Toffee Cookies with Dark Chocolate Glaze

(from Salty Sweets: Delectable Desserts and Tempting Treats with a Sublime Kiss of Salt, by Christie Matheson, The Harvard Common Press, Boston, 2009)

Makes 20 to 24 cookies

“I first made these cookies seven or eight years ago, when I was just starting to learn about the merits of really, really good chocolate. And, wow, do these showcase what a difference good chocolate can make. The cookies are sweet and rich, the perfect foil for an intense layer of dark chocolate.”

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
1 cup packed dark brown sugar
2 large egg yolks
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon fine sea salt
4 ounces bittersweet chocolate
¼ cup chopped toasted pecans
Fleur de sel

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
2. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream together the butter and brown sugar. Add the egg yolks, one at a time and mix well.
3. Combine the flour and salt in a small bowl, then add the flour mixture to the butter-sugar mixture, mixing until well combined.
4. Shape the dough in a disk, wrap it in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 10 minutes.
5. Roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface to about ¼ inch thick. Cut out circles with a 2-inch round cutter and place the cookies on the baking sheets.
6. Bake for 11 to 13 minutes, until the edges are golden brown. Let cool completely on the baking sheets.
7. Bring water to a simmer in a double boiler, or set up a heat-proof bowl over a small saucepan with water simmering in the bottom. Melt the chocolate over the simmering water. When cookies are cool, spread them gently with a thin layer of melted chocolate. Before the chocolate dries, sprinkle lightly with the pecans and a few grains of fleur de sel. Let the chocolate set. The cookies will keep in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.