CHILLI LIME CHOCOLATE CRINKLES
I am always a little sceptical when chocolate is combined with chilli, as too often the balance is off and the chocolate is overpowered. My favourite way to pair the two is to add a bright fruity element, which harmonises everything.
MAKES 8
For the chilli lime curd
1 large egg
50g caster sugar
zest 1 lime
¼ tsp chilli flakes
65ml lime juice, roughly 2 limes
30g unsalted butter, diced
For the chocolate crinkles
60ml neutral- tasting oil
50g caster sugar
100g light brown sugar
1 large egg
100g plain flour
40g cocoa powder
¼ tsp bicarbonate of soda
¼ tsp fine sea salt
For the coating
icing sugar
To finish
chilli flakes
zest 1 lime
1 To make the chilli lime curd, add all the ingredients except the butter to a small saucepan, put over a low heat and cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture thickens and reaches 75-80C or thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon. Pour the mixture into a small bowl, passing through a sieve to remove any lumps. Add the butter and stir until combined. Cover and refrigerate until needed.
2 To make the cookie dough, add the oil, sugars and egg to a large bowl and whisk until well combined, around 1-2 minutes. Add the flour, cocoa powder, bicarbonate of soda and salt and mix with a spatula to form a thick, brownie-like dough. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes, or until slightly thickened. The finished dough will still be relatively soft but the short rest will allow the flour to hydrate and stop the cookies from spreading too much.
3 Preheat the oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4 and line a baking tray with baking parchment.
4 Form the cookie dough into 8 balls, using a mechanical ice-cream scoop, if you have one, then drop them, one at a time, into a small bowl of icing sugar and roll into neat balls, ensuring they are thoroughly coated in a generous layer of the sugar. Place on the prepared tray, setting them well apart to allow for spreading.
5 Bake the cookies for 10-12 minutes, or until cracked and puffed up. The edges will be set and a little firm. When the cookies are fresh from the oven and still a little warm, use a tablespoon measure to press down on the centre of each one to form a small well. Spoon a little chilli lime curd on to each cookie, then sprinkle with a few chilli flakes and a little lime zest to finish. Leave to cool fully, then enjoy.
Storage These cookies will keep for around 4 days in a sealed container.
MISO AND WHITE CHOCOLATE COOKIES
Here, the white chocolate and all its supposedly problematic features (too sweet and one note) are balanced by the addition of miso. This tangy, fermented bean paste adds depth and rich savoury notes, helping to make these cookies a sweet and salty joy.
MAKES 12
225g unsalted butter, room temperature
200g light brown sugar
150g caster sugar
2 large eggs
65g white miso paste
1 tsp vanilla extract
300g plain flour
100g wholemeal plain flour
½ tsp fine sea salt
¾ tsp bicarbonate of soda
¾ tsp baking powder
350g white chocolate discs or fèves, or a roughly chopped bar
flaked sea salt, for sprinkling (optional)
1 Add the butter and sugars to the bowl of a stand mixer, or use an electric hand mixer and large bowl, and beat for about 5 minutes, or until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating until fully combined before adding the second. Add the miso paste and vanilla extract and mix until evenly combined. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flours, salt, bicarbonate of soda and baking powder. Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture and mix on a low speed until an evenly mixed dough is formed. Add the white chocolate and mix briefly, until evenly distributed.
2 Cover the bowl and refrigerate the dough for 4 hours, or until firm.
3 Preheat the oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4 and line two baking trays with baking parchment.
4 Roll the dough into 12 balls weighing roughly 70g each, and place six balls on each of the prepared trays, spacing them out evenly. Sprinkle each cookie with a little flaked sea salt, if using, and bake for 13-15 minutes, or until golden around the edges but still a little pale in the centre. Leave to cool on the trays for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
Storage These cookies will keep for around 3-4 days in a sealed container.
Note If you don’t want to bake the cookies all at once, freeze the balls of dough. They can be baked from frozen, but will need an additional 1-2 minutes cooking time.
DOUBLE CHOCOLATE OLIVE OIL COOKIES
If you are partial to a brownie, you’ll love these intensely chocolatey, fudgy cookies. They may look nostalgic, but the olive oil, nutty rye flour and generous sprinkling of salt give them a sophisticated flavour.
MAKES 8
5½ tbsp soya or non-dairy milk, or cow’s milk, if you don’t need them to be vegan
40g cocoa powder
100ml olive oil
185g light brown sugar
140g plain flour
75g wholemeal rye flour
½ tsp bicarbonate of soda
½ tsp fine sea salt
150g dark chocolate, roughly chopped
flaked sea salt, for sprinkling (optional)
1 Preheat the oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4 and line a large baking tray with baking parchment.
2 Pour the milk into a saucepan and bring to a simmer. Meanwhile, sift the cocoa powder into a mixing bowl. Pour the hot milk into the cocoa and whisk to form a paste. Pour in the olive oil and whisk to combine. Sift in the light brown sugar and whisk to combine. Add the remaining dry ingredients and, using a spatula, mix to form a thick cookie dough. Add the dark chocolate and stir to distribute evenly.
3 Divide the dough into eight equal portions and roll each one into a ball. The dough can feel a little oily but don’t worry, that’s how it should be at this stage. Place the balls on the prepared tray and sprinkle each with a little flaked sea salt, if using.
