I will be the first to say that I'm a terrible food blogger. Maybe it's because I started this site before the phrase was a thing—way back then, it wasn't a profession, but rather a hobby that few understood.
Then writing here became more than a hobby, it became not a journal but a way to talk from this corner of the world to points all over. Posts, to me, were like letters.
But right now, with people murdered as they worshipped in Québec, the litany of egregious acts and lies from the current administration in the United States, and the continuing refugee crisis, I don't have a lot of words. All I have is that Sarah wrote a book I've been meaning to write about for months, and the incomprehensible state of things doesn't the diminish recognition she deserves.
The book is full of sweetness and comfort, and it is a lovely thing. xo
TO HELP: The American Civil Liberties Union | Doctor's Without Borders | The International Rescue Committee | Planned Parenthood
TO READ: Throwing Parties During the Apocalypse, by Tim at Lottie + Doof.
SARAH KIEFFER'S CHOCOLATE SUGAR COOKIES
"I often find myself craving a piece of chocolate in the afternoons, s it goes rather with the cup of hot coffee that is also a necessity in my daily life. Most days a little sure of bittersweet will do, but other times something more extravagant is essential. I found these chocolate sugar cookies to do the trick; they are soft and delicious without being overly rich and sweet."
— From The Vanilla Bean Baking Book: Recipes for Irresistible Everyday Favourites and Reinvented Classics by Sarah Kieffer. (Penguin Books, 2016)
Makes around 12 cookies
INGREDIENTS
- 1¾ cups | 250 g all-purpose flour
- ½ cup | 50 g natural cocoa powder or a combination cocoa powder
- ¾ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup | 225 g unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1¾ cups | 350 sugar (plus 1 cup | 200g for rolling)
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon ground cardamom (optional)
METHOD
Adjust an oven rack to the middle position. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
In a medium bowl, combine the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt.
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle, beat the butter on medium until smooth. Add the 1¾ cups sugar and beat on medium until light and fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the egg and vanilla and beat on medium until combined. Add the flour mixture and beat on low until just combined.
Place the remaining 1 cup sugar in a medium bowl. Stir in cardamom, if desired.
Form the cookies into 3-ounce | 85 g balls (a scant ⅓ cup each). Roll each ball in the sugar and place 6 cookies on each prepared sheet pan. Bake one sheet at a time 11 to 14 minutes, until the edges have set and the centers are puffed and starting to crackle.
Transfer the baking sheet to a wire rack and let the cookies cool completely on the pan.