• Course: Dessert
• Features: Holiday (Christmas), Make-Ahead Recipes

Ingredients:

• 2 1/2 cups flour
• 3/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 tablespoon baking soda
• 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
• 1 cup coarsely chopped bittersweet chocolate (preferably 85 percent cacao), plus 1 cup finely chopped bittersweet chocolate
• 11 ounces (2 3/4 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• Fleur de sel, for sprinkling

Directions:

Whisk together the 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 saucepan. When the chocolate begins to soften, stir until completely melted, then remove from the heat.

Place the butter in the bowl of a stand mixer or a hand-held electric mixer; beat on medium speed until soft and creamy. Add the sugar, salt and vanilla extract; beat for about 1 minute, until incorporated. Reduce the speed to low; add the flour mixture in several increments, mixing after each addition until incorporated; the dough will look crumbly. Then add the melted chocolate in a steady stream. Add the finely chopped chocolate, mixing until just combined.

Turn the dough out onto 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 to 2 inches in diameter. Wrap each log in plastic wrap and chill for at least 1 hour (and up to 2 days) to firm the dough for easier slicing.

When ready to bake, position oven racks in the middle and upper third of the oven; preheat to 325 degrees. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone liners.

Use a sharp chef's knife to cut 1/4-inch rounds of the dough. Because of the chopped chocolate and because the dough is on the dry side, the cookies may crumble at times. If they do, just piece them back together on the baking sheet. Space the slices about 1 inch apart on the baking sheets. Sprinkle them with the fleur de sel. Bake for 5 to 6 minutes, then rotate the baking sheets top to bottom and front to back. Bake for 5 to 6 minutes; the cookies will not change much in appearance; they will set as they cool. Do not overbake.

Transfer the baking sheets to the stove top (off the heat); let the cookies cool for a few minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely. Repeat to use all the dough.

Recipe Source:

Adapted from "Stir: Mixing It Up in the Italian Tradition," by Barbara Lynch (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2009).

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