This is a perfect time of year to wish — like all good Miss America candidates — for world peace. These cookies are so named because Dorie Greenspan’s neighbor believes a daily dose of them would ensure world peace. I can’t disagree.

We have a magical Giant near us (the supermarket, not, like, Grawp) that has all manner of food items, including Scharffen Berger chocolate products. So I used this cocoa powder and some of their baking chunks for these cookies. Obviously you can use whatever is available.

My co-worker Meghan told me she doesn’t even like chocolate that much, but she loved these cookies. I don’t totally know how that works, but there you have it. These cookies are good.

You need to put a towel over the mixer to avoid spraying flour and cocoa powder all over the place.

The cookie dough is going to be more than a little crumbly when you take it out of the bowl to form it into logs. You should be able to smoosh it together pretty easily, though.

You should use a serrated knife for these cookies, too. And if they break apart when you’re slicing them…

just smash it back together in cookie form.

Come on, you know you want to try them.

World peace cookies (Recipe from Dorie Greenspan via Smitten Kitchen)
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 stick plus 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
2/3 cup (packed) light brown sugar
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon fleur de sel or 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
5 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped into chips, or a generous 3/4 cup chocolate chips/chunks

Sift the flour, cocoa and baking soda together.

In a stand mixer with a paddle attachment or in a large bowl with a hand mixer, beat the butter on medium speed until soft and creamy. Add the sugars, the salt and vanilla and beat with two minutes more.

Turn off the mixer. Pour in the flour, put a kitchen towel over the stand mixer and pulse the mixer at low speed about five times, a second or two each time. Look at the mixture. If there is still a lot of flour on the top, put the towel back on and pulse the mixer a few more times. If not, take the towel off and continue mixing at low speed for about 30 seconds more, just until the flour disappears into the dough. (You want to work the dough as little as possible once the flour is added, so crumbly is fine). Throw in the chocolate pieces and stir just to incorporate them.

Pour dough out onto a work surface, gather it together into a ball and divide it in half. Shape each half into a log about 1 1/2 inches in diameter. Wrap the logs in plastic wrap and refrigerate them at least 3 hours (or up to three days – you can also freeze them up to two months*).

When you’re ready to bake the cookies, put a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat the oven to 325. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone mats.

Using a sharp (preferably serrated) knife, slice the logs into 1/2-inch thick rounds. (If they crack while cutting them, squeeze them back together). Place the cookies on the baking sheets about 1 inch apart from each other.

Bake the cookies one sheet at a time for 12 minutes (they won’t be firm or look done, but that’s how they’re supposed to be). Move the baking sheet to a cooling rack and let the cookies cool (or just let them cool slightly and serve warm).

*If you freeze the dough, you don’t have to thaw it out before baking. Just slice the cookies and bake them 1 minute longer.