1/2 cup (4 ounces) unsalted butter
1 1/3 cups (10 ounces) brown sugar
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons espresso powder
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs
2/3 cup (2 ounces) Dutch-process cocoa
1 1/2 cups white whole wheat flour or all-purpose flour
2 cups (12 ounces) semi-sweet chocolate chips (or a mixture of raisins, chips, and nuts)
Preheat the oven to 350. Lightly grease two baking sheets or line them with parchment. Or lightly grease a mini-muffin pan. Or use a combination of pans.
In a medium bowl, cream together the butter, sugar, baking powder, espresso powder, vanilla, and salt. Add the eggs, beating until smooth. Stir in the cocoa powder, then the flour; the dough will be stiff. Mix in the chocolate chips or the chips/raisins/nuts.
Drop the dough by tablespoonfuls (about 1 1/2" balls) onto the prepared baking sheets or into the mini-muffin cups; a tablespoon cookie scoop is the perfect tool for this. Bake the cookies for 12-minutes (on a baking sheet); 15 minutes (in an aluminum mini-muffin pan), or 21 minutes (in a silicone mini-muffin pan); they'll look not-quite-done in the center. Remove them from the oven and allow the cookies to cool for about 10 minutes; or the mini muffins to cool for 20 minutes. Gently squeeze and shape the cookies into uneven balls to resemble chunks of coal.
