rye and poppy seed chocolate chunk cookies
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After a red eye flight from New York to Paris, I dropped my luggage off at my hotel and immediately headed out for my late lunch reservation at a little restaurant in the 11th arrondissement called Mokonuts. I was only in Paris for a few days before taking the train down to Bordeaux and this was the only reservation time available during my time in Paris, and no matter how bleary eyed I was coming off of the red eye, I was determined to make it to Mokonuts. If you google the name, you’ll find lots of hype around the husband and wife duo that run this charming cafe and it is certainly well deserved.
However, what they might be most famous for are Moko’s cookies. You don’t know what flavors you’re going to get every day, but it is guaranteed to be creative and delicious. Using unconventional flavors like miso or rye, Moko has reinvented the cookie. Next time i’m in Paris, Mokonuts will be my first stop again.
Dorothy Greenspan has published a recipe for a mokonuts cookie on NY Times (link) and the recipe below is a variation of that. The rye adds a nutty complexity that pairs perfectly with the bitter undertones of the dark chocolate, and the poppy seeds provide a little extra crunch. It’s quick and easy to whip up a batch, and even easier to keep some of the dough in the freezer so you can have freshly baked cookies at any time.
A few tips for success
Feel free to swap in additional add-ins like pumpkin seeds, nuts, cranberries etc. but be sure to a high quality chocolate. If you don’t like dark chocolate, feel free to swap in milk chocolate.
Tapping the still soft cookies right out of the oven helps give the cookies a chewier center
Rye & poppy seed chocolate chunk cookies
makes 7 cookies
ingredients
1/2 cup rye flour
1/4 cup AP flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
pinch of salt
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temp
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 egg, whisked
1/3 cup dark chocolate chunks
2 tablespoons poppy seeds
flaky salt
steps
Mixing dry ingredients: Combine the rye flour, AP flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
Cream butter: Using the paddle attachment, cream together the butter, sugar, and brown sugar until light and fluffy and mix in the egg.
Mix and shape: Fold in the dry ingredients with the butter, in addition to the chocolate chunks and poppy seeds (along with any other additions you want to include). Divide the dough into 7 balls, and refrigerate for at least 3 hours. At this stage you can easily freeze the dough to bake at a later time.
Bake: Preheat the oven to 425 F. Set the dough balls at least 2 inches from each other, sprinkle on some flaky salt and bake for 10 minutes. Let the cookies cool for a minute, before gently flattening the center with a spatula. The cookies will be very delicate at this stage, and will firm up as it cools. Serve warm while chocolate is still melted.
