Remember those sweet and salty brownies? I promised you that if you picked up some fleur de sel I'd help you find other ways to use it (though making batch after batch of those brownies certainly wouldn't be a bad thing!). These cookies are for the chocolate-lover. They have that deep, dark chocolate flavor that is more reminiscent of a brownie or fudge than a cookie typically.
I was smitten after my first tastes of the chilled dough. Because it's egg free, there's no worries about sampling this cookie dough (not that the presence of eggs usually stops me anyway). These are actually slice and bake cookies, meaning it's easy to always have a log of dough ready to slice and pop in the oven. I stored my dough for three days in the fridge before baking my cookies, which I found to be equally alluring both warm and at room temperature twenty-four hours later. My favorite bites were those that stumbled upon a fleck of fleur de sel....quite possibly my new favorite ingredient!
If chocolate's your thing, you need these!
(ps. These are a Dorie Greenspan creation and are titled World Peace cookies because some have said that a daily dose of these cookies are enough to ensure World Peace!)
(pps. Looking for other Dorie recipes [she's amazing]? Try Chocolate Peanut Butter Torte, Carrot Spice Muffins, Chocolate Oatmeal Almost-Candy Bars, or her Marbled Black and White Banana Bread)
One Year Ago: Flip It Pan Review
Two Years Ago: Overnight Egg Casserole & Raisin Bran Muffins
World Peace Cookies
from Dorie Greenspan, as seen on Smitten Kitchen
Ingredients:
-1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
-1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
-1/2 tsp baking soda
-1 stick plus 3 tbsp (11 tbsp) unsalted butter, at room temperature
-2/3 cup (packed) light brown sugar
-1/4 cup sugar
-1/2 tsp fleur de sel (can sub 1/4 tsp fine sea salt)
-1 tsp vanilla extract
-5 oz. bittersweet chocolate, chopped into chips or a generous 3/4 cup mini chocolate chips
Directions:
1. In a small bowl, sift together the flour, cocoa, and baking soda.
2. In a stand mixer, or a hand mixer with a large bowl, beat butter on medium until creamy. Add both sugars, salt, and vanilla and beat for an additional 2 minutes.
3. Turn off the mixer. Pour in the flour mixture, drape a kitchen towel over the stand mixer (to prevent a mess!), and pulse the mixer at low speed about 5 times (1 or 2 seconds each time). Pulse a few more times if there is lots of flour still on the surface of the dough. Work the dough as little as possible, it's okay if it's a little crumbly looking.
4. Stir in the chocolate pieces, mixing just until combined.
5. Place the dough on a work surface and divide in half. Work with one half at a time and shape the dough into logs (1 1/2 inches in diameter). Wrap the logs in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 3 hours (can refrigerate for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 2 months. If baking from frozen, don't defrost, just add 1 minute to baking time).
6. To bake: preheat oven to 325F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone mats.
7. Using a sharp knife, slice logs into 1/2-inch thick rounds (they may crack a bit--just squeeze the pieces back together). Arrange the rounds on baking sheets with 1 inch between each.
8. Bake the cookies one sheet at a time for 12 minutes (they won't look done). Transfer the baking sheet to a cooling rack and let the cookies rest until just warm, before serving or letting them reach room temperature.
*Cookies will keep at room temperature for up to 3 days or be frozen for 2 months