World Peace Cookies: A Dilworth Baker's Holiday Recipe

Kanku Michelsen, a resident reporter for the magazine, shared this recipe in her own words.

When Kanku Michelsen first discovered Dorie Greenspan's chocolate sable cookie, what caught her attention was its grand name: "World Peace Cookies." With a name like that, she writes, she simply had to try them, and that first bite left an indelible impression in the very best way.

Sandy and crumbly, deeply chocolatey and somehow perfectly sweet and salty all at once, the cookies have become one of her favorite treats to share with friends and family, and she finds them especially wonderful during the holidays. Whether tucked into a festive cookie tin or arranged on a holiday dessert table, she writes, World Peace Cookies always feel special: "a delicious reminder of the joy that can come from something as simple as sharing a cookie."

A sable is a crumbly butter cookie. This one is sliced from a chilled log, so the dough can be made ahead and baked when you need it.

Ingredients

• 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 11 tablespoons unsalted butter (1 stick plus 3 tablespoons), cut into chunks, 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 pure vanilla extract
• 5 ounces best-quality bittersweet chocolate chips or chopped bittersweet chocolate bar

Mix the dough

1. In a small bowl, sift the flour, cocoa and baking soda.
2. In the bowl of an electric mixer with the paddle attachment (or using a hand mixer), beat the butter, brown sugar and granulated sugar until soft and creamy, about 3 minutes.
3. Scrape the sides of the bowl with a spatula, add the salt and vanilla and mix until blended.
4. Turn off the mixer, then add the flour mixture all at once, mixing first at low speed. As the dough starts to come together, beat on medium-low until it forms chunky pieces.
5. Add the chopped chocolate and mix to incorporate.

Work the dough and chill

1. Turn the dough out onto a work surface. Michelsen likes a silicone mat, but it is not required. Gather the dough together with your hands; don't be afraid to work it. Even if it is crumbly, it will come together.
2. Divide in half. Press and roll one half into a log 1 1/2 inches in diameter. Repeat with the other half.
3. Wrap the logs in plastic wrap and freeze for at least 2 hours, or refrigerate for at least 3 hours or overnight.

Bake

1. Preheat the oven to 325°F with a rack in the center. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
2. Work with one log at a time, keeping the other chilled. With a sharp knife, slice the dough into 1/2-inch rounds. If the dough is frozen, let it soften a bit first.
3. Place the rounds on the baking sheets 2 inches apart.
4. Bake for 12 minutes, then remove from the oven. The cookies will still be soft; they firm up as they rest on the tray for a few minutes.
5. After about 4 to 5 minutes, gently transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely. They are especially good warm, but if you can resist, they are also wonderful cool.
6. Repeat with the remaining dough. Once cool, store in an airtight container.

This story appears in the October 2026 issue of Stroll Dilworth.