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Inspired by the Japanese treats, this version is scaled up so that one cookie will satisfy. Fennel seed in the dough keeps them from being overly sweet.

In testing, we ended up with 45 sticks; you can cut yours thinner or thicker, as you like. You'll need a straight-edge ruler for cutting the sticks of dough.

The dough needs to be refrigerated twice: for at least 1 hour and up to 2 days, and for 10 minutes after the sticks have been cut. The coated cookies can be stored in an airtight container for 3 to 5 days.

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Ingredients

measuring cup

Servings: 45 cookies

Directions

  • Step 1

    Combine the bread flour, salt, sugar and coarsely ground fennel seed in a mixing bowl. Add the butter and use your clean hands to quickly work it in to achieve a crumb consistency. Add the water a bit at a time, just until you have a tight dough that comes together in a ball. (You might not need all the water, or you might add a splash more; the dough should be quite firm and not at all sticky.) Flatten to a disk, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour and up to 2 days.

  • Step 2

    Very lightly dust a work surface with bread flour. Unwrap the dough and roll it out to a rectangle that's about 10 by 14 inches (and less than 1/4-inch thick). Place it on a tray and return it to the refrigerator to chill for 10 minutes.

  • Step 3

    Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone liner.

  • Step 4

    Cut the chilled rectangle of dough into 45 same-width sticks that are 10 inches long, carefully transferring them to the baking sheet and spacing them slightly apart as you go. Bake (middle rack) for 10 minutes, then rotate the sheet from front to back; bake for 5 to 6 minutes or just until the sticks are golden. Let them cool on the sheet.

  • Step 5

    Meanwhile, melt three-quarters of the chocolate in a heatproof bowl set over a saucepan of barely bubbling water (medium heat). Remove from the pan, then stir in the remaining chocolate. Once that has melted, stir in the oil. Transfer the melted chocolate to a tall drinking glass.

  • Step 6

    Line a baking sheet with wax paper.

  • Step 7

    Working with one or two at a time, dip each cooled cookie stick into the melted chocolate to a level slightly less than halfway up the stick, shaking off any excess. Sprinkle that coated chocolate lightly with the flaked sea salt, then place each pocky stick on the baking sheet. Transfer to the refrigerator to chill for 10 minutes or until the chocolate is set.

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    Nutritional Facts

    Per cookie (using 8 3/4 ounces of the chocolate)

    • Calories

      60

    • Fat

      3 g

    • Saturated Fat

      2 g

    • Carbohydrates

      7 g

    • Sodium

      25 mg

    • Protein

      1 g

    • Sugar

      1 g

    This analysis is an estimate based on available ingredients and this preparation. It should not substitute for a dietitian’s or nutritionist’s advice.

    Adapted from “Golden: Sweet & Savory Baked Delights From the Ovens of London’s Honey & Co.,” by Itamar Srulovich and Sarit Packer (Little, Brown and Co., 2016).

    Tested by Kara Elder.

    Published November 30, 2016

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