Triple Chocolate Cookies

What’s better than just plain chocolate?  Chocolate delivered three ways in one cookie.  A soft chocolate cookie wrapped around white chocolate and bittersweet chocolate chips is milk’s new best friend.  A hint of instant coffee—the secret in great chocolate desserts—does wonders for chocolate cookies, deepening flavor and adding complexity. Make a batch to take to picnics or backyard barbeques this weekend, they’ll be glad you did.

Triple-Chocolate Cookies

Yield: 24 cookies
1         cup  butter — (2 sticks) softened
3/4    cup  granulated sugar
3/4    cup  packed light brown sugar
2         teaspoons  vanilla extract
1/2     teaspoon  salt
2         large  eggs
2        cups  all-purpose flour
1/2    cup  Ghirardelli unsweetened cocoa -or- Hershey’s Special Dark Chocolate cocoa
1         teaspoon  baking soda
1 1/2  teaspoons  instant coffee granules — optional
1         cup  Ghirardelli 60% Bittersweet Chocolate Baking Chips
1         cup  Ghirardelli Classic White Chocolate Baking Chips

Heat oven to 375 F.

Beat butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar, coffee, vanilla and salt in large bowl until creamy. Add eggs; beat well.

Sift together flour, cocoa, and baking soda; gradually add to butter mixture, mix until well blended. Mix-in baking chips.

Drop by rounded teaspoons onto ungreased baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until set, careful not to over bake. Cool for a few minutes on the baking sheet; remove from baking sheet to wire rack to cool completely.

Note: For High Altitude baking, add 1/4 cup more flour.

This is what happens when you can’t wait for them to cool — so worth it!