World Peace Cookies

By Hklbrries

When we caught up with Dorie Greenspan, who divides her time between New York and Paris, she was in the midst of preparing another cookbook and signing copies of Baking From My Home to Yours, a collection of her favorite baking and dessert recipes. It’s a gorgeous, jumbo-size book, filled with recipes that Dorie has been working on for years and full-page pictures of knock-your-socks-off desserts.

For as far back as she can remember, Dorie’s passion has been desserts and although she has baked at some of New York’s top spots, she calls herself a home cook. ‘I write for someone like me,’ she says.

Indeed, baking from one of her recipes is the next best thing to having Dorie standing by your side in the kitchen. She understands the problems home cooks can run into when they’re baking and knows how to reassure them. When they’re mixing a batter, for instance, and it starts to look funny, Dorie writes, "don't be concerned if the mixture looks curdled, it will even out shortly.’" And before they know it, the batter is perfectly smooth. "My recipes are not models of brevity,’ she says, ‘but I want to help cooks be successful."

Here are Dorie's top 5 cookie-baking tips plus her recipe for World Peace Cookies.

1. Start with ingredients at room temperature.

2. Beat butter and sugar just until smooth.

3. Add flour and beat just until it disappears into the dough.

4. Use cool cookie sheets, line with parchment, nonstick aluminum foil, or silicone mats, and leave room between cookies so they’re not crowded.

5. Cool cookies after they’re baked so flavors set and texture develops.


World Peace Cookies:

These cookies were named by one of Greenspan’s friends who said a daily dose of them is all that’s needed for planetary peace and happiness.

Ingredients

• 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 cup (1 stick), plus 3 tablespoons, unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 2/3 cup packed light brown sugar
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 5 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped into small chunks, or a generous 3/4 cup store-bought mini-chocolate chips

Details

Servings 36
Adapted from relish.com

Preparation

Step 1

Sift together flour, cocoa and baking soda.

Beat butter until soft and creamy. Add both sugars, salt and vanilla and beat just until blended. Turn off mixer; add flour mixture and beat at low speed just until flour is mixed into dough. Dough may look crumbly. Add chocolate pieces and mix to incorporate.

Divide dough in half. Shape each potion into a 9-inch log and wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate at least 3 hours and up to 3 days.

Preheat oven to 325 F.

Cut logs into 1/2-inch slices. If dough crumbles, squeeze back together. Arrange cookies 1-inch apart on parchment or silicone mat-lined cookie sheets. Bake one sheet at a time 12 minutes. (The cookies won’t be firm or look done, but that’s the way they should be.) Place cookie sheet on wire rack and cool until cookies are warm. Serve warm or at room temperature.