These easy-to-make, easy-to-eat, easy-to-love chocolate-chocolate chip cookies are from Pierre Hermé, the man Vogue magazine called “The Picasso of Pastry.” They are cocoa dark, not very sweet, chock-full of chocolate bits, melt-on-your-tongue buttery, just crumbly enough to be true sablés, or sand cookies, and just salty enough to catch you off guard.
In fact, the combination of chocolate and salt (Pierre uses the somewhat exotic fleur de sel, sea salt from the Guérande) makes these cookies fatally appealing. I don’t trust myself not to finish the batch in a sitting, and I’ll bet you’ll find yourself in the same spot — a warning to make these when you’re certain not to be alone.
Indeed, these are the easiest cookies to make for company because, despite their très French flavor, they are essentially American slice-and-bake icebox cookies. The dough is mixed in a flash, rolled into logs, and chilled, then cut into rounds and baked in minutes.
About the name: Korova was the name of the milk bar in Stanley Kubrick’s classic film A Clockwork Orange. It was also the name of a restaurant off the Champs-Élysées for which Pierre Hermé created these cookies. The restaurant is gone, but the cookies are still a specialty at Pierre’s patisserie as well as the house cookies at my house.–Dorie Greenspan
LC RUDE NOT TO NOTE
Even after that thorough note above, the author of this recipe, Dorie Greenspan, has one last flash of inspiration to offer:
“In moments of over-the-topness, I’ve added chopped toasted pecans, plumped currants, and a pinch of cinnamon to the dough and loved it. And, I’ve been known to cheat on the chocolate bits.
On the sad (but fortunately seldom) occasions when my cupboard is bare of Valrhona Guanaja (Pierre’s choice for these cookies, and one of my favorite chocolates), I’ve even used store-bought chocolate chips.”
Ahead of Time Tips
- The dough can be made ahead and chilled or frozen.
- If you’ve frozen the dough, you needn’t defrost it before baking — just slice the logs and bake the cookies 1 minute longer.
- Packed airtight, baked cookies will keep at room temperature for up to 3 days; they can be frozen for up to 1 month.
World Peace Cookies | Korova Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/3 cup Dutch-processed cocoa powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 stick (4 oz) unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 2/3 cup packed light brown sugar
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon fleur de sel, or 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 5 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped into small bits
Instructions
- In a large bowl, combine the flour, cocoa, and baking soda.
- Put the butter in the bowl of a mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and beat on medium speed until the butter is soft and creamy. (Alternatively, you can do this and all subsequent steps by hand, working with a sturdy rubber spatula.) Add both sugars, the salt, and vanilla extract and beat for another minute or two.
- Reduce the mixer speed to low and add the sifted dry ingredients. Mix only until the dry ingredients are incorporated—the dough will look crumbly, and that’s just right. For the best texture, you want to work the dough as little as possible once the flour is added. Toss in the chocolate pieces and mix only to incorporate.
- Turn the dough out onto a smooth work surface and squeeze it so that it sticks together in large clumps. Gather the dough into a ball, divide it in half, and working with one half at a time, shape the dough into logs that are 1 1/2 inches (4 cm) in diameter. Wrap the logs in plastic wrap and refrigerate them for at least 1 hour. (You can refrigerate the wrapped logs for up to 3 days or freeze them for up to 1 month.)
☞ TESTER TIP: Cookie dough logs have a way of ending up with hollow centers, so as you’re shaping each log, flatten it once or twice and roll it up from one long side to the other, just to make certain you haven’t got an air channel.
- Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 325°F (165°C). Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and keep them close at hand.
- Working with a sharp thin-bladed knife, slice the logs into rounds that are 1/2 inch (1.5 cm) thick. (Don’t be upset if the rounds break; just squeeze the broken-off bit back onto the cookie.) Place the cookies on the parchment-lined sheets, leaving about 1 inch (2.5 cm) spread space between them.
