Salted Dark Chocolate Violet Cookies

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You guys, I made us a fancy cookie. I know. It’s exciting.

Did you ever eat French violet hard candies when you were a kid? I was obsessed with them. They usually came in beautifully-designed little tins that I coveted. I think I was as much obsessed with the tins as I was with the candy itself. So when thefeedfeed + method ask me to come up with something inspired by method Home’s new fragrance Wild Violet, my mind immediately went back to that stash of French violet hard candies hidden in a box beneath my bed.

When I was working on this cookie recipe I put the Wild Violet-scented hand soaps in every bathroom +the kitchen. I wanted to be inspired and I wanted this cookie to dazzle. And I while I was completely consumed with the scent,I was equally in love with the packaging. My hand soap has to be pretty…are you with me? Brooklyn-designer Rebecca Atwood designed the bottles and they are completely gorgeous (see the cookie photo!) & available exclusively at Target. I wanted my cookie to echo all of this: delicious on the inside and dramatic on the outside.

We start with a brownie-esque cookie base…a light crunch on the exterior and a chewy, almost brownie-like interior.  I went for loads of white chocolate. I’m not usually a huge white chocolate fan, but it completely works in here both taste-wise and visually. Then, I wanted the violet element. I tried violet syrups, candied violet petals…you name it I was shoving it into these cookies. None of the violet flavor shined through, until I ground up the violet candies and dusted the dough balls, just prior to baking. It added the perfect pop of color, flavor and crunch. During some of the testing I threw pistachios in the cookies. If you like nuts in your cookies, do it.  This is a super easy cookie to throw together. Bust out your jazz hands, because this cookie has hella personality.

Before We Get Started:

  • Violet Candies. I love the ones that are this beautiful violet color as seen in the photos, but I have also seen them clear or white. If they are the latter color, make sure that they aren’t anise flavored. When crushing up the candy, take care not to grind the bits too small…you want to see some larger chards of violet in your cookie.
  • Chilling Your Dough. This dough is sticky when first made and benefits from some time in the fridge so that it’s easier to handle. Don’t skip this step.
  • Flour. I use both bread flour and all-purpose flour in this recipe. If you use 100% all-purpose flour your cookie will lack some chew + girth and may spread more while baking. If you use 100% bread flour, your cookie will be puffier than the combo.
  • White Chocolate. You can use chips or chopped up bars. If you use the latter, be sure to throw in all of the white chocolate dust left over from chopping. I love the streaks it puts in the cookie.

Let’s get our bake on!

Dark Chocolate Violet Cookies | Recipe via DisplacedHousewife | A super dark chocolate dough is studded with ribbons of dark chocolate and crushed french violet hard candies.

Dark Chocolate Violet Cookies | Recipe via DisplacedHousewife | A super dark chocolate dough is studded with ribbons of dark chocolate and crushed french violet hard candies.

Dark Chocolate Violet Cookies | Recipe via DisplacedHousewife | A super dark chocolate dough is studded with ribbons of dark chocolate and crushed french violet hard candies.

Salted Dark Chocolate Violet Cookies

Makes 2 1/2 Dozen Cookies

INGREDIENTS

  • 8-ounces semi-sweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
  • ΒΌ cup sunflower seed oil (or other light-flavored, neutral oil)
  • 1/4 cup (1/2 stick/2 ounces) unsalted butter
  • 1 cup light brown sugar, packed
  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar
  • 3 large eggs, room temperature
  • 1 tablespoon real vanilla extract
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • ΒΎ cup bread flour
  • ΒΌ cup unsweetened cocoa powder (I used extra-dark cocoa powder)
  • 2 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon sea salt
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 2 1/2 cups chopped white chocolate (I used three 4-ounce chocolate bars; you could also use white chips)
  • 1 cup pistachios, shelled (optional)
  • 3 tablespoons crushed violets hard candies
  • 1 tablespoon sea salt flakes, to sprinkle on top of the finished cookie (optional)

