Chocolate Espresso Cookies

It's been a few posts since there was something chocolatey on this blog, and I thought it was high time to rectify this with these delicious espresso cookies.  They're my favourite kind of cookie (fudgy on the inside, crisp on the outside), with a twist of coffee flavour and I think walnuts add the perfect touch.

Recipe adapted from: Chewy Gooey Crispy Crunchy Melt-In-Your-Mouth Cookies by Alice Medrich
Ingredients
170g dark chocolate (recipe recommends unsweetened for a more 'sophisticated' cookie)
4 tbsp butter
2 eggs
260g white sugar
1 1/2 tsp finely ground coffee
1 tsp vanilla essence
45g flour
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
110g dark chocolate chunks/chips
50g walnuts (optional)

Method
1. Melt the butter and 170g chocolate, then set aside.

2. Beat the eggs with the sugar, coffee and vanilla until pale and thick.

3. Stir the chocolate mixture in.

4. Stir the flour, baking powder and salt into the batter.

5. Add the chocolate chunks (or chocolate chips if you're using those), and if you like, add 50g chopped walnuts.

6. Cover the batter and refrigerate it until firm (about an hour, or overnight if you want to wait longer to bake them).

7. When you're ready to bake the cookies, preheat the oven to 175C (350F).

8. Place tablespoons of dough on baking paper-lined baking trays, making sure to leave space between them as the cookies will spread when baked.

9. Bake the cookies for 10 - 12 minutes.  They should be crackly on the surface but still soft and gooey inside.

10. Let the cookies cool, but consume as soon as possible!  They're most delicious when they're still warm from the oven!