![\"\"](\"http:\/\/www.anislandmom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/12\/100_3384-1024x768.jpg\" "\\"100_3384\\"")
<\/a>Pre-plague, I had stocked up on craft supplies and ingredients, intending to make coastal ornaments, try two new recipes, and then blog about them.<\/p>\nThe stars were not aligned on that front, clearly.<\/p>\n
And, now that I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122m slowly recovering, no one in my household is ready to eat that which I have baked and coughed violently upon. Nor do I yet have the mental capacity for crafting, a challenging proposition for me when all faculties are in order.<\/p>\n
So instead, I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ll just share my favorite cookie recipe of late with you, and then I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122m going to direct you to some sites with a variety of cookie recipes guaranteed to make you salivate, all of which are being shared in support of a great cause.<\/p>\n
\u00c2\u00bd cup butter<\/p>\n 4 (1-ounce) squares unsweetened chocolate, chopped<\/p>\n 3 cups (18 ounces) semi-sweet chocolate morsels, divided<\/p>\n 1 \u00c2\u00bd cups all-purpose flour<\/p>\n \u00c2\u00bd teaspoon baking powder<\/p>\n \u00c2\u00bd teaspoon salt<\/p>\n 4 large eggs<\/p>\n 1 \u00c2\u00bd cups sugar<\/p>\n 2 teaspoons vanilla extract<\/p>\n 2 cups chopped pecans, toasted<\/p>\n Combine butter, unsweetened chocolate, and 1 \u00c2\u00bd cups chocolate morsels in a large heavy saucepan. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until butter and chocolate melt; cool.<\/p>\n Combine flour, baking powder, and salt in a small bowl; set aside.<\/p>\n Beat eggs, sugar, and vanilla at medium speed with an electric mixer. Gradually add dry ingredients to egg mixture, beating well. Add chocolate mixture; beat well. Stir in remaining 1 \u00c2\u00bd cups chocolate morsels and pecans.<\/p>\n Drop dough by 2 tablespoonfuls 1 inch apart onto parchment paper-lined baking sheets.<\/p>\n Bake at 350 for 10 minutes. Cool slightly on baking sheets; remove to wire racks to cool completely.<\/p>\n The recipe says it makes about 2 \u00c2\u00bd dozen, but given that I eyeball the size of my scoops, I end up with closer to 4 dozen cookies.<\/p>\n I prepare the recipe pretty much as listed above, except I now substitute dark chocolate chips for the semi-sweet chips and I often leave out the pecans. Both adjustments are due to family preferences only. These cookies are so good that my vocabulary doesn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t have a word to fully describe it. They\u00e2\u20ac\u2122re just, they\u00e2\u20ac\u2122re just beyond<\/em>. Be warned, however. These cookies have a very rich chocolate taste, so they are best reserved for those with strong attachments to the cacao bean. Furthermore, do not consume these without beverages readily available, because they require plentiful measures of them. My son, for instance, eats these with a glass and a gallon of milk on hand. Consider yourself warned.<\/p>\n While convalescing, I read blogs. And so I stumbled across a group of bloggers doing a series of posts on cookie recipes this week, all to benefit pediatric cancer research. Cookies for Kids\u00e2\u20ac\u2122 Cancer<\/a> is an organization raising funds for pediatric cancer research. Each blogger has chosen a recipe from the cookbook Cookies for Kids\u00e2\u20ac\u2122 Cancer Research Cookbook<\/em> to feature. Browse these sites for scrumptious cookie recipes each day this week, and check out Cookies for Kids\u00e2\u20ac\u2122 Cancer for great ways to support pediatric cancer research. In addition, visit Glad<\/a> for other opportunities to support pediatric cancer research, including their pledge to donate 10 cents for every virtual cookie exchanged on Facebook. (Note: Even sick people can do this one. Just saying.)<\/p>\n The cookie recipes and other information on Cookies for Kids\u00e2\u20ac\u2122 Cancer can be found on the following blogs:<\/p>\n Sunday: Important Background Information<\/a> (seriously!)<\/p>\n Monday: Comfortably Domestic<\/a><\/p>\n Tuesday: Inside NanaBread\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s Head<\/a><\/p>\n Wednesday: Wanna Be a Country Cleaver<\/a><\/p>\n Thursday: Tenaciously Yours<\/a><\/p>\n Friday: La Petite Pancake<\/a><\/p>\n![\"\"](\"http:\/\/www.anislandmom.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/12\/brownie-cookies.jpg\" "\\"brownie")
<\/a>I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ve made no secret of my chocolate obsession here on An Island Mom. All my favorite cookies involve chocolate, and my current favorite cookie is the Brownie Cookie<\/a>, from myrecipes.com<\/a>. The recipe is as follows:<\/p>\n