The Chocolate Cookie You Need for the Dark Days of Winter

Dark days demand dark chocolate. Obviously. How else to navigate the chasm between last holiday twinkle and first spring crocus? We know what dwells in that valley: Work. Weekend. Work.

The cold slog ahead calls for discipline, determination and a deep, dark secret, one best compounded in private: Melt chocolate, soften with butter, sweeten with sugar, spike with espresso. Scoop into mounds as densely packed with mood-lifting agents as a sphere of molten sunshine.

Slide into the oven and let set. Taste, if you must. Sequester the rest in the freezer, preferably under a bag of peas. Square your shoulders. Tell no one.

When the day grows long, the week turns steep, the month freezes solid, find your stash. Self-prescribe a single dose. Let it come up to temperature, gathering potency. Administer solo, in silence, with or without a steaming cup of coffee.

Return to the grind, revived.

Not for the fainthearted, Mood-Booster Cookies fall somewhere between a truffle and a cookie. They contain no flour, aside from a little almond meal, which gives them a melting texture (and makes them perfect for anyone who avoids gluten). Get the recipe here.