Summer

Wild Bergamot Chocolate Cookies

June  5, 2014
4.7
3 Ratings
Photo by Yossy Arefi
  • Makes 2 dozen
Author Notes

Lavender bergamot (monarda fistulosa) is not a bergamot or a lavender, but a wild mint. Yossy and I had fun with Sarah Villamore, pastry chef, who created these delicious cookies, that pair the herbal clove flavors of the leaves with chocolate. —tama matsuoka wong

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Ingredients
  • For the wild bergamot sugar:
  • 1 1/2 cups lavender bergamot tips (pluck the top few inches of the plant: you want the leaves and the tender, not woody, stems)
  • 3/4 cup granulated sugar
  • Make the dough and cookies
  • 1 1/4 cups unsalted butter, cubed, at room temperature
  • 3/4 cup brown sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 3/4 cups flour
  • 1 1/4 cups cocoa powder, sifted so that it is not lumpy
  • 2 teaspoons baking soda
Directions
  1. For the wild bergamot sugar:
  2. Grind the two ingredients together coarsely in a food processor or blender, until the sugar turns green and there are no more plant pieces.
  1. Make the dough and cookies
  2. Cream butter with sugar and the wild bergamot sugar.
  3. Combine the flour, cocoa powder, and baking soda.
  4. Add the dry ingredient mixture to the butter-sugar mixture, slowly, until incorporated.
  5. Wrap the dough in saran wrap and chill for 30 minutes.
  6. Scoop the dough using an ice cream scoop and form into 1 1/2-inch balls with your hands.
  7. Place the dough balls on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, 1 inch apart.
  8. Bake at 350° F for 5 minutes.
  9. Rotate the tray and bake another 3 minutes, or until lightly brown.

See what other Food52ers are saying.

Tama Matsuoka Wong is the principal at Meadowsandmore, a wild food purveyor and educational studio.

5 Reviews

Libby C. May 11, 2018
The directions do not say when to add the eggs. The baking time seems much too short; what about 15 minutes?
Alice December 3, 2017
These seem delicious. I'm searching for bergamot fruit recipes if anyone can help xx
gluttonforlife June 23, 2014
When do the eggs go in - after the sugar?
SueD June 17, 2014
I always grind my herbs, fresh or dry, into the sugar for cookies/cakes in a large, heavy mortar/pestle
cucina D. June 6, 2014
i adore the idea of this flavor combination, two of my favorites! i will be adding this amazing recipe to my food file and making them ASAP. Thanks for the great share.