HAPPY NATIONAL COOKIE DAY!
Although, really, do we need a reason to eat cookies? To celebrate, we thought we’d share our latest favorite cookie recipe from The Sweet Spot by former White House pastry chef Bill Yosses. The best part about this recipe, apart from ALL the chocolate? It has significantly less sugar than your typical cookie recipe, making these much better for you.
HIGH-PERCENTAGE-CHOCOLATE-CHOCOLATE COOKIES
MAKES 3 ½ DOZEN COOKIES
Ingredients:
1⁄2 cup tart dried cherries
8 ounces dark 80% chocolate
2 tablespoons unsalted high-fat European-style butter, at room temperature
2 ½ tablespoons whole wheat flour
1⁄2 teaspoon baking powder
Pinch of kosher salt
2 large eggs
1⁄3 cup (lightly packed) light brown sugar
1⁄2 teaspoon vanilla paste
1⁄2 cup pistachios, toasted and coarsely chopped
6 ounces milk chocolate cut into Toll House–size chunks
Sea salt flakes (optional)
Directions: 1 | Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line two rimmed baking sheets with parchment.
2 | Bring a small saucepan of water to a boil. Add the cherries and cook for 2 to 3 minutes to plump. Drain and spread on a paper towel.
3 | Combine the dark chocolate and butter in a small microwave-safe bowl and melt in the microwave in 5-second intervals, stirring after each, until it is thoroughly melted and looks smooth and glossy. Monitor the chocolate closely, as it can easily burn. Set aside to cool for at least 10 minutes.
4 | Combine the flour, baking powder, and salt in a fine-mesh sieve set over parchment and tap through to sift. Set aside. In the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat together the eggs and brown sugar on medium-high speed until the mixture is frothy. Add the flour mixture, vanilla, cherries, pistachios, and milk chocolate and mix until just incorporated.
5 | With the mixer running, add the cooled melted chocolate to the bowl and mix until just incorporated. Remove the bowl from the mixer
and finish mixing with a wooden spoon to avoid overbeating.
6 | Spoon walnut-size portions onto the prepared baking sheets, leaving an inch between them. Bake until the cookies form a crust with a slightly browned edge, about 8 minutes. For fudgier cookies, bake 6 to 7 minutes. Slide the parchment onto a marble or wooden countertop or onto a cold sheet pan to stop the baking. If desired, sprinkle a few flakes of sea salt onto each cookie while still soft. The cooled cookies will keep, tightly covered, for up to 4 days.
Reprinted from The Sweet Spot by arrangement with Avery/Pam Krauss Books, a member of Penguin Group (USA) LLC, A Penguin Random House Company. Copyright © 2017, Bill Yosses












