Day 4 … Chocolate Cocoa Nib Wafers

So far, I’ve extolled the virtues of raspberry and lemon and cream cheese but haven’t really hit upon anything chocolate. Well, here you go. Today, for Day 4, I’ve got something chocolatey. To the base dough we’ll work in some cocoa powder then some texture and additional flavor with cocoa nibs and mini chocolate chips for a lovely dark chocolate wafer.

Cocoa nibs are a terrific ingredient, adding a wonderful crunch while accenting the the deep chocolate flavor within the cookie. Nibs are bits of fermented, dried, roasted and crushed cacao bean. They’re just chocolate that hasn’t been ground and mixed with sugar yet. They’re also extremely good for you – high in fiber, protein and antioxidants – and have an intense chocolate flavor with a touch of bitterness. So technically, we can say this is a cookie that’s good for you. Sure. Run with it.

While they used to be a specialty pastry chef type of ingredient, I’m finding them frequently in more mainstream stores. I picked up a bag of chocolate-coated nibs at Trader Joe’s, which were interesting, and found both regular and lightly sugared nibs at Whole Foods. Try them out; if you like chocolate, you’ll love cocoa nibs, though I’m not sure they’re something you’re going to eat by the handful. I think they’re better in things.

To date, all our cookies have been round, or circular in some way. For this one, we’re going to mix it up and shape the dough into a square log. Once sliced, the cookies will be nice, neat square wafers. Why make all round cookies when you can make squares or rectangles or triangles?

STRESS THERAPY BAKING FACTOR: EVERYBODY LOVES CHOCOLATE. It was time. We were due a chocolate cookie and this one fits the bill. Not overly sweet, with a touch of bitterness from the nibs, it’s a nice contrast to our cookie assortment. And everyone enjoys a chocolate cookie.

2016 One Dough/12 Days of Cookies lineup: Butter Rum Bars, Candied Ginger Spice Buttons, Coconut Lime Sticks, Cranberry Pistacho Coins, Dark Chocolate Mocha Sandwich Cookies, Hazelnut Buttons, Jam Thumbprints, Mexican Chocolate Crinkles, Pecan Triangles, Peppermint Crisps, Rosemary Apricot Shortbread, Russian Tea Cakes

2017 One Dough/12 Days of Cookies lineup to date:
Basic Butter Cookie Dough + tips for planning
Day 1 – Cream Cheese Wreaths
Day 2 – Raspberry Linzer Bars
Day 3 – Lemon Poppyseed Buttons

CHOCOLATE COCOA NIB WAFERS

Basic butter cookie dough – recipe here

1. In a standing mixture fitted with the paddle attachment, combine softened butter cookie dough, cocoa powder, sugar, baking soda and water on medium speed until thoroughly combined.
2. On low, mix in the cocoa nibs and chocolate chips until combined.
3. Divide dough into 2 even pieces for the smallest batch (or 4 or 8 pieces for the larger batches) and shape into a square log, using plastic wrap to help shape and smooth the sides.
4. Refrigerate for a least 1 hour to firm the dough for slicing. (You can freeze the logs at this point up to 3 months. Let sit at room temperature for a few minutes to soften enough to slice cleanly.)
5. Preheat oven to 350ºF and line 2-3 sheet pans with silicone baking mats or parchment paper.
6. Slice the logs evenly into ¼” slices, turning the log after every few slices to keep the shapes even.
7. Place on prepared sheet pans, 1” apart.
8. Bake 8-10 minutes until slightly firm to the touch, rotating baking sheets halfway through baking.
9. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.