Korova Cookies

I've been meaning to make these for awhile, and on Saturday I had free time so just went for it. They have been floating around on the Internet for awhile (also under the name "World Peace Cookies", as they are named in Dorie's Baking book). They've gotten so many accolades that really, how could I not give them a shot.

The recipe is basically for a sable cookie, but a very chocolatey one - this recipe calls for not only cocoa powder, but bits of bittersweet chocolate as well. Can't go wrong with chocolate in any cookie, and I decided that even if they didn't turn out too well for me - you can't beat a baked good with chocolate in it, I mean someone in this house will certainly eat it.

Well, I am happy to report that they did, indeed, turn out well (thanks to the easy-to-understand recipe, something Dorie is known for in the baking world). And I am going to put it out there and just say it: I think this is one of my favorite cookies I've ever made. Like a sable cookie, they are crumbly yet soft-ish, and buttery, with a sandy texture in your mouth. But unlike your normal sable, these have a deep chocolate flavor (almost like a brownie), with a great salty kick to boot, taking them up a notch.

Now, when I had my food blog I used to blog about recipes that had potential, that could use a little tweaking, in short - not always the best recipe I've ever tried. But on this blog I'm only going for the good stuff, so as always - I highly suggest you give this one a try :)

Korova Cookies
(From Paris Sweets by Dorie Greenspan)

Ingredients:
1 1/4 c. all-purpose flour
1/3 c. unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 stick + 3 Tbsp. (11 Tbsp. total) unsalted butter, at room temperature
2/3 c. (packed) light brown sugar
1/4 c. sugar
1/2 tsp. fleur de sel (or 1/4 tsp. fine sea salt)
1 tsp. vanilla extract
5 oz. bittersweet chocolate, chopped into chip (or 3/4 c. store-bought mini chocolate chips)

Sift the flour, cocoa, and baking soda together.

Working with a stand mixer, preferably fitted with a paddle attachment, or with a hand mixer in a large bowl, beat the butter on medium speed until soft and creamy. Add both sugars, the salt and vanilla extract and beat for 2 minutes more.

Turn off the mixer. Pour in the flour, drape a kitchen towel over the stand mixer to protect yourself and your kitchen from flying flour and pulse the mixer at low speed about 5 times, a second or two each time. Take a peek — if there is still a lot of flour on the surface of the dough, pulse a couple of times more; if not, remove the towel. 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.

Getting ready to bake: Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 325 F. 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 are likely to 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 — they won’t look done, nor will they be firm, but 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 serve them or let them reach room temperature.