It’s a cross between French pastry chef Pierre Herme’s Korova cookies and Cape Cod baker Terri Horn’s savory chocolate oatmeal cookies, with additions of cinnamon and melted chocolate.
Get ahead: Logs of dough should be refrigerated for at least 1 hour and up to 2 days. They can be frozen for up to 1 month. Frozen dough can be sliced and baked immediately; leave an additional 1 or 2 minutes in the oven. Cookies can be stored in an airtight container for up to 3 days or frozen for up to 1 month.
Servings: 8 dozen cookies
Ingredients
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2 1/2 cups flour
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3/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder
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1 tablespoon baking soda
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1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
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1 cup coarsely chopped bittersweet chocolate (preferably 85 percent cocoa), plus 1 cup finely chopped bittersweet chocolate
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11 ounces (2 3/4 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
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1 1/2 cups sugar
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1 teaspoon kosher salt
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1 teaspoon vanilla extract
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Fleur de sel, to sprinkle
directions
Whisk together flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and cinnamon in a medium bowl.
Fill a small saucepan with an inch or two of water and heat over medium heat. Place the coarsely chopped chocolate in a bowl just large enough to cover the top of the pan. When chocolate begins to soften, stir until completely melted, then remove from heat.
Place butter in bowl of stand mixer or electric hand mixer; beat on medium speed until tender and creamy. Add sugar, salt and vanilla extract; beat about 1 minute, until incorporated. Reduce speed to low; add flour mixture in batches, mixing after each addition until incorporated; the dough will look crumbly. Then add the melted chocolate in an even stream. Add finely chopped chocolate, mixing until just combined.
Roll out the dough on a smooth work surface; divide it into 4 pieces for easier handling. Working with 1 piece at a time, shape the pieces into logs 1-2 inches in diameter. Wrap each log in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour (and up to 2 days) to firm up the dough and slice it easier.
When you’re ready to bake, position the oven racks in the middle and upper third of the oven; preheat to 325 degrees. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone molds.
Use a sharp chef’s knife to cut 1/4 inch rounds of dough. Because of the chopped chocolate and because the dough is dry, the cookies can sometimes crumble. If so, simply reconstitute them on the baking sheet. Space the slices about 1 inch apart on the baking sheets. Sprinkle them with fleur de sel. Bake for 5-6 minutes, then rotate the baking sheets up and down and back and forth. Bake for 5 to 6 minutes; the cookies will not change much in appearance; they will harden as they cool. Do not overcook.
Transfer the baking sheets to the stove (off the heat); let cookies cool for a few minutes before transferring to wire rack to cool completely. Repeat to use all the batter.
Origin of the recipe
Adapted from “Stir: Mixing It Up in the Italian Tradition,” by Barbara Lynch (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2009).
Tested by Lucy Shackelford.
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