Ninja cookies...

Please bear with me as I attempt to explain to you how lava-licious these chocolate lava cookies are. See, the pictures look delicious, but they can’t capture the amazingness that is these cookies. These cookies should come with their own sound track. Seriously, someone should key the heavenly music when you bite into these fabulously moist and chocolatey cookies. So, here goes my attempt to analogize the wonder of biting into these morsels:

My brother Brandon is only two and half years younger than I (see, Mom, I said “than I”!), so when we were little, my mom bathed us together. Her large Jacuzzi could barely contain us, being the extremely enthusiastic swimmers we were. Once scrubbed clean of our constant coat of grime, Mom bundled us in neon towels. Mine were purple; Brandon’s were green. But play time didn’t stop there. Bran and I would drape our towels over our slim shoulders like shawls, hunch our backs, and pretend to be—oh, yes, get this—old. We clenched our fists around imaginary canes and hobbled toward each other. This exercise inevitably involved overly obvious dialogue. In a groaning, scraggly voice, I would recite to Bran, “I’m an old woooman,” and Bran would reply, “I’m an old maaaan.” Then, SNAP! BAM! BOOM! We would throw the towels across the room, assuming karate stances, while shouting, “Nuh uh!!! I’m a NINJA!!” Yes, that’s right, we only pretended to be old. We were ninjas in disguise. At this point, battle ensued. (That's us in the picture below!)

What does this story have to do with these cookies? Well, these cookies are throw-your-towel-off-and-assume-ninja-position good. These cookies are that SNAP BAM BOOM. The taste of these cookies captures what that split second of excitement (that occurs during great moments in life) would taste like—if such excitement had a taste. While they are lava cookies because of their almost-gooey centers, I would like to believe this name is a double-entendre (because these cookies are a volcano of taste exploding in your mouth)! Get the picture? You have to make them.
It’s easy. Go to your kitchen and make them now. The centers aren’t gooey and undercooked, but rather soft and melty. In fact, these cookies might be better than lava cake itself. I had to walk away from my kitchen because the cookies are like little Sirens chanting my name. Dangerous treats, these are. Okay, I’ve kept you long enough. Take this recipe and go make ‘em!
Lava Cookies
(From Shirley Corriher’s Bakewise)

1 ½ cups pecans
½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, divided
2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
2 large eggs
2/3 cup granulated sugar
1 tsp salt
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup AP flour, spooned and leveled
½ tsp baking powder

Method:

(1) Preheat oven to 350. Toast nuts on a baking sheet for 10 minutes. While hot, toss nuts with 2 TBS of butter and set aside to cool. When cool, chop nuts coarsely.

(2) Turn oven temperature up to 375. Line a baking sheet with either Release foil or parchment sprayed with nonstick cooking spray.

(3) Melt the remaining 6 TBS of butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Once melted, pour in chocolate chips and allow to sit for 1 minute. Stir chocolate chips until completely melted and smooth. Set chocolate mixture aside.

(4) In a mixer, beat eggs, sugar, salt, and vanilla on high until the mixture is light and creamy (approximately 2-3 minutes). Turn the mixer to low and pour in the chocolate mixture.

(5) Stir the flour and baking powder until well combined. Add the flour mixture in two parts to the chocolate batter. Stir in the toasted nuts.

(6) Scoop dough in heaping tablespoons onto cookie sheets (this dough does not spread much). Bake for exactly 12 minutes. Allow the cookies to cool for 3-5 minutes. EAT WARM!! (You can nuke these cookies in the microwave to get that fresh-out-of-the-oven taste. These cookies can also be frozen!)

*Makes about 16-18 cookies.

*Shirley tells you to refrigerate the dough for 20-30 minutes before using, but I missed this step, and my cookies turned out deliciously!!