Lisa got some finishing salts from Cathy for her birthday, and we’ve been waiting to find the best use for some cacao nibs from Theo Chocolate — this recipe from Chocolate and Zucchini fit the bill perfectly, and was a delicious finish to our soup from earlier in the evening. Lisa made the cookies slightly bigger than the original recipe, and finished them with a few extra grains of salt. We sat down to eat them while we played a new card game.

Abbie says:

Do we actually get to eat these or are you saving them?

Lisa says:

Are you kidding? Eat these!

Chris says:

Does anything go better with zombies than these cookies?

Abbie says:

Yeah: Braaaaiiins.

Chris says:

Well, clearly… but probably not much else.

Lisa says:

All I know is that while you two were chatting a couple more cookies seemed to have disappeared.

Chris says:

Gimme!

Lisa says:

This rules, I never realized I could combine dessert with my favorite condiment.

Chris says:

It’s like your birthday all over again!

Abbie says:

Uuuuuuuungh… Braaaaiiiiinnnns…. and cookies.

Chocolate and Cacao Nib Cookies
2 oz good quality bittersweet chocolate
1/2 stick unsalted butter
1 1/2 eggs, lightly beaten
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
3/8 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
3/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp fleur de sel
4 tbsp cacao nibs

Preheat the oven to 350° F and line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.
Melt together 1 1/2 oz of the chocolate and the butter in a small saucepan over low heat. Transfer to a large mixing bowl and let cool for ten minutes. Meanwhile , combine the flour, cocoa powder, and baking powder in another mixing bowl and set aside. Finely chop the remaining chocolate, and set aside.
Whisk the eggs into the cooled melted chocolate. Add in the brown sugar and mix again. Sift in the flour mixture, and stir with a wooden spoon until well combined. The batter will be thick. Fold in the chopped chocolate, cacao nibs and fleur de sel.
Scoop out rounded tablespoons of batter, shape them into balls with the tips of your fingers, and line them up on the cookie sheet, leaving a one-inch space between them. Sprinkle a few grains additional salt over the top of the cookies. Put the cookie sheet in the refrigerator for ten minutes (if the sheet and batter are cold, the cookies are less likely to spread). Put the cookie sheet into the oven to bake for eight to ten minutes, until the tops feel just dry to the touch.

Makes about 15 two-bite-size cookies.