up her Caramel Marshmallow Treats.

Don't these look scrumptious?!  Head on over to Jan Dee Crafts to find the recipe and 

 while you're there, take a look around.  Emily has a ton of other cute ideas and projects!

12 Days of Christmas Cookies Countdown Day 3-Eggnog Cookies

I found today's recipe over at Baby Center (of all places) and it sounds absolutely delicious.  Unfortunately, there weren't any pictures of it, so if you give it a try, please send me a pic of the finished product-I'd love to show you off.

Eggnog Cookies

Cookies:
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
3/4 cup butter, softened
1 1/4 cups white sugar
3/4 cup eggnog
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 egg yolks

Icing:
1 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar
3 tablespoons eggnog
Optional: 1 to 2 teaspoons of spiced rum or rum extract

Preheat oven to 300 degrees.  Combine flour, baking powder, cinnamon and nutmeg.  Cream sugar and butter until light. Add eggnog, vanilla, and egg yolks; beat at medium speed with mixer until smooth. Add flour mixture and beat at low speed until just combined. Do not overmix.  Drop by teaspoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheet 1 inch apart. (If consistency is hard to work with, cool dough first in refrigerator.) Bake 16 to 24 minutes or until edges start turning light brown. Allow cookies to cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes before moving to a wire rack to cool completely.

To prepare the icing, put the confectioners' sugar in a small bowl. Stir in the remaining eggnog one tablespoon at a time (and the rum or rum extract, if opted for) until the desired consistency is reached. Spread onto cooled cookies and sprinkle tops very lightly -- adding too much will overpower the taste -- with nutmeg.

Let icing harden. Serve and enjoy!  Makes 36 large or 50 medium-sized cookies.

Yum!

The link party is up and running, so stop by and link your cookies up!

2nd Annual 12 Days of Christmas Cookies Countdown!

It's that time again!

If you ask my father, Christmas doesn't really come unless there's cookies (specifically cut-out sugar cookies, but you get the idea.)  To get the holiday spirit started, I like to share yummy Christmas cookie recipes with you all.  I started it last year when my blog was a baby (which reminds me-I totally spaced on my blogiversary last month!  So happy belated birthday, blog!)

I've decided to make it a tradition.  So, here it is again!

And I'm mixing it up a bit this year.  There's a linky party that will be going on and I'll be sharing and showing off your wonderful recipes so everyone can get in on the fun.  Grab the button and add it to your post if you link up so others can join in on the party, pretty please!

Without further ado, here's today's cookies:

Who loves buckeyes?  I do!  

Christmas Cookies.com has a great recipe for this holiday favorite that's easy to make.  Head on over and check it out.  I think this would be a great one to do with the kiddos.

Don't forget to link up your Christmas cookie recipes!

Making My Sweet Tooth Happy: Hotel Chocolat

Most girls like chocolate.  I am one of those girls.  So when Hotel Chocolat contacted me to review some of their Christmas chocolates, I happily said yes.

And, boy, am I glad I did!

Hotel Chocolat is a company based in the U.K. with stores throughout the world.  They started as a catalog company and have rapidly grown into a global company.  Not only do they craft excellent chocolates, they even grow the cocoa themselves!  "Authentic, wholesome ingredients are key to our success. A position that is strengthened by our historic West Indian cocoa plantation, Rabot Estate, where we grow our own fine flavour cocoa. This exciting step allows us to make a unique and exciting connection between you the consumer and the cocoa plantation."

I got to try some of the delicious chocolates from this year's Christmas line.  They sent me 

This delicious Christmas wreath.  It's combination of milk chocolate, caramel and white chocolate and cocoa cookie bites.  One word: divine!  The flavors of all of the different elements of this sweet are perfectly balanced so that you taste them all and one doesn't overpower the others.  I'd definitely recommend this for the chocolate lovers on your Christmas list.

These adorable dark chocolate reindeer were absolutely delicious!  I love, love, love dark chocolate and this was some of the best I've ever had.  It just melts in your mouth!

This snappily dressed white chocolate snowman was almost too cute to eat!  The chocolate had a lovely creamy texture and an amazing flavor.  And his cute little scarf is berry flavored!

In addition to the yummy goodies Hotel Chocolat sent me, they have all kinds of sweets that make excellent Christmas gifts for the chocolate junkie (like me) on your lists

.  I mean, who wouldn't love to get a box of chocolates like this?!  They've got advent calendars, stocking stuffers and everything in between!

I would definitely add Hotel Chocolat to my list of places to shop this Christmas.  You won't be sorry you did and neither will the ones receiving this delicious chocolate!

