Lumps of coal for all!!

A friend's wife made these cookies (appropriate on SO many levels) for my birthday recently, and they were fabulous. She was kind enough to share the recipe (originally by King Arthur Flour). However, seeing as I am never one to leave well enough alone, I made a few changes (that had a fantastic impact) and am posting the recipe.

Lump of Coal Cookies
1/2 cup unsalted butter
1 1/3 cups loosely packed dark brown sugar
3/4 t baking powder
1 1/2 t espresso powder
1 1/2 T Starbucks Creme Liquor
1/2 t salt
2 large eggs
2/3 cup Dutch Process Cocoa (Hershey's Special Dark)
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 cup (dark) chocolate chips
(optional: nuts!!)

Preheat the oven to 350F. Plan to use either air bake sheets or parchment paper to line the pans.

Cream the butter, sugar, baking powder, espresso, liquor and salt. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating until the mixture is smooth. Add the cocoa powder, then the flour. Then stir in (by hand) the chocolate chips.

Form coal shaped balls/briquettes and place them on the cookie sheet. These won't spread much, so don't worry about getting them kinda close. Bake 12 minutes (on the top rack) at 350F.

Cool and enjoy!