INSTRUCTIONS

  • Put the 8 ounces of semi-sweet chocolate, ΒΌ cup of sunflower oil and butter in a large microwave-safe bowl and microwave on high for 1 minute. Stir until the chocolate is smooth and doesn’t have any lumps. Do not overheat the chocolate. Better to pull it out with some lumps and stir until those are gone. *You could also use a double boiler if no microwave is available.
  • Add the brown sugar and granulated sugar to the chocolate mixture and mix until completely blended…really get in there and smooth things up.
  • Add the eggs plus vanilla and mix until everything is completely incorprated. Make sure to scrape the sides and the bottom of the bowl so that everything is completely blended together.
  • In a medium bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, bread flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
  • Pour the flour mixture into the bowl with the chocolate mixture Use a spatula and blend until just barely combined.
  • Add the chopped white chocolate and pistachios (if using) and mix in as few strokes as possible.
  • Pull out a large piece of plastic wrap and dump the cookie dough into the middle. Wrap tightly, so that it is completely sealed, and place in the fridge for at least 60 minutes or up to overnight. Don’t skip this step as the dough will be difficult to handle if you do…it’s on the sticky side.
  • Preheat your oven to 375 degrees F. Make sure there is a rack in the top third of the oven. Cover a baking sheet with a silpat or parchment paper.
  • Grab about 2 tablespoons of cookie dough and gently roll it between your palms to create a nice sphere. Don’t be too aggressive…just a nice, gentle nudging in the right direction. Leave about 2 inches between each cookie. Your hands will get a little messy, fyi. Just punch on through and wash your hands after. If the dough starts to get too sticky, just wrap it back up and throw it in the fridge for a quick stint. Sprinkle each dough ball with a pinch of crushed violet candy.
  • Bake the cookies on the top rack in the oven for 11-12 minutes. They will appear to be underdone. That’s good. I really prefer baking one sheet of cookies at a time in the oven. If you do use two sheets in the oven at a time, rotate midway, top to bottom and front to bake for even baking.
  • As soon as they’re out of the oven, sprinkle with the sea salt flake (if using) + more crushed violet candy. If some of your cookies took on an odd shape whilst baking use the edge of your spatula to nudge them back into a nice circle.
  • Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 10 minutes before moving to a cooling rack.
  • I hope you love these cookies! Be sure to tag me @displacedhousewife #displacedhousewife so I can see your creations!!

*This post was sponsored by method Home + feedfeed. All opinions and thoughts are my own. A big THANK YOU to method Home for including me in their campaign! For more information on this new line of limited-edition fragrances, click here. xo

On My Mind

–Rebecca xo

Dark Chocolate Violet Cookies | Recipe via DisplacedHousewife | A super dark chocolate dough is studded with ribbons of dark chocolate and crushed french violet hard candies.

 

Comments

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Rebecca xox

15 Comments

  • Claire January 31, 2021 at 3:42 AM

    Hello! I came across this recipe, and I was wondering what kind of violet candies you use for this so I can try the recipe at home. XO

    Reply
    • Rebecca Firth February 2, 2021 at 6:45 PM

      Hi Claire! I used Les Anis de Flavigny Violet Flavored Anise …they sound uber fancy but you can find them in many grocery stores and online. …I was obsessed with them when I was a kid and thought they were the height of sophistication!! ;)
      xox

      Reply
  • Coco in the Kitchen October 12, 2016 at 10:38 PM

    I’m making these tonight.

    Reply
  • Cathy | whatshouldimakefor.com October 12, 2016 at 6:37 PM

    i’ve been under that rock with Mary Ann because those candies were never on my radar. now i need to find them! i was similarly obsessed with tins of lemon drops, but far less fancy. these cookies sound special occasion worthy! love!

    Reply
  • Alyssa October 10, 2016 at 5:05 PM

    I tried making these but even for 9mins at 375 the cookies came out too crispy on the edges. Any suggestions of what I am doing wrong? The dough was also pretty tough to wrap in plastic wrap. It was too runny, could I have over beated the batter?

    Reply
    • DisplacedHousewife October 10, 2016 at 5:24 PM

      Alyssa — In regards to wrapping the dough in plastic wrap…it’s pretty oozy when it’s first put together. I lay the plastic wrap on the counter top, dump the dough on top and then I carefully wrap it up. …as for the crispy edges…there is a chance your oven could run hotter than mine. If you’re putting the cookies in the top third of the oven (like I suggest), try putting them on the center rack. Also, if your oven is running hotter than mine, you might consider trying the cookies at 350 degrees F. As long as you followed all of the ingredients and instructions, my guess would be it’s oven heat. Give those two tips a try!! Good luck with them and I hope that fixes it!! xoxo

      Reply
  • All That I'm Eating October 7, 2016 at 11:59 AM

    What a great way to use violet, these cookies sound amazing.

    Reply
  • Alida | Simply Delicious October 5, 2016 at 9:28 PM

    These cookies are all kinds of amazing Rebecca.

    Reply
  • Laura | Tutti Dolci October 5, 2016 at 8:58 PM

    I so, so need a cookie today! I’m all about that brownie-esque texture and I recall reading about French violet candies in some book or another and thinking they sounded like the most sophisticated candy ever. What stunners!

    Reply
    • DisplacedHousewife October 6, 2016 at 11:17 PM

      Laura–They are so pretty!!! I love them. And I love them in this cookie. I wish I could share!! xoxo

      Reply
  • Mary Ann | The Beach House Kitchen October 5, 2016 at 6:17 PM

    I must have been living under a rock because I’ve never heard of those candies! Sounds like I’ve been totally missing out! You can betcha I’ll be searching some candy shops tomorrow, so I can recreate these decadent little cookies ASAP!! I’ll have to grab the soap too while I’m at it! Thanks for sharing Rebecca! XO

    Reply
    • DisplacedHousewife October 5, 2016 at 6:27 PM

      Mary Ann–You will love that fragrance!! So good. …so, the candies…I think I wanted to be royalty when I was a kid. Anything from Europe was the be-all, end-all. I got the candies I used for this cookie over on Amazon…email me if you want the link! xoxo

      Reply