- Bake only one sheet of cookies at a time, and bake each sheet for 12 minutes. The cookies will not 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 stand until they are only just warm or until they reach room temperature—it's your call. Repeat with the second sheet of cookies.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Recipe Testers’ Reviews
I LOVE this recipe. It is, without question, the most perfect chocolate cookie in the history of chocolate cookies. They are practically a spiritual experience when warm. And they are heaven with a scoop of ice cream.
Seriously. If you need a chocolate fix, if you need to make a housewarming treat, if you need to beg forgiveness for just about anything, this cookie is your answer. This is the kind of cookie that you leave a roll in your freezer and pop it out when you need to brighten someone’s (including yourself) day. All hail the world peace cookie.
Though not very attractive, these world peace cookies are darkly, deeply chocolatey with a hint of salt that will satisfy even the most discriminating chocoholic. As a bonus, the texture is light, and the cookies practically melt in your mouth.
Since this is a slice-and-bake cookie, the dough can be kept ready in the freezer for chocolate emergencies or sliced and baked in small amounts. The introductory paragraph of this recipe warns the baker not to make these when home alone. This is absolutely true, as I couldn’t stop at one! I look forward to making this recipe again and again, perhaps trying some of the add-ins mentioned at the end of the recipe.
If you like a deep chocolate crispy cookie, then the cookie is for you. These are easy to make. They went together in about 20 minutes, sat in the refrigerator for at least an hour, then 12 minutes in the oven, and out came a delicious treat. The texture of this cookie resembles that of a shortbread cookie, but then add the dutch cocoa flavor and chocolate chips raise the shortbread to a new level. Delicious!
As I often say, I am the original cookie monster. I love, love, love cookies. They are my baked good of choice. However, and this is a huge caveat, I only like what I consider really good, homemade cookies. Even what is considered top-shelf commercial cookies, I won’t eat. Not worth the calories to me. These cookies are worth every single calorie.
They are chocolate-y through and through. Rich, dark, and delicious. I chilled my cookie dough logs overnight. I wanted to freeze one and slice and bake the other. Well, the best-laid plans. I have been slicing and baking 6 – 8 cookies a day since I made the dough. I tried to ration them, but self-control and I are not very good friends when it comes to something like this.
I am very proud to say that I finally forced myself to put half of one roll that was left in the freezer. I am looking forward to taking it out and being able to have more cookies sometime soon. BTW these cookies are fabulous at any temperature, but when they are still warm… oh yes! Dang, they’re amazing!
The perfect chocolate cookies! They have a deep chocolate flavor, the right texture, crunchy enough and soft at the same time, and the right sweet and salty balance. Easy to prepare and keep in the refrigerator or in the freeze, so you can always have them ready to bake.
These truly are my favorite cookies of all time! Chocolate and salt. There’s just something about the combination that makes my heart sing! I followed this recipe exactly with great success. I agree, there’s nothing particularly special about how these cookies look, but one bite, and all my taste testers were hooked (and asked that I bake them again for the next gathering). I actually think these could bring world peace if we could bake enough to share them 🙂 Definitely give these a try!
Here’s to world peace, Daniela! Thanks so much for sharing your experience…
“korova” means “cow” in Russian, and the film was based on the novel by Anthony Burgess – the milk bar in Stanley Kubrick’s film was taken directly from the book. Don’t know anything about the former restaurant in Paris or the baker who created these, but since the milk bar in the book dosed the milk with drugs, maybe the implication is that these cookies are addictive?
There is a chocolate candy in Russia and Ukraine called “korova” and it has a caramel filling.
Hi Becky, that I can’t tell you. Perhaps, we need to loop Dorie Greenspan in here?
OMG I just made these. They are AMAZING. I followed the recipe exactly. I didn’t roll the log evenly so the ends broke during slicing but the middle part sliced perfectly. I used Callebaut Dutch Processed Cocoa Powder and Callebaut bittersweet chocolate.
Love to hear that! Now I’m craving these cookies. Looks like I’ll be running to the store in the a.m., no matter how cold it is outside…