This is the time of year Nancy Leson and her friends get together for cookie-exchange parties. But Nance, not much of a sweets fan, didn’t have a favorite recipe. And then she remembered a cookie she'd sampled while shopping Fremont’s Book Larder. The effect was immediate.
“The lights went on and the angels started singing Christmas carols.”
It was the World Peace Cookie, invented by chef Pierre Hermé and popularized in the U.S. by cookbook author Dorie Greenspan. The chocolate chip/shortbread hybrid is seasoned with fleur de sel. Greenspan claims that if only everyone ate one — well, you get the idea.
Nancy used the Greenspan recipe for the batch she brought to the party. But being Nancy, of course she had to gild the lily. Leson added chopped dried cherries to the blend and topped the cookies pre-bake with Maldon sea salt. She stresses that the dough can be rolled into a log and refrigerated or even frozen before cutting and baking.
Here’s the un-gilded World Peace Cookie recipe from Food 52.
"Whatever happened, at least we had cookies." Diana Rowland, Vengeance of the Demon
