Recipes : World Peace Cookies by Dorie Greenspan

I first saw these cookies on the Instagram of my friend La Cuisine Paris which they just happened to be a gift from Dorie Greenspan herself. I quickly messaged my Aunt with a photo who is my baking guru. She immediately knew them as “world peace cookies” after a quick search I found the recipe and knew I had to make them I was invited to fondue night at my friend Jennifer’s house so I thought they would make a sweet dessert. I try to plan my cooking/baking around parties so I am not stuck with 3 dozen cookies I am always happy to share with friends. 

I recently got a Kitchen Aid Mixer which is a bit of a big deal for me. A little backstory on me, I moved to Chicago after three years of traveling. I had a suitcase and a bed and that was pretty much it. The first piece of furniture I purchased was a couch and that big decision. Owning a Kitchen Aid Mixer is a bit of a commitment for me and it makes me feel like a grown up. ( I am almost 35)  It’s also a bit odd owning one as a single female since I think it’s a regular wedding registry item. I plan on using it often as it has a perfect spot on my counter top. Now I am thinking of more ways it can be broken in. In case you are wondering what color I finally decided to go with… black 😉 I love the color pink as you might know but long term I felt black was the best option as I will one day have a different kitchen. 

So I am not sure why the recipe is called “World Peace Cookies” but my Aunt says sharing them helps spread world peace. Trust me when I tell you they are so good and even better fresh out of the oven. Since the light is terrible in the Winter I had to make these around 3 pm in Chicago and I found every excuse to keep snacking on them. Thank goodness for my morning workout. You should go ahead and pre-make the dough because it does have to sit in the fridge for 3 hours. 

Ingredients:

Makes about 36 delicious cookies

1 1/4 cups (170 grams) all purpose flour

1/3 cup (28 grams) unsweetened cocoa powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1 stick plus 3 tablespoons (11 tablespoons; 5 1/2 ounces, 155 grams) unsalted butter, cut into chunks, at room temperature

2/3 cup (134 grams) packed light brown sugar 

1/4 cup (50 grams) sugar

1/2 teaspoon fleur de sel or 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

5 ounces (142 grams best-quality bittersweet chocolate, chopped into irregular sized bits) 

Directions: 

Sift the flour, cocoa, and baking soda together.

Working with a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or in a large bowl with a hand mixer, beat the butter and both sugars together on medium speed until soft, creamy and homogenous, about 3 minutes. Beat in the salt and vanilla. Turn off the mixer, and add the dry ingredients and pulse a few times to start the blending. When the risk of flying flour has passed, turn the mixer to low and beat until the dough forms big, moist curds. Toss in the chocolate pieces and mix to incorporate. This is an unpredictable dough. Sometimes it’s crumbly and sometimes it comes together and cleans the sides of the bowl. Happily, no matter what, the cookies are always great. (Note my dough was super crumbly but they still turned out) 

Turn the dough out onto a work surface and gather it together, kneading it if necessary to bring it together. Divide the dough in half. Shape the dough into logs that are 1 1/2 inches in diameter. Don’t worry about the length – get the diameter right, and the length will follow. (If you get a hollow in the logs, just start over) Wrap the logs in plastic wrap and freeze them for at least 2 hours or refrigerate them for 3 hours.

When you’re ready to bake. Center a rack in the oven and preheat it to 325 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats. 

Working with one log at a time and using a long, sharp knife, slice the dough into 1/2 inch thick rounds. (The rounds might 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 2 inches between them. I had 4 logs total and kept them in the fridge until they were ready to be cut and placed into the oven. 

Bake the cookies for 12 minutes – don’t open the oven, just let them bake. When the timer rings, they won’t look done, nor will they be firm and 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 munch on them or let them reach room temperature. 

The cookies were a huge hit at the party and I will be making more to send to my sister as I know the whole family will love them too! Emma included who insists she doesn’t like chocolate but is quickly changing her ways. 

Note: Eggs are not used in this dough so it’s totally safe to taste when cooking. I will admit I did! 

The recipe is from Dorie Greenspan who has a cookbook Dorie’s Cookies which is filled with fabulous recipes. The cover is the world peace cookie!