I have been...

wanting to try baking this cookie since I saw it in Dorie's book Paris Sweets: Great Desserts Pastry . In that book the cookies were called Korova cookies. It was also in her newer book Baking from My Home to Yours but renamed to World Peace Cookies. The name change was suggested by her friend, who loved it so much and claimed that if everyone were to have eaten this cookie there would be world peace. I wish it was that easy!

At last a couple of days ago, when I decided that it is about time I used up my precious cache of premium professional 70% chocolate and cocoa powder, I tried out this cookie recipe. What is the main difference between this recipe with the normal run-of-the mill recipes? One thing for sure, it uses salt. Not a pinch but at least 1/2 teaspoon of fleur de sel. And some of you may ask, "What in earth is 'fleur de sel'?" Fleur de sel is french for flower of the salt. It is expensive sea salt, normally harvested from off the coast of Brittany in France. It is mineral rich which attributes to its grey colour. It is usually used as a final seasoning before one partakes food...in other words you sprinkle it on your food before eating. In the cookie recipe you may replace the fleur de salt with normal fine table salt but only 1/4 teaspoon. The cookie is not salty at all, but the salt and the amount of it enhances the sweetness and the chocolate factor.

The other difference in this recipe is that there is no egg, or milk. Therefore the taste of the chocolate and cocoa defines the cookie. Therefore it is worth to invest in top quality ingredients. Use at least 60% chocolate (meaning there is at least 60% cocoa in the chocolate).

It is the closest sibling to a brownie in a cookie form. The taste of chocolate is very clear and leaves no question unanswered. It would be delicious accompanied with milk. The cookie is abit crumbly but you would not want to waste any crumbs...