Triple Chocolate Cookies

More birthdays, more baking! I continued my birthday baking over the weekend by making these great triple chocolate cookies. The three chocolate components come from cocoa powder, chocolate chips, and chocolate pudding mix. Ever since my successful peanut butter cookies I have become more confident in my cookie-baking abilities and decided to try out another recipe. The original recipe came from another Natalie and her blog Natalie's Killer Cuisine. I changed some things up, as usual, but the cookies definitely turned out great. They were really soft on the inside and the walnuts added a nice crunch to them. Also, the chocolate chips didn't melt, allowing you to bite into them for an intense chocolate flavor.

Surprisingly, the recipe called for a lot of baking soda, the same amount as cocoa powder in fact. Despite all of the baking soda, my cookies did not spread out like a traditional chocolate cookie. The balls just stayed in big lumps and I still haven't figured out why that is. I noticed the same problem with my peanut butter cookies as well. I think that since my cookies have this problem on a regular basis, I might as well cut back on the baking soda because it doesn't seem to be doing much and it gives a slightly salty aftertaste. Regardless of the fact that the cookies stayed as lumps, they were very moist and everyone loved them.

Triple Chocolate Cookies

• 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 3/4 cup brown sugar
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 2 1/4 cups flour
• 1 chocolate pudding mix
• 1 tsp baking soda (try using 1/2 tsp and see what happens)
• 1 tsp cocoa powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 cup chocolate chips
• 1 cup walnuts, chopped

1. Cream the butter and sugars together, then add the eggs one at a time and then the vanilla.
2. In a separate bowl combine the flour, pudding mix, baking soda, cocoa powder, and salt.
3. Add the dry ingredients to the wet and mix until well combined.
4. Mix in the chocolate chips and walnuts.
5. Shape the dough into about 1" balls and place on a baking sheet about 1 1/2" apart.
6. Bake for 8 minutes at 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Cool for 5 minutes on the pan before plating.