I received this product free of charge so that I may review the products for Hotel Chocolat.  All the opinions expressed here are my own, honest opinion of the products I was provided to review.  I was compensated for my time by Hotel Chocolat for completing this review.  For Scraps and Scribbles disclosure policy, please go here.

 

Hand-made Goodies: Quilted Ball Ornaments

Happy New Year all!  I took a bit of a hiatus to enjoy the holidays with my family, move into our new place and get everything to unpacked. With all that taken care of, I'm launching off my hand-made goodies feature.  Each Tuesday (til I run out of things that I've made and given as gifts ( : ) will feature a new hand-made item that also makes a great gift.

To kick things off, I'm going to back-peddle a bit and show you some hand-made Christmas ornaments that make great gifts-for teacher, friends, co-workers, really anyone you want!

Quilted Ball Ornaments

You'll need:
Small styrofoam balls
Fabric scraps (preferably christmas-y fabrics that look good together)
Regular butter knife
Ribbon

Using the knife, take the fabric scraps and poke them into the ball in random shapes.  Repeat all over the ball til it is entirely covered in fabric.  Cut of a good-sized piece of ribbon (about 6-7 inches,) knot ends together and poke knot down in the ball (if you want, you can put a little dab of hot glue on the knot before poking it down.)  That's it-you're done!!

Cookie Countdown Day 10

Wrapping up the countdown is this tasty morsel I found on Joy of Baking.  Looks yummy!

Chocolate Crinkles

4 tbsp. unsalted butter
8 oz. semisweet or bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
1/2 cup granulated white sugar
2 large eggs
2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. baking powder
Topping:
1 cup confectioners (powdered) sugar, sifted

In a stainless steel bowl, over a saucepan of simmering water, melt the chocolate and butter. Remove from heat and set aside.  In the bowl of your electric mixer (or with a hand mixer), beat the eggs and sugar until thick, pale, and fluffy. (When you slowly raise the beaters the batter will fall back into the bowl in slow ribbons.) At this point beat in the vanilla extract and then stir in the melted chocolate mixture.  In a separate bowl whisk together the flour, salt, and baking powder. Add dry ingredients to the chocolate mixture, stirring just until incorporated. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until firm enough to shape into balls (3-4 hours or overnight).  Preheat oven to 325 degrees and place rack in center of oven. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper, and set aside.  Place the confectioners sugar in a shallow bowl. With lightly greased hands, roll a small amount of chilled dough to form a 1 inch diameter ball. Place the ball of dough into the confectioners sugar and roll the ball in the sugar until it is completely coated and no chocolate shows through. Gently lift the sugar-covered ball, tapping off excess sugar, and place on prepared baking sheet. Continue forming cookies, spacing about 2 inches apart on baking sheets. (If you find the dough getting too soft for rolling into balls, return to the refrigerator and let chill until firm.)  Bake cookies for 8 to 10 minutes or just until the edges are slightly firm but the centers are still soft. (For moist chewy cookies do not over bake. Over baking these cookies will cause them to be dry.) Remove from oven and place on a wire rack to cool.

*Note from the site:These cookies are best eaten the day they are baked.


I hope that you all have a very Merry Christmas and Happy Baking!

Cookie Countdown Day 9

It wouldn't officially be a cookie (or baking of any type) countdown without something from Martha Stewart.  So here's a classic done Martha-style.

Snickerdoodles

2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour

2 tsp. cream of tartar
1 tsp.baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
8 tbsp. (1 stick) unsalted butter
1/2 cup pure vegetable shortening
1 3/4 cups sugar, plus more if needed
2 tbsp. ground cinnamon, plus more if needed
2 large eggs

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees, with one rack in top third and one rack in bottom third of oven. Line baking sheets with Silpat baking mats or parchment paper; set aside.  Sift together flour, cream of tartar, baking soda, and salt; set aside. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, combine butter, shortening, and 1 1/2 cups sugar. Beat on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Scrape down sides of bowl. Add eggs, and beat to combine. Add dry ingredients, and beat to combine.  In a small bowl, combine remaining 1/4 cup sugar and the ground cinnamon. Use a small (1 1/4-ounce) ice-cream scoop to form balls of the dough, and roll in cinnamon sugar. Place about 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheets. Bake until the cookies are set in center and begin to crack (they will not brown), about 10 minutes, rotating the baking sheets after 5 minutes. Transfer the sheets to a wire rack to cool about 5 minutes before transferring the cookies to the rack. Store in an airtight container up to 1 week.

