Ghirardelli Truffle Cookies with Sea Salt

Ingredients

1 (10-ounce) bag Ghirardelli 60% cocoa bittersweet baking chips, divided
2 tablespoons butter
2 eggs
½ cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
¼ cup flour
¼ teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon salt
2 to 3 tablespoons coarse sea salt

Directions

Set aside 1/3 cup baking chips for later use. In a medium-sized heatproof bowl over a double boiler, melt the remaining chocolate chips and butter until smooth. Turn off the stove and let melted chocolate sit over warm water.*

In a separate bowl, whisk together eggs and sugar, mixing until well combined. Remove chocolate from the double boiler. Slowly add egg mixture to the warm chocolate, whisking constantly. Add vanilla. Mix well. Add flour, baking powder, and salt. Mix well and let batter cool for a few minutes. Add reserved 1/3 cup of baking chips (if batter is too warm, chocolate chips will melt.)

Chill batter in fridge for 30 minutes. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

After batter has chilled and thickened slightly, drop batter by rounded tablespoons on greased cookie sheet. Sprinkle each cookie lightly with a pinch of sea salt. Bake for approximately 8 to 10 minutes until the outside edge looks slightly cracked, but centers are soft and gooey. Cool cookies for four minutes on cookie sheet before transferring to cooling rack. Makes about two dozen cookies.

*To melt chocolate in microwave: Heat chocolate in a microwave-safe container at medium power (50%) for 1 minute. Stir until bowl no longer feels warm. Continue heating at 20-second intervals, stirring after each heating until mixture is smooth.

Note: For a delicious twist, add one of the following before baking: ¾ cup toasted pecans or pistachios, ¼ cup chopped candied ginger, or 1/3 cup sweetened coconut.

Note: For a slightly sweeter cookie, use semisweet chocolate chips.

Note: This recipe was adapted from one found on www.ghirardelli.com.