Chocolate lovers of the world unite!
Have you ever had a cookie so good it stopped you in your tracks? Well be prepared to taste what that’s like with this recipe, which was first created nearly 20 years ago in Paris by Pierre Hermé. The cookies were given their unusual name when a neighbor of culinary guru and cookbook author, Dorie Greenspan, remarked that if everyone could try these cookies there would be world peace at last.
The cookies get a nice, chewy consistency from the addition of brown sugar. Plus, the chocolate chunks add a gooey texture that few can resist. If you have any chocolate lovers in your inner circle then this might be just the treat for them.
This recipe was considered at the time of its creation to be a fusion between French and American baking traditions since brown sugar was not used in French cuisine much back then and adding sea salt to sweets was a French trend that had yet to gain traction worldwide. The original recipe used French fleur de sel, which was not a common ingredient in sweet treats until maybe 10 years ago. This was long before salted caramel ice cream and salted chocolate bars lined grocery store shelves.
Makes 36 cookies
25 minutes active, 3 hours inactive
INGREDIENTS
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
11 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
2/3 cup light brown sugar
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup semi-sweet mini chocolate chips
PREPARATION
When ready to bake, preheat oven to 325°F and line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Set aside.
In a small bowl, sift together the flour, cocoa powder, and baking soda. Set aside.
In a large bowl, beat the butter on medium speed with an electric mixer until smooth and creamy.
Add sugar, brown sugar, salt, and vanilla and beat for 2 more minutes. Add half of the flour mixture and mix on low until just combined. Add remaining flour and mix until combined. Stir in chocolate chips.
Turn dough out onto a countertop or work surface and divide dough in half. Shape each section into logs that are 1 1/2 inches in diameter. Wrap each log in plastic and chill until firm, at least 3 hours.
Once chilled, slice logs into 1/2-inch thick rounds.
Place rounds on prepared baking sheets 1-inch apart. Bake until firm around the edges but soft in the center, about 12 minutes.
Let cool 5 minutes on baking sheet before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
