We’re delighted to share Dorie Greenspan’s upgraded recipe of her famous World Peace Cookies. Here's Dorie’s explanation of how this new version of her iconic cookie came to be: “Charlotte Druckman asked if I’d rethink the cookie for her book, Women on Food, and so I thought about the qualities that I admire in women, looked for ingredients that would highlight them and mixed them into the cookie. I added rye flour for groundedness; cocoa nibs to represent strength; pepper for a touch of unpredictability; and raspberries for sharpness and verve. The raspberries are freeze-dried and their flavor takes a little time to reveal itself.” Thank you, Dorie, for sharing this recipe with us and the world!
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To make the dough: Sift together the flours, cocoa powder, and baking soda. Set aside.
Working in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the flat beater attachment, or in a large bowl with a hand mixer, beat the butter and both sugars together on medium speed until smooth, about 3 minutes.
Beat in the salt, piment d’Espelette or cayenne, and vanilla.
Turn off the mixer, add the dry ingredients all at once, and pulse to start the blending. When the risk of a flour storm has passed, beat on low speed until the dough forms big, moist curds — this can take a couple of minutes, so don’t be afraid to keep mixing.
Toss in the chocolate pieces, nibs, and raspberries and mix to incorporate. Note: Sometimes the dough comes together and cleans the sides of the bowl and sometimes it crumbles — it’ll be fine no matter what.
Turn the dough out, gather it together and, if necessary, knead it a bit to bring it together. Divide the dough in half.
To shape the cookies: Shape each half of dough into a log 1 ½" in diameter. The length will be between 7” and 8”, but don’t worry about it — it’s the diameter that counts here. If you get a hollow in either of the logs, just start over.
Wrap the logs and freeze them for at least two hours, or refrigerate for at least three hours. (If you’d like, you can freeze the logs for up to two months; let stand at room temperature for about 15 minutes before slicing and baking.)
To bake the cookies: Preheat the oven to 325°F. Lightly grease (or line with parchment) two baking sheets.
Using a chef’s knife, slice one log of dough into 1/2"-thick rounds. (Don’t worry if they crack, just pinch and squeeze the bits back into the cookie.)
Arrange the rounds on the baking sheet, leaving about 2” between them. If you’d like, sprinkle the tops sparingly with flaky salt.
Bake the cookies for 12 minutes — don’t open the oven door to check, just let them bake. They won’t look fully baked and they won’t be firm, but that’s the way they’re supposed to be.
Transfer the sheet to a rack and let the cookies cool until they’re only just warm or at room temperature.
Repeat with the remaining log of dough.
Storage information: Packed airtight, the cookies will keep for five days at room temperature (they’ll get a little drier, but they’re still good); or for up to two months in the freezer.
Tips from our Bakers
To make Dorie’s original World Peace Cookies: Use 1 cup + 7 tablespoons (173g) King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour and omit the rye flour. Omit the piment d’Espelette, cocoa nibs, and raspberries. Sprinkle the tops of the cookies with flaky salt — or not.
