Boomchunka-lunka - UPDATED to include the recipe

Lex's birthday is Tuesday.

We don't...OK HE doesn't...celebrate birthdays, Christmas, or really any holiday in general unless forced to participate by me, your Lovely Hostess.

But I don't like birthdays to go unrecognized¹ and so I always make sure to bake him a treat of his choice.

This year, he requested Boomchunkas.

What the hell is a Boomchunka, you may be asking yourself.

It looks like this:




And no, I did not go out to the nearest cow pasture to scoop this up and serve it with ice cream. This is a cookie - a dark chocolate, buttery, cookie chock full o' pretty much everything you can imagine putting into a cookie. Bittersweet chocolate, oats, pecans, chocolate chips, and dried cherries.

I cannot think of these cookies without getting this stuck in my head:



I don't know why.

Anyway!

I was introduced to these cookies last year when I, in my infinite wisdom, asked a particular someone to name his favorite cookie. He came back at me with "Boomchunka."

Uhm...huh?

So he sent me the recipe.

And I set out to make them because, you know, I fancy myself a baker and there is absolutely nothing complicated about cookies.

Except...

I don't know if it's because these cookies are so huge or if they just are so crammed with stuff or if it's because baking with real butter which melts at a much lower temperature and thus does this stupid thing called "spreads" but I cannot, for the life of me, get these cookies to look pretty.

But they are tasty.

I'd only made them the one time so I'm surprised Lex even remembered them. I suppose that's a testament to their awesomeness regardless of how they look.

Still...if any of you have a suggestion on how to make these behave themselves and do what I tell them to do, I'd sure appreciate it. Because...well...gah!

UPDATE:

I've been getting a lot of hits on the blog by people searching for a boomchunka recipe. Since I am also nice and like doing public service, I've updated this entry to include the recipe I've used. The original posting of this recipe was over at whatgeekseat.com but, according to my research, the entire blog has been deleted.

So! Here you go...


Triple Chocolate Boomchunkas
adapted from Baking: From My Home To Yours by Dorie Greenspan
2 sticks of butter
9 ounces bittersweet chocolate
2 eggs
¾ cup white sugar
¾ cup dark brown sugar
1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
½ cup cocoa
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon cinnamon
1 ½ cup old fashioned rolled oats
1 cup semisweet chocolate morsels
1 cup coarsely chopped pecans
1 cup dried cherries

Preheat oven to 350°.

Line a cookie sheet with a silicone mat or parchment (I use Silpats...they are awesome!).

Melt the bittersweet chocolate and butter in a saucepan over low heat until completely melted and then stir.

Add the brown and white sugar and stir.

Stir in the eggs.

Combine flour, cocoa, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon in a large bowl (original recipe says sift...I rarely sift anything).

Slowly add the liquid mixture to the dry ingredients and mix well.

Add the oats, chocolate chips, pecans, and cherries until all ingredients are thoroughly combined.

Using a 1/3 cup measuring cup, scoop out 6 cookies and place on cookie sheet.

Flatten each mound to 1/2-3/4" thick.

Bake for 12-15 minutes.

And if you figure out how to make these look as pretty as they taste? Let me know!

UPDATED: The secret to "pretty" with these cookies - as is true with nearly everything butter-based - is to chill the dough for at least an hour before baking. You're welcome.


1: Oh yes, I know you know who you are when I say pffffffffft. And that is all about me.