Triple Chocolate Death!

One of my favourite self-imposed Christmas traditions is the Christmas cookie baking. I started this tradition when I was in my second year of university. Starting in September that year I baked a batch of cookies almost every weekend until the big day. We were in the apartment back then and our tiny refrigerator freezer was packed full of cookies! I have never since managed to match the number or variety of cookies baked in one year. I kind of blame Mosely for that -- he came into our lives the following spring and ate the cookie magazine I had pulled 90% of my recipes from. I have never since found a suitable recipe for gingerbread.

One of the recipes I used back then was for a Death by Chocolate cookie that was superb. It was a triple chocolate cookie dipped in ganache. Mmmm! In an effort to replicate it (minus ganache) a created my own recipe this year.

First, I should tell you about our recent chocolate emergency. On a trip to Shoppers I had purchased some chocolate kisses to include with my gifts for Christmas. Of course as soon as I got home Jason and I started eating them. In an effort to salvage them I hid the four nearly full bags in a canvas tote behind our Christmas tree. For about a week I completely forgot about them.

That's when Jason called me at work to say that Mosely had found them. He ate every last chocolate kiss, foil and all! Fortunately, I have a very understanding boss, and she didn't mind that I went home early to keep an eye on my chocolate dog. Jason called the vet, who advised we pick up some charcoal biscuits to neutralize any toxins and then just keep an eye on him for signs of illness. Mosely thought it was his lucky day! First chocolate, then biscuits, then we spent the afternoon doting on him! Apart from a gross "verp" (containing foil!), Moe's only symptom was an excess of energy. Chocolate disaster averted.

For the cookies, I took a standard Ultimate Double Chocolate Cookie recipe from allrecipes.com and added milk chocolate and white chocolate chips. It was tricky guesswork trying to determine when they were done, but they turned out deliciously! I have lovingly dubbed them "Triple Chocolate Death Cookies".

Just to set the record straight, Mosely is usually a very good boy, and doesn't tend to eat random things. Now that he's had a taste for chocolate though (and obviously thought it was pretty good!) we'll have to be more careful!

Here is a picture of the family cuddle I caught the other day. Jason went to lay down after some renovation work and Mosely and Gordon took advantage of the cuddle opportunity.