Chocolate Cookies with Fleur de Sel

Name: Chocolate Cookies with Fleur de Sel
Cuisine: French
Ingredients: 175g flour; 30g cocoa powder; 1/2 teaspoon baking powder; 150g butter at room temperature; 170g brown sugar; 1/2 teaspoon fleur de sel (or 1/4 teaspoon sea salt); 1 teaspoon vanilla extract; 150g dark chocolate (i used dark chocolate with coffee); makes: 40

September 27, 2011

Valentine's Day Lacto-Ovo Vegetarian Recipes French Desserts

Recipe: Chocolate Cookies with Fleur de Sel

A new recipe bearing the Pierre Hermé signature. And a new ingredient "fleur de sel", the most precious salt. Precious literally, because the price is quite steep. But the taste is equally "precious", which is why it pairs beautifully even in desserts (I ate some amazing caramels with fleur de sel in Paris!). Unfortunately, I couldn't find Pierre Hermé himself - during that period he was on vacation and all his patisseries were closed 😢 But that's for next time. Until then, I console myself with his recipes.

Ingredients

175g flour
30g cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
150g butter at room temperature
170g brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon fleur de sel (or 1/4 teaspoon sea salt)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
150g dark chocolate (I used dark chocolate with coffee)

Makes: 40

How to prepare chocolate cookies with fleur de sel

Sift the flour with cocoa and baking powder. If necessary, mix to ensure they're evenly combined.
Beat the butter with a mixer until creamy (about 2 minutes). Add the sugar, salt, and vanilla extract and mix for another 2-3 minutes.
Add the flour mixture over the butter and with a spatula or your fingers, gently mix just until the flour is absorbed by the butter. The mixture will be slightly sandy, but that's okay, don't mix it more because the cookies will turn out hard.
Add the chocolate cut into small pieces and gently mix again until combined.
Divide the mixture in half.
Place each portion on plastic wrap. Shape into a log with a diameter of about 5cm. Roll in the wrap.
Refrigerate the logs for at least 1 hour.
Cut the log into slices about 1cm thick. If the slices break a bit, it's fine, just press them back together.
Place the slices on a tray lined with parchment paper and bake at 170°C for 12 minutes. The cookies will be soft when you take them out but that's okay, don't leave them longer. Let them cool and they'll harden and become "sandy" in texture.