Title: Black magic cookies w/blackstrap icing
 Categories: Chocolate, Cookies
      Yield: 48 Servings
 
MMMMM---------------------------BATTER--------------------------------
      1 c  Raisins
    1/4 c  Dark rum
      3 c  Flour
    1/4 c  Unsweetened cocoa
      2 tb Baking powder
    1/2 ts Ground allspice
    1/2 ts Ground cinnamon
    1/8 ts Salt
      8 oz Semisweet chocolate; cut
           -into 1/4" pieces
    1/2 lb Unsalted butter; cut into 1
           -oz pieces
      1 c  Firmly packed brown sugar
      3 lg Eggs
      1 ts Vanilla

MMMMM---------------------------ICING--------------------------------
      6 oz Semisweet chocolate; cut
           -into 1/4" pieces
    3/4 c  Heavy cream
    1/4 lb Unsalted butter; cut into 1
           -oz pieces
      2 tb Blackstrap molasses
 
  Combine the raisins and rum in a plastic container with a tight
  fitting lid and steep at room temp for 6 hours or overnight. Preheat
  oven to 350@. In a sifter combine the flour, cocoa powder, baking
  powder, allspice, cinnamon and salt. Sift onto wax paper and set
  aside til needed. Heat 1" of water in the bottom half of a dbl boiler
  over medium heat. With the heat on, place the chocolate in the top
  half. Use a rubber spatula to stir the chocolate til completely
  melted and smooth, about 3 mins. Transfer the melted chocolate to a 1
  qt bowl and set aside til needed. Combine the butter and brown sugar
  in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle. Beat on medium
  speed for 4 mins til soft. Use a rubber spatula to scrape down sides
  of the bowl. Continue to beat on medium for 4 more mins til fairly
  smooth. Scrape down the bowl, then beat on high for 2 mins til
  smooth. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating on medium for 1 min and
  scraping down bowl after each addition. Add the vanilla and beat on
  high 1 min; scrape down bowl. Add the melted chocolate and beat on
  medium 30 seconds til incorporated. Add the rum infused raisins and
  mix on low for 30 seconds til combined; scrape down bowl. Operate the
  mixer on low while gradually adding the dry ingredients. When all the
  dry ingredients have been incorporated, about 2 mins, remove the bowl
  from the mixer and use a rubber spatula to finish mixing the dough
  til thoroughly combined. Using a heaping tbsp of dough for each
  cookie, portion 12 cookies, evenly spaced, onto each of 4 nonstick
  baking sheets. Place the sheets on the top and center racks of the
  preheated oven and bake for 10 to 12 mins, rotating the sheets from
  top to center about halfway thru the baking time (also turn each
  sheet 180@). Remove the cookies from the oven and cool to room temp
  on the baking sheets, about 30 mins. To make the icing: Place the
  chocolate in a 3 qt bowl. Heat the heavy cream, butter and molasses
  in a 1 1/2 qt saucepan over medium heat. Stir to dissolve the
  molasses, then bring to a boil. Pour the boiling mixture over the
  chocolate and set aside for 5 mins. Stir til smooth. Keep the icing
  at room temp for 1 hour before using. Ice the cookies by spooning
  about 1 tbsp atop each one.
  
  Recipe