Gluttonous moments...

You know those moments where craving outweighs any sense of moderation, where weakness triumphs over willpower? Those are gluttonous (sometimes glorious) moments. Yes, we all know when they strike that we’ll probably regret the indulgence later, later as we slip into sugar comas. But gluttonous moments are all about the present. Yes, that’s sounds good: gluttonous moments are about seizing the present moment (great rationalization)!

My gluttonous moments began before I was even conscious of them being such. At my childhood birthday parties, I always bothered my mom for a bigger slice of cake—and not a middle piece, a corner cut with a sugary, piped flower. Around the age of eight, one of my family’s friends introduced me to the concept of eating a scoop of cookie dough atop a freshly baked chocolate chip cookie. By the time undergrad rolled around, I had discovered the quick (indulgent) fix of microwaving Chex cereal, chocolate chips, and a scoop of peanut butter.

These chocolate fudge cookies are a gluttonous moment and then some. With barely any flour, a pound of melted chocolate, and chocolate and white chocolate chips to boot, these cookies are extravagant. Though you may fear the delayed regret of this indulgence, rest assured that these cookies have a built-in safety mechanism. You will most assuredly fall into a chocolate-coated sugar coma before you can scarf too many of these fudgy wonders.

Chocolate Fudge Cookies
Adapted from Joy of Baking

1 c walnuts, toasted and chopped
½ c cake flour
1 tsp baking powder
¼ tsp salt
1 lb chocolate, chopped (I used ½ lb semisweet chocolate, ½ lb dark chocolate)
¼ c unsalted butter
1 ¾ granulated sugar
4 large eggs
1 TBS vanilla
1 c dark chocolate chips
1 c white chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350. Toast walnuts for 8-10 minutes (until fragrant). When cooled, finely chop.

Sift cake flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.

In a double-boiler, melt the pound of chocolate and butter together. Set aside.

Beat sugar and eggs until light and fluffy (about 5 minutes). Add vanilla and melted chocolate mixture.

Fold in the dry ingredients. Fold in the chocolate chips.

Refrigerate the mixture for at least 30 minutes.Preheat oven to 350. Scoop about ¼ cup of dough onto parchment-lined cookie sheets, and press dough slightly with wettened fingers. Bake for 12-14 minutes, or until crackles appear on top of the cookies, taking care not to over-bake. (Mine took about 14-16 minutes.)