Bittersweet Brownie Drops

Directions

1. 1
   Preheat the oven to 350°F. Position racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven.
2. 2
   Melt the butter with the chocolate in a medium stainless steel bowl set directly in a wider skillet of barely simmering water. Stir frequently until the mixture is melted and smooth and fairly hot to the touch.
3. 3
   Meanwhile, mix the flour, baking soda, and salt together thoroughly and set it aside.
4. 4
   Remove the chocolate bowl from the water bath. Stir in the sugar and vanilla. Add 1 egg, and stir briskly until it is incorporated. Repeat with the second egg. Add the flour mixture and stir until you can no longer see it. Stir the batter vigorously with a wooden spoon or spatula until it is smooth and shiny and pulls away from the sides of the bowl. It may start to slide around the bowl as you stir-just keep stirring until it is thick and cohesive and no longer slides in the bowl. Stir for a few more seconds for good measure. Be sure the batter is completely cool to the touch, and then stir in the nuts and chocolate pieces.
5. 5
   Scoop slightly rounded tablespoons of batter 2 inches apart on parchment-lined baking sheets. Scoop all of the batter onto the parchment sheets right away, rather than letting it wait in the bowl, even if you are baking later. Bake 10 to 12 minutes or until the cookies are puffed and a little crackled on the surface and feel soft and tender-but not squishy- when touched with a fingertip. Rotate the sheets from upper to lower and front to back about halfway through the time to insure even baking. The cookies will firm up as they cool.
6. 6
   Set the pan on racks to cool, or slide the pan liners from the baking sheets on the racks. Cookies keep in an airtight container for 2 to 3 days.