Wildly Wicked Chocolate Fudge Crackle Cookies

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Butter 3 large (18-by-13-inch) baking sheets.

Melt 1 1/2 cups chocolate chips in heavy small saucepan over low heat, stirring constantly until melted and smooth. Remove from heat.

Using electric mixer set on low speed, beat both sugars, eggs, corn syrup, instant coffee granules and extract in medium bowl to blend. Increase speed to high and beat until thickened, about 3 minutes. Add barely lukewarm melted chocolate and beat until smooth. Reduce speed to low. Add flour and baking powder and beat just until combined. Mix in 1 1/2 cups chocolate chips. Refrigerate mixture until firm enough to mound on spoon, about 15 minutes.

Drop dough ( it will be soft) by well mounded tablespoonfuls onto prepared sheets, spacing evenly apart and forming 6 cookies per sheet. Bake cookies 8 minutes. Reverse cookie sheets and continue baking until cracked on top and softly set, about 8 minutes longer. Cool cookies on sheets 5 minutes. Using metal spatula, transfer cookies to racks and cool completely. (Can be made 2 days ahead. Store in airtight container at room temperature.)

OPTIONS:

• For a more formal looking cookie, chill the dough for 1 hour, then roll in balls. Roll the balls in powdered sugar and then bake. As the cookies bake, they will crack, leaving pretty chocolate cracks in the powdered sugar.

• For chocolate-mint cookies, omit the instant coffee granules and add 1/2 teaspoon peppermint extract.