Chocolate Miracles

 

Chocolate Miracles (aka Chocolate Fudge Cookies)
(Source: Maida Heatter's Cookies (Andrews & McMeel Publishing, 1997 ed.), pg. 32.

I had to laugh when I saw this recipe. There are a total of 3 ingredients, it only takes a few minutes to make but in true Maida fashion, the printed recipe is 1 1/2 pages long! haha

That's right, only 3 ingredients -

2 oz. unsweetened chocolate
1 14 oz. can sweetened condensed milk
1 cup pecans, toasted and chopped

Preheat the oven to 350. Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper (the cookies want to stick so don't use foil!).

In a double boiler, melt the chocolate over hot water. (I usually bring about an inch of water to a boil, then turn it off, place the pan of chocolate over it and let it sit. If it is a lot of chocolate, you can cover it which will melt it faster. After a few minutes, stir the melted chocolate.)

Add the sweetened condensed milk. Turn the heat back up and bring the water to a boil. Constantly stir the mixture with a rubber spatula for five minutes.

Remove the pan and whisk the mixture until smooth. It will be slightly thick.

Stir in the pecans.

Use a small scoop and place mounds of the batter on the parchment paper. Place them 2-3 inches apart. The cookies will spread a little during baking but not too much.

Bake for 15 minutes on the upper two racks. Reverse them about halfway through baking.

Remove from the oven and transfer the cookies to a wire rack. This is a bit tricky as the cookies are sticky. I found that two methods worked well and I used both. One - hold the corner of the parchment paper with one hand and carefully slide a thin spatula under them. The other method - use both hands, holding the cookie with one hand while you carefully peel off the paper with your other hand. 

The cookies are soft and chewy. As they sit, they become harder. For best results, serve them after baking or within 24 hours. They should not be stored airtight because they will loose their crispness. They can be covered loosely with wax paper.