Decadent Chocolate Cookies aka Pecan Mudslide Cookies

There is a bakery in Savannah, Georgia on Bay Street called B. Mathews Bakery.  During the winter when it not as busy I have spent many Saturday afternoons enjoying a cup of tea and a chocolate cookie.  Not just any chocolate cookie but one where the chocolate was so intense that I wanted to eat a dozen instead of just one.  I have tried on several occasions to duplicate the recipe but I could never seem to get the same chocolate flavor.  It is much the same flavor as  in this flourless chocolate cake that I made last month. 

One of my favorite blogs to read is Clotilde Dusoulier’s  Chocolate and Zucchini.  Reading her post on Pecan Mudslide Cookies here I got excited about the possibility of finding the perfect chocolate cookie recipe.  I was a little skeptical about the idea of 15 ounces of chocolate in just 16 cookies.  I thought that it could be a bit overpowering, but you know what they say ,” You can never have enough chocolate.”  Take my word for it or better yet  try these yourself.  Eating one of these cookies  is  sinfully delicious!

The recipe calls for  15 oz. of semisweet chocolate.  Put 6 1/3 oz. of the chocolate in a food processor and coarsely chop.  I used my 3 cup chopper that I won from 5 Forks.   A tip here only add a small amount of chocolate at a time.

The other 9 2/3 oz. of chocolate should be placed in a double boiler to melt.

Here you can see the chopped chocolate.  Put aside to add after making the chocolate mixture.  Mix sugar and butter.  Add eggs one at a time beating well after each one.  I used a mixer to make sure the batter was very smooth.

Add flour, baking powder and salt. Next add the slightly cooled chocolate.

Stir in coarsely chopped pecans and chocolate.

Stir together.

Place in a 9 x 13 in.  dish lined with parchment  paper.

Refrigerate for about 20 minutes.

Remove the chocolate mixture using the parchment paper as handles.  Place on a cutting board and cut into squares.  I had  33 balls.  I don’t know how that happened.  I think uneven edges were the cause of the unevenness.  As I was putting the batter into the dish GI Joe said that it was a good thing that I was not pouring concrete or I would be fired.  I was not quite sure what he was referring to, but I think he meant that it had set before I  could spread it.  Maybe it got too cold! 

   

Working with this chocolate mixture is a lot like working with candy.  Push the chocolate together making a mound.  You can bake at this stage or freeze.  I froze them in a single layer then placed them in a freezer bag and baked the cookies next day.

The walnut size chunks should be baked on parchment paper  for about 14 minutes. Be careful when baking.  Watch the first pan carefully.  I baked mine while frozen and to me they look much drier on the top than Clotilde’s do, but the taste and texture is unbelievable.  The center is dense and chewy. 

 

Pecan Mudslide Cookies  taken from Chocolate and Zucchini

• 15 ounces of semi sweet chocolate divided
• 1/2 cup coarsely chopped pecans
• 2/3 cup sugar
• 2 1/2 tablespoons butter
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

Coarsely chop 6 1/3 ounces of chocolate in a food processor and put aside with 1/2 cup of pecans. 

With the remaining chocolate melt in a double boiler stirring as it melts.  Let it cool slightly.

Cream sugar and butter together till fluffy. (  I found there was not a lot to cream.  I did the best I could)  Add eggs one at a time beating after each one.  Beat batter until it is very smooth.  Add the flour, baking powder and salt.  Stir in chocolate and pecans. 

Pour or spread the mixture which will be very thick into a 9 x 13 inch pan lined with parchment paper.  Let it chill for 20 minutes.  Take the mixture out of the pan using the parchment paper as a handle. Place the parchment paper and batter on a cutting board.  Cut into equal pieces.  I made my cookies much smaller having 33 while Clotilde had only 16.     Mold the mixture into mounds about the size of walnuts.  Freeze or bake.  If frozen you may have to cook a minute longer.  Check your time carefully.  The original recipe called for a cooking time of 16 minutes if frozen.  I baked mine for about 14 minutes.   Baking temperature is 375 degrees. 

Enjoy,

The Teacher Cooks