Cookie Countdown Day 8

(Sorry this is late, I was having posting problems yesterday.)

Merry-Cherry Cheesecake Bars

Got these from Grandma while down in Fort Myers.  They are fantastic!

1/3 c. cold butter
1/3 c. firmly packed brown sugar
1 c. all-purpose flour
Filling:
8 oz. cream cheese
1/4 c. sugar
1 egg
1 tbsp. lemon juice
1/4 c. each candied red and green cherries (can substitute 1/4 c. cherry pie filling)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  In bowl, cut butter into chunks, add brown sugar and flour.  Mix at low speed.  Reserve 1/2 c. crumb mixture for topping.  Press remaining crumb mixture into 8 in. square pan.  Bake near center of oven rack for 10-12 minutes.  For filling, soften cream cheese and combine all filling ingredients together in a bowl.  Spread filling over crust.  Sprinkle with remaining crumb mix.  Continue baking for 18-20 minutes or until browned.  Cool and store in fridge.

Cookie Countdown Day 7

Hope you all had a great weekend.  We had a blast visiting my grandparents this weeked.  And, as promised, I got her sugar cookie recipe.  It the best for making cut-out cookies.  Here you go:

Grandma Kanar's Cut-Out Sugar Cookies

5 c. flour
1/2 tsp. salt
2 c. sugar
3 tsp. baking powder
1 c. shortening
3 eggs, well beaten
1/2 c. milk
1 tsp. vanilla

In medium bowl, combine flour, salt, sugar and baking powder.  Add in shortening and work in with hands until mixture is fine.  Add in eggs, milk and vanilla.  Roll out and cut into desired shapes.  Bake at 375 degrees for about 10 minutes.

Cookie Countdown Day 5 and Day 6

We're going out of town this weekend to visit my grandparents (and while I'm there, I'm snagging Grandma's sugar cookie recipe) down in Fort Myers.  Because of this, I won't be able to post a cookie recipe tomorrow for the countdown.  Instead of playing catch up when I get back, I thought I'd get a head start and give you two recipes today (look at me planning ahead lol.)

Day 5-Gingerbread Cookies
For some, Christmas doesn't really come without Gingerbread men, so here's a holiday classic I found on the Food Network's site.

1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar

1/2 cup vegetable shortening

1 cup corn syrup (light or dark)

4 cups all-purpose flour

2 1/2 teaspoons ground ginger

1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon grated nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon allspice

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.  Place the brown sugar, shortening, and corn syrup in a saucepan and heat on medium, stirring constantly until the shortening is melted.  Place all of the dry ingredients in a large bowl; then add the warm sugar mixture, stirring until all of the ingredients are well blended. The dough will appear crumbly but will hold together when rolled out.  Use the dough immediately, while it is still warm. If it starts to crumble, place it in a warm oven for 1 to 2 minutes until it softens a bit.  To make decorated cutout cookies; Roll out the dough to about 1/8-inch thick on a lightly floured surface. Cut out gingerbread women and men with cookie cutters. Place the cookies on foil-lined cookie sheets and bake until golden brown, about 10 to 15 minutes. Cool the cookies on racks before decorating.
 *You can also find an icing recipe to use to decorate them afterwards on the same link.

Day 6-Chocolate Raspberry Thumbprints
Delicious!  I found this little gem on the Kraft website-it even has a video tutorial!

2 cups flour

1 tsp. baking soda

1/4 tsp. salt

4 squares BAKER'S Unsweetened Chocolate

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
1 8 oz. pkg. cream cheese, cubed, softened
1-1/4 cups sugar, divided
1 egg
1 tsp. vanilla
1/3 cup red raspberry jam
Heat oven to 375°F.  Mix flour, baking soda and salt; set aside. Microwave chocolate and butter in large microwaveable bowl on HIGH 2 min.; stir until chocolate is completely melted. Whisk in cream cheese. Add 1 cup sugar, egg and vanilla; mix well. Stir in flour mixture. Refrigerate 15 min.  Roll dough into 1-inch balls; coat with remaining sugar. Place, 2 inches apart, on baking sheets. Press your thumb into center of each ball; fill each indentation with about 1/4 tsp. jam.  Bake 8 to 10 min. or until lightly browned. Cool 1 min. on baking sheets; transfer to wire racks. Cool completely.

Playing Catch-Up-Cookie Countdown Days 2, 3 and 4

So I'm already behind on my cookie countdown.  We were experiencing some internet problems so I couldn't get online to update.  To make up for it, here's 3 recipes today.

