Recipe

Chocolate Cookies with Crystallized Grapefruit Zest and Cocoa Nibs

Photo by StrangeLove

This recipe was entered in the contest for Your Best Chocolate Cookie
Chef
StrangeLove's Notes: I began with an idea for a cookie that incorporates four ingredients that I love; grapefruit, chocolate, pink himalayan salt and nutmeg. Lately I've become obsessed with freshly grated nutmeg...
I began with an idea for a cookie that incorporates four ingredients that I love; grapefruit, chocolate, pink himalayan salt and nutmeg. Lately I've become obsessed with freshly grated nutmeg. There's no smell quite like it. I also wanted the cookie to be of the cakey variety, my personal favorite. What I've created could only be described as a mix of traditional holiday flavors and the decadence of a chocolate orange. Substitutions such as orange, meyer lemon or ginger could work if you so desire, but I love the contrast of the pink grapefruit and the chocolate cookies. The cocoa nibs give it a perfect crunch and the pink salt on top balances out the final result. Enjoy.

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1-2 Large Grapefruits( the pinker the better) Ask a question about this ingredient

2 cups Superfine Sugar for finished zest Ask a question about this ingredient

Remove zest by using a paring knife and cutting the bottom and top of the grapefruit off. Cut wide strips of zest from top to bottom. Peel the zest away from fruit. You will not use the actual meat of the grapefruit.
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Put all zest strips in a saucepan with water and bring to a boil. Drain and then put back in pan with water and boil again. By boiling twice you are taking away the bitterness. After the last boil, cool the zest and then scrape the white pith off. I found that an actual grapefruit spoon worked really well as did a serrated mini spatula that I use for frosting.
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In a medium saucepan combine the water and the sugar and bring to a boil. Stir until the sugar dissolves. Add your zest and simmer until the zest becomes transparent. About 45 minutes. If you feel that it is taking longer for transparency, add more water and simmer a little longer.
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Drain zest and toss 1 cup of superfine sugar in bowl with the zest. Spread out on waxed paper lined cookie sheet and let it dry for about 2 hours or overnight.. Spinkle last cup of sugar on top right before use.
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24 Small Pieces of Grapefruit Peel for Cookie tops Ask a question about this ingredient

Turn oven on to 350 and prepare two cookies sheets with parchement paper. Bake 10-12 minutes.
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Cream butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Add eggs and vanilla, making sure to scrape down sides of bowls. In a separate bowl combine flour, nutmeg, fluer de sel, and baking soda, and set aside. Place bittersweet chocolate in a bowl over boilng water and melt. Set aside to cool a bit. Add flour mixture to sugar and butter mixture. Mix to combine. Add the melted chocolate. Mix to combine. Stir in nibs and zest. Roll two tablespoons of dough into small balls and place of baking sheet. Bake cookies for about 5-7 minutes spinkle a small amount of the pink salt on each cookie ball and then finish baking. Transfer cookies to cooling rack and add a small piece of zest to top of each cookie. Cookie will cave in if you add zest before properly cooled.
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