BlogHer, Rocco DiSpirito, Wine and Chocolate Oblivion Cookies

I am off to the BlogHer Food Conference this weekend in San Francisco, but first I have been invited to share a dinner with a group of foodbloggers at the St. Supery Vineyards in Napa, hosted by Rocco DiSpirito and Bertolli. What a way to kick off the weekend!  However, this leaves little time to write a new post, so I will tide things over with one of my favorite recipes from the TasteFood archives on Chocolate.  I can’t think of a better food product to tide anything over, can you?

Chocolate Oblivion Cookies

Makes approximately 30

14 ounces (400 grams) dark chocolate (70%)
1/4 cup (55 grams) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 1/2 cups (340 grams) granulated sugar
4 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 cup (60 grams) all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
7 ounces (200 grams) coarsely chopped dark chocolate or dark chocolate chips

Melt 14 ounces chocolate and butter in top of double boiler over simmering water, stirring until smooth.  Remove from heat.  Beat sugar and eggs in bowl of electric mixer until thick and very pale in color, 3 minutes.  Add chocolate and vanilla to eggs.  Mix well.
Sift together flour, baking powder and salt in a small bowl.  Stir into chocolate mixture.  Add chopped chocolate.  Stir to combine.  Refrigerate batter 30 minutes, to allow to thicken.  (Do not refrigerate longer, or the batter will begin to harden.  If this happens, allow batter to soften slightly at room temperature before proceeding.)
Line baking sheets with parchment paper.  Drop heaping tablespoons of batter onto parchment.  Bake in pre-heated 350 F.(180 C.) oven until tops crack, about 12 minutes.  Remove from oven and cool completely on parchment.
Cookies can be stored refrigerated in an airtight container up to 4 days. (They also freeze well.) Allow to come to room temperature before serving.