#1-7 Layer Bars
These are my all-time favorite Christmas cookie.  There's nothing really Christmas-y about them except that we always only made them at Christmas.  They are delicious and so easy.

1 stick of butter
1-2 cups fine graham cracker crumbs
1 cup each:
Chocolate Chips
Butterscotch Chips
Chopped Walnuts (or whatever nut you prefer)
Sweetend Coconut Flakes
1 14 oz. can of sweetened condensed milk

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Melt butter and pour into 9x13 pan.  Add in graham cracker crumbs and press firmly into bottom of pan.  Then evenly distribute chocolate chips, butterscotch chips, nut and coconut.  Pour sweetened condensed milk evenly over whole pan.  Bake for 25 minutes or until lighly browned on top.  Cool completely then cut into bars.  Yum!

#2-Peppermint Crunch Cookies

I found these at Pillsbury.com (I get their newsletter and it's always got lots of great recipes and cute holiday ideas.) They look fabulous and only 3 ingredients *You don't have to use the refrigerated dough if you choose to make your sugar cookie from scratch. I'll be posting my Grandma's Sugar Cookie recipe as part of the countdown.

1 roll (16.5 oz) Pillsbury® refrigerated sugar cookies
1 1/2 cups white vanilla baking chips or semisweet chocolate chips
8 round hard peppermint candies, crushed (1/4 cup)*

Heat oven to 350°F. In large bowl, break up cookie dough. Stir or knead in 1/4 cup all-purpose flour until well blended. Shape dough into 36 (1-inch) balls. Bake 10 to 14 minutes or until edges are golden brown. Cool 1 minute; remove from cookie sheets to cooling rack. Cool completely, about 5 minutes.  In small microwavable bowl, microwave vanilla chips and 1 tablespoon vegetable oil uncovered on Medium (50%) 2 to 3 minutes, stirring once halfway through microwaving, until melted. Stir until smooth.  Dip half of each cookie into melted chips mixture, allowing excess to drip off; place on waxed or parchment paper-lined cookie sheets. Sprinkle each with about 1/2 teaspoon crushed candy. Let stand until set.

#3-Chocolate Snowballs

I found this yummy delight on Betty Crocker's website. I always loved snowballs as a kid and I like the chocolate twist.

1 pouch (1 lb 1.5 oz) sugar cookie mix

1/2 cup butter or margarine, melted

1 egg

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

1/4 cup unsweetened baking cocoa

1/2 cup finely chopped almonds

1 teaspoon almond extract
60 Hershey's Kisses milk chocolates, unwrapped
3/4 cup powdered sugar

Heat oven to 375°F. In large bowl, stir cookie mix, butter, egg, flour, cocoa, almonds and extract until soft dough forms. Shape dough into sixty 3/4-inch balls; wrap each around 1 milk chocolate candy. Place 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheet. Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until set. Immediately remove from cookie sheet. Cool slightly, about 5 minutes. Roll cookies in powered sugar. Cool completely, about 15 minutes. Re-roll cookies in powdered sugar. Store tightly covered.

Happy Baking!

Blastoff on the 1st Annual Cookie Countdown

I decided to do a Cookie Countdown til Christmas.  Starting it off is this amazing recipe I found at Baby Center's MOMformation Blog.  They sound absolutely divine!  I can't wait to try them out.  Here you go:

Death By Chocolate Cookies (or Shiny Happy Chocolate Cookies, recipe courtesy Cookie Madness)

1/4 cup sifted all-purpose flour (1 oz)
1/4 tsp. baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt

8 oz chopped semi-sweet chocolate (62%)

4 tablespoons unsalted butter

2 large eggs

2 packed tablespoons brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups chocolate chips
2/3 cup walnuts or pecans, chopped and toasted (optional)

Mix together the flour, baking powder and salt; set aside.
In a metal bowl set over a saucepan of barely simmering water, melt chocolate with butter. Cool slightly (about 3 minutes). If you melt the chocolate over barely simmering water, it shouldn’t be too hot in the first place.
Beat eggs and sugar in a mixing bowl using high speed of an electric mixer for 2-3 minutes. Beat the melted chocolate mixture into the egg mixture. Beat in the vanilla. Add the flour mixture and stir it gently into the batter. Make sure the batter is cool, then add the chocolate chips and walnuts.
Chill dough for at least one hour.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper. I used an insulated cookie sheet.
Scoop up rounded tablespoons of dough and set dough balls on parchment paper spacing about 2 ½ inches apart. Bake for 11-13 minutes. Let cookies cool on sheet for about 3 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool.