Do you ever find yourself in a seasonal rut? That's where you only eat things "in season"....like you only eat chili or stew in the winter or fresh raspberries in July or pomegranates in December....or red velvet cake in February...and heart-shaped sugar cookies with sprinkles in February....and cream filled eclairs and molten-chocolate cakes and strawberry flambe! February is definitely the one time of the year where I don't mind the seasonal rut....I know, it's still January but one must be prepared! So, in order to make everything I always make in February, I have to start in January!
These cookies are one of my February cookies - I don't know why I don't make them at another time of the year but it would seem like I was cheating or something! These are definitely the kind of cookies I want to eat when I'm making Valentine's or reading the paper on Washington's birthday or lamenting not having been born on February 29th so I'd only be a quarter of my age..a real February cookie!
They are so chocolatey and dense - crispy on the outside and fudgy on the inside - a chocolate lovers dream. After being out and about and seeing all of the Valentine decorations I just wanted to come home and ma
ke something chocolatey....something Valentine worthy - and this cookie is it.
This is a two parter - first you melt the chocolate and some butter in a double-boiler, this is what gives the cookie it's great chocolatey taste. The second part is the blending of the eggs and the sugar until there is not one little granule of sugar left and the color is a light, pale yellow - then mixing in the other ingredients - havin
g the sugar completely dissolve gives this cookie a wonderful consistency.
This recipe only calls for 1/4 cup of flour - this is the right amount, even though is doesn't seem like nearly enough. Using just a little bit of flour makes for the fudgy center of the cookie. 
Chocolate Mudpie Cookies - from Afternoon delights: Coffeehouse Favorites by James McNair and Andrew Moore from the Seattle Times 2003
1 cup pecans or walnuts
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 pound semi-sweet chocolate, coarsely chopped (or use chocolate chips) divided
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
parchment paper or silpat mats
Put nuts in a skillet and set over medium heat. Toast until fragrant, about 5 minutes, stirring often. Transfer to a cutting surface. When cool enough to handle, chop nuts coarsely and set aside.
Combine flour, baking powder and salt, whisking to blend. Set aside.
In the top of a double boiler set over simmering water, combine half of the chopped chocolate or chips with butter. Stir gently until melted. Remove from heat and set aside to cool slightly.
In the bowl of an electric mixer, combine sugar and eggs; beat at high speed until thick and pale yellow, about 5 minutes. Lower speed to medium. Add chocolate mixture and vanilla, blending well. On low speed, add flour mixture and beat just until incorporated. Stir in nuts and remaining chopped chocolate. Cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate until firm enough to handle, about 60 minutes. (I found my dough was ready after about 30 minutes.)
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silpat mats. Using a scoop or a large tablespoon, drop portions of the dough about 3 inches apart on the sheets. Press down with your fingers to form rounds about 1/2 inch thick. Transfer one baking sheet at a time to the center oven rack and bake 10 to 12 minutes or until the cookies are set but still a little soft in the center. Cool on a wire rack 10 to 15 minutes. Using a wide spatula, transfer cookies to a wire rack and cool completely.
These cookies freeze well - so eat your fill and then freeze the rest so you can take them out in February - afterall, they are a February cookie!
Makes about a dozen large cookies (if using a 1/4 cup ice cream scoop) or 2 dozen smaller cookies.
"Part of the secret of success in life is to eat what you like and let the food fight it out inside." Mark Twain
