This month I’ve started doing something that I’ve always wanted to try, but never been able to keep up with: weekly meal planning. Not only is it a way to save money, it makes the evenings when we come back from work a breeze. I am the worst when it comes to deciding what to have for dinner when I’m tired, stressed, have work or chores to do and the list goes on. I find that when I’ve planned it out in advance, I can’t change my mind and don’t need to run to the store for any extra ingredients or impulse buys (CHOCOLATE!). We have even planned our lunches that we take with us to work, snacks and breakfasts. At first, it seemed like a lot of effort sitting down planning, writing grocery lists and doing a big shop all on the weekend but after doing it for a few weeks it really has turned out to be worth it. I’ve even managed to fit in some time for baking! Hence the most delicious cookies I’ve baked in a long time.
I first read about these cookies on one of my favorite food-related sites : Food 52. It was a recipe called World Peace Cookies by Dorie Greenspan and Pierre Hermé. The title is what drew me in to this recipe- any cookie that claims to be able to do the one thing that many Pageant girls have spent countless hours wishing for sounds like one heck of a delicious cookie to me. As if I wasn’t already sold, these delights were described in the post as, “Shortbread cookie meets salted chocolate chip, and world peace feels within reach.” Talk about my idea of heaven.
These cookies are really intensely flavored. If you like dark chocolate you will thank me for these! They are crumbly in texture with chunks of rich dark chocolate and flecks of sea salt to give it that salty sweet combination that I love so much. Be warned: DO NOT over bake these cookies. When you take them out after 12 minutes they will be soft and not look like they’re done, but trust me- when they cool they will firm up and give that lovely sandy texture with every bite.
Bonus: these cookies smell amazing when they’re baking in the oven.
From Dorie Greenspan's Baking: From My Home to Yours
Ingredients
- 1 1/4 cup all-purpose flour (see note)
- 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (see note)
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 stick plus 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
- 2/3 cups packed light brown sugar
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1 tsp fleur del sel
- 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 5 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped into chips (no pieces larger than 1/3 inch), or a generous 3/4 cup store-bought mini chocolate chips
Instructions
- Sift the flour, cocoa and baking soda together.
- Working with a stand mixer, preferably fitted with a paddle attachment, or with a hand mixer in a large bowl, beat the butter on medium speed until soft and creamy. Add both sugars, the salt and vanilla extract and beat for 2 minutes more.
- Turn off the mixer. Pour in the dry ingredients, drape a kitchen towel over the stand mixer to protect yourself and your kitchen from flying flour and pulse the mixer at low speed about 5 times, a second or two each time. Take a peek — if there is still a lot of flour on the surface of the dough, pulse a couple of times more; if not, remove the towel. Continuing at low speed, mix for about 30 seconds more, just until the flour disappears into the dough — for the best texture, work the dough as little as possible once the flour is added, and don't be concerned if the dough looks a little crumbly. Toss in the chocolate pieces and mix only to incorporate.
- Turn the dough out onto a work surface, gather it together and divide it in half. Working with one half at a time, shape the dough into logs that are 1 1/2 inches in diameter. Wrap the logs in plastic wrap and refrigerate them for at least 3 hours. (The dough can be refrigerated for up to 3 days or frozen for up to 2 months. If you've frozen the dough, you needn't defrost it before baking — just slice the logs into cookies and bake the cookies 1 minute longer.)
- Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 325 °F. Line two baking sheets with parchment or silicone mats.
- Using a sharp thin knife, slice the logs into rounds that are 1/2 inch thick. (The rounds are likely to crack as you're cutting them — don't be concerned, just squeeze the bits back onto each cookie.) Arrange the rounds on the baking sheets, leaving about 1 inch between them.
- Bake the cookies one sheet at a time for 12 minutes — they won't look done, nor will they be firm, but that's just the way they should be. Transfer the baking sheet to a cooling rack and let the cookies rest until they are only just warm, at which point you can serve them or let them reach room temperature.
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