Spicey Chocolate Raspberry cookies

Chocolate cookies with freeze dried raspberries and a touch of rye flour!

Ingredients

  • 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons (135g) unbleached all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 cup (53g) medium rye flour
  • 1/3 cup (28g) Dutch-processed cocoa
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 11 tablespoons (155g) unsalted butter, cut into chunks, at cool room temperature
  • 2/3 cup (142g) packed brown sugar
  • 1/4 cup (50g) granulated sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon fleur de sel or 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • pinch of Red Chile pepper powder (“piment d’Espelette”) or a smaller pinch of cayenne
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 5 ounces (142g) bittersweet chocolate chips
  • 1/3 cup (40g) cocoa nibs
  • 1/2 cup (15g) freeze-dried raspberries, coarsely chopped or broken
  •  sea salt for sprinkling, optional

Instructions

  1. To make the dough: Sift together the flours, cocoa powder, and baking soda. Set aside.
  2. 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.
  3. Beat in the salt, red chile powder or cayenne, and vanilla.
  4. 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.
  5. 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.
  6. Turn the dough out, gather it together and, if necessary, knead it a bit to bring it together. Divide the dough in half.
  7. 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.
  8. 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.)
  9. To bake the cookies: Preheat the oven to 325°F. Lightly grease (or line with parchment) two baking sheets.
  10. 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.)
  11. Arrange the rounds on the baking sheet, leaving about 2” between them. If you’d like, sprinkle the tops sparingly with flaky salt.
  12. 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.
  13. Transfer the sheet to a rack and let the cookies cool until they’re only just warm or at room temperature.
  14. Repeat with the remaining log of dough.
  15. 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.