Chocolate Chocolate Chip Cookies

Yield:24 large cookies

This is Rob's favorite home-made cookie. It was inspired by a cookie we had when we were visiting Portland, Oregon where I took my husband to Powell's Bookstore. While there, we had an intensely dark chocolate cookie in their cafe. I don't know if it was the cookie or the bookstore or the combination, but we had to make a second trip back to Powell's before we left. On the trip back to California, we had to pay the airline an overweight charge on our suitcase. Coincidence? I think not...

2 sticks unsalted sweet cream butter, softened 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar 1 cup packed brown sugar 2 eggs 1/4 tsp instant espresso powder 1 tablespoon real vanilla extract 2 3/4 cups flour 1 tsp baking soda 1 tsp baking powder pinch of salt 1/4 cup Dutch Process cocoa powder 1/4 cup Black or extra-dark cocoa powder * 2 cups Ghirardelli bittersweet chocolate chips **

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. In a large bowl, beat together butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar, eggs, and vanilla with a stand mixer. Dissolve espresso powder in 1 Tbsp. of water and then add to batter. Beat in flour, baking soda, baking powder, pinch of salt and cocoa until blended. Stir in chocolate chips.

3. Drop dough by generous tablespoonfuls 2 inches apart on cookie sheets lined with parchment paper or silpat mats. Bake 10 to 12 minutes, until just set. Do not over-bake.

4. Let cookies cool for a few minutes on the pans and then remove to cool on racks.

* If you can't find extra-dark or black cocoa powder, just use more dutch-process cocoa powder

** If you can't find bittersweet chocolate chips, use the darkest chocolate chips you can find or chop some bittersweet chocolate.