After dinner the other night my husband asked what was for dessert. Nothing was made, so I asked what he had in mind. He said with some certainty that we should probably have cookies. Chocolate ones. Who am I to argue with that?
(Yes, both my cookie sheets and my cutting board are well-used. I bake and cook a lot.)
There isn’t usually a stash of chocolate in the pantry; I don’t buy much because if I keep it on hand it gets eaten, at which point I don’t have it anyway. To be clear, I am not the only one who has been known to snack on chocolate chips in this house. This week was different — I actually had cocoa powder and a bar of Ghiradelli bittersweet baking chocolate. That meant I had all the ingredients to make Dorie Greenspan’s world peace cookies.
They’re a chocolate-y, chewy shortbread with melty chunks to contrast with the almost-crumbly cookie in each bite. Will they yield world peace? Maybe not, but that’s no reason not to try.
Many bloggers (including the Tuesdays With Dorie baking group) have made these cookies and there were some complaints about the dough being too crumbly. I modified the directions slightly for the mixing and didn’t have any problems at all. I also substituted whole wheat pastry flour for almost half of the flour content with no issue. I like to live dangerously.
My husband approved, however, and much preferred the cookies to the stir fry I made for dinner which contained cauliflower, his arch-nemesis.
World Peace Cookies
Adapted from Baking: From My Home to Yours by Dorie Greenspan
Yields about 3 dozen cookies
Ingredients:
1 1/4 cups (175 grams) all-purpose flour
1/3 cup (30 grams) unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
11 tablespoons (150 grams) unsalted butter, room temperature
2/3 cup packed (120 grams) light brown sugar
1/4 cup (50 grams) granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon fleur de sel or 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
5 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped into chips, or a generous 3/4 cup store-bought mini chocolate chips
Directions:
1.) Sift together the flour, cocoa powder, and baking soda.
2.) In a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, beat the butter until creamy. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and add the white and brown sugars, salt, and vanilla, and beat two more minutes.
3.) With the mixer stopped, add about a quarter to a third of the sifted dry ingredients. Turn the mixer briefly on low speed and “pulse” a few times. Be careful or you will get a face full of cocoa powder. Repeat until all dry ingredients have been added and mix about 30 seconds on low speed just until mostly incorporated. It’s fine if there is still some loose in the bottom of the bowl. Add chocolate chips and stir briefly with a rubber scraper or spoon just until mixed.
4.) Turn dough out onto a clean work surface and divide it approximately in half. Place each half onto a piece of plastic wrap and form each one into a log about 1 1/2 inches in diameter. Wrap well and refrigerate at least 3 hours (up to 3 days), or freeze for up to 2 months (just bake one minute longer).
5.) To bake, preheat oven to 325F with rack in the center. Line baking sheets with parchment paper or silpats.
6.) Unwrap the dough logs and use a sharp knife to slice coins about 1/2 inch thick. If they crumble, just press them back together. Arrange slices on a baking sheet about an inch apart. Bake one sheet at a time for 12 minutes at 325F. Let cool for a few minutes on the tray, then remove to a cooling rack. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Never miss a recipe: Subscribe via RSS feed or you can also follow me on Twitter.
{ 5 comments… read them below or add one }
Oh my goodness, how could those not inspire world peace? Yum!
It’s quite a nice combination of textures, plus I like chilled cookie dough that I can bake up a few at a time (mostly to prevent myself from eating the whole batch). They definitely made our house more peaceful. =)
Why have I not thought about just baking up a few at a time. It seriously never crossed my mind. heh.
I liked the glamour shot of the cookies. They look so chewy and good.
Hahaha, glamour shot! You crack me up. =)