molten lava cookies

This is for the type of person that lurrrrrve's the ever so popular molten lava cake. I baked several dozen of these last year for the holidays.

Molten lava cookies

1 cup of butter (2 sticks), softened
2 cups of sugar
3/4 cup of cocoa powder
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 cups of all purpose flour
1 tsp of baking powder
1/3 cup of dark or semi-sweet chocolate chopped (just not so fine) *
powdered sugar **

* You can use the chips instead of the chopped up bar, but it might have a harder time melting and getting consistancy of "molten lava."

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Cream together butter and sugar with an electric mixer. Add cocoa powder, eggs and vanilla; mix until combined.
2. Combine flour and baking powder in a separate bowl. Gradually add to butter mixture.
3. Shape dough into 1-inch balls. Using your thumb, press a thumbprint into the center; fill with a 4 dark or semi sweet chocolate chips and fold dough over to cover chocolate.
4. Place balls 2 inches apart on baking sheets lined with parchment paper. Bake 9 to 11 minutes or until edges are firm and tops are soft. Remove cookies to a cooling rack.

* If you want to be extra fancy shmancy, sprinkle some powdered sugar on it. Then it looks like they came from a bakery :)

This cookie is awesome when it's warm! Heat up 2 or 3 (or 10) at a time in the microwave for 5 seconds.

(pictures will come later tonight or tomorrow!)