I have just stumbled upon a cookie (biscuit) recipe that will blow your chocolate loving minds and I am not exaggerating. I found it in a cookbook written by Dorie Greenspan, a woman who is enamoured with Paris and its sweets. She shall now be known as my brand new baking buddy.
So good are these that even in their uncooked state they can bring tears to your eyes. My initial batch barely made it to the oven – the frenzy in the kitchen to get to the fudgy dough was nothing short of animalistic. I could blame it on the children but no, I have to admit I was just as involved as they were.
They are perfectly described as light yet dense, with drops of bittersweet chocolate that not only increase the already intense chocolate flavour but take you to chocolate cookie nirvana.
You should get around 36 cookies – if you don’t start nibbling on that cookie dough that is.
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, at room temperature
2/3 cup (120 grams) (packed) light brown sugar
1/4 cup (50 grams) sugar
1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
150 grams/5 ounces of bittersweet chocolate, chopped into chips, or store-bought mini chocolate chips
Sift the flour, cocoa and baking soda together.
Working with a stand mixer, preferably fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter on medium speed until soft and creamy. Add both sugars, the salt and vanilla extract and beat for 3 minutes more.
Turn off the mixer. Pour in the flour, and pulse the mixer at low speed about 5 times, two – three seconds each time. If there is still a lot of flour on the surface of the dough, pulse a couple of times more. 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 (160°C). Line two baking sheets with parchment or silicone mats.
Working with a sharp thin knife, slice the logs into rounds that are 1/2 inch thick. (The rounds can 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 one inch between them.
Bake the cookies one sheet at a time for 12 minutes ( no longer!). Transfer the baking sheet to a cooling rack and let the cookies rest until they firm up and are only just warm, at which point you can serve them or let them reach room temperature.
Notes: In Paris Sweets these cookies are called Korova Cookies, Sables Korova was the resaurant for which Pierre Herme created them.
Source: Paris Sweets, Dorie Greenspan Paris Sweets: Great Desserts From the City’s Best Pastry Shops
© 2010 – 2011, Michelle. All rights reserved.
