How to Make Cookies From Scratch
When Dorie Greenspan's neighbor ate the cookies she'd just given him, he declared they were so delicious that a daily dose of them would bring peace and happiness to Earth. Greenspan is the author of "Baking: From My Home to Yours," and the cookies she baked were a creation of French pastry chef Pierre Hermé. Originally called "Korova Cookies," the recipe was rechristened "World Peace Cookies" by Greenspan's neighbor. She says the recipe's secret is the salt, "fleur de sel," a moist off-white sea salt. But you can get the same effect with common fine sea salt. Does this Spark an idea?
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Things You'll Need
- 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1/2 tsp. baking soda
- 11 tbsp. unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 2/3 cup light brown sugar, packed
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1/2 tsp. fleur de sel or 1/4 tsp. fine sea salt
- 1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
- 5 oz bittersweet chocolate or 3/4 cup mini chocolate chips
- Sifter
- 2 mixing bowls
- Mixer
- Cutting board
- Plastic film
- 2 cookie sheets
- Knife
- Parchment paper or 2 silicone mats
Instructions
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1
Sift flour, cocoa powder and baking soda into a bowl.
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2
Beat the butter with a mixer on medium speed in a separate bowl until it becomes creamy.
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3
Add brown and white sugar, salt and vanilla extract to the butter and beat for two minutes.
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4
Add the sifted ingredients to the butter mixture. Pulse the mixer on low speed five times, for about two seconds each time.
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5
Look at the dough. If there's still a lot of flour on the surface, repeat step 4.
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6
Mix the dough for 30 seconds on low speed to finish incorporating the flour mixture into the dough.
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7
Chop the bittersweet chocolate and add the pieces to the dough or toss the chocolate chips in.
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8
Mix the dough as little as necessary to blend the chocolate bits with the dough.
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9
Move the dough to a cutting board and divide it in half. Shape each half into a log that's 1 1/2 inches in diameter.
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10
Wrap the logs separately in plastic film and refrigerate them for a minimum of three hours and a maximum of three days.
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11
Position a rack in the center of your oven. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit.
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12
Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper or silicone mats.
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13
Take the cookie logs out of the fridge and put them on a cutting board.
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14
Slice the logs into 1/2-inch rounds and put them on the cookie sheets, 1 inch apart.
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15
Bake one sheet of cookies at a time for 12 minutes each. Remove the baking sheet from the oven to a cooling rack.
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1
Tips & Warnings
It's okay if the dough looks crumbly. Handle it as little as necessary. Cover the bowl with a towel before you begin step 4 to prevent the flour from flying out. Use a very sharp knife in step 14. If the rounds crack, just press them together again.
Even though your cookies might not look done after 12 minutes, remove them from the oven.
References
Resources
- Photo Credit cookies image by Penny Williams from Fotolia.com