4 Bake the cookies in the preheated oven for about 16 minutes. When they are baked they’ll remain incredibly soft in the centre, with just a little firmness at the edges. But as they cool they’ll firm up beautifully to give a dense, fudgy texture.
Storage Once fully cooled, these can be stored in a sealed container for 3-4 days.
Tip Your choice of oil will determine the end flavour of the cookies. If you use a lightly flavoured olive oil, the taste will be very subtle, dominated by the cocoa and chocolate. For a more prominent flavour, use a fruity olive oil, which will pair well with the chocolate.
MATCHA MARBLE COOKIES
If matcha and white chocolate are a match made in heaven, then surely using caramelised white chocolate would amp up the flavour even more? The toasty flavour of the roasted chocolate adds a hint of caramel and a little more depth than a classic white chocolate and matcha combination.
MAKES 16
200g unsalted butter, room temperature
125g light brown sugar
125g caster sugar
2 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
375g plain flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
1 tsp fine sea salt
2 tbsp matcha powder
2 tbsp whole milk
185g caramelised white chocolate discs or fèves, or a roughly chopped bar
1 Put the butter and sugars in the bowl of a stand mixer and beat with the paddle attachment until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes, or use an electric hand mixer and a large bowl. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating until fully combined before adding the second. Add the vanilla extract and beat briefly until combined. In a separate bowl whisk together the flour, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda and salt. Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture and combine on a low speed, just until a uniform cookie dough is formed.
2 Divide the dough into two equal portions. In a small bowl whisk together the matcha powder and whole milk to make a paste. Add this to one of the cookie dough portions, mixing until thoroughly combined. Divide the chocolate between the two portions of dough and mix until evenly distributed. Cover each portion of dough and refrigerate for 4 hours, or until firm.
3 Preheat the oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4 and line two large baking trays with baking parchment.
4 To form the cookies, roll each portion of dough into 16 equal-sized balls. Take one ball of matcha dough and one ball of the plain dough and squash them together, rolling into a ball. Place eight balls of dough on each of the prepared trays. Bake for 15-16 minutes, or until the edges are lightly browned but the centres still a little pale. Remove from the oven and leave to cool on the trays for 5 minutes before carefully transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
Storage These cookies will keep for up to 4 days in a sealed container.
Tip If you don’t want to bake the cookies all at once, freeze the balls of dough. They can be baked from frozen, but will need an additional 1-2 minutes cooking time.
COSY COCOA SPICE COOKIES WITH CREAM CHEESE FILLING
Chocolate is most often used as the dominant central flavour in baking, but sometimes you can use it as a secondary flavour. Here, in the form of cocoa, it is used to add a warmth and depth that plays really well against the flavour of treacle and the warm spices.
MAKES 15
For the cookies
125g unsalted butter
175g light brown sugar
75g black treacle
1 large egg
1 large egg yolk
275g plain flour
15g cocoa powder
1 tbsp ground ginger
½ tsp freshly grated nutmeg
¼ tsp black pepper
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
½ tsp salt
For the coating
demerara sugar
For the filling
50g unsalted butter, room temperature
125g icing sugar
½ tsp vanilla bean paste
50g full-fat cream cheese, room temperature
pinch fine sea salt
1 To make the cookie dough, melt the butter in a saucepan or in the microwave, then pour into a large mixing bowl along with the sugar and treacle, stirring to combine. Leave to cool for a few minutes before adding the egg and egg yolk. Using an electric mixer, on medium/high speed, mix for 2 minutes, or until fully combined and slightly paler in colour. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, spices, bicarbonate of soda and salt. Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture and mix just until a uniform dough is formed. Cover and refrigerate until firm, about 2 hours.
2 Preheat the oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4 and line two large baking trays with baking parchment.
3 Roll the dough into 30 small balls, using a mechanical ice-cream scoop, if you have one. Roll the balls in demerara sugar, then place on the prepared baking trays.
4 Bake the cookies for 10 minutes, or until the surfaces are lightly cracked and the edges are set. Remove the cookies from the oven and allow them to cool for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
5 To make the filling, add the butter to a large bowl and beat, preferably with an electric mixer, until very soft and pale, around 2-3 minutes. Add the icing sugar and vanilla bean paste and beat until smooth. The mixture will seem a little thick at this stage. Add the cream cheese and salt and mix until just smooth and lump free.
6 Spoon or pipe the cream-cheese filling on half the cookies, then sandwich with a second cookie.
Storage These cookies will keep for around 3-4 days in a sealed container in the fridge.
BROWN BUTTER CARAMELISED WHITE CHOCOLATE COOKIES
Despite my love for white chocolate, it is impossible to argue with the idea that some recipes made with it are simply too sweet. To make a delicious white chocolate cookie that doesn’t fall into the ‘too sweet’ camp, I like to use the combination of caramelised white chocolate and brown butter, which adds a deliciously nutty roasted flavour. A final sprinkling of flaked sea salt turns these into a delightfully sweet and salty treat that is guaranteed to win over any hater of white chocolate.
MAKES 6
50g light brown sugar
50g caster sugar
50g unsalted butter
1 tbsp skimmed milk powder
1 large egg yolk
2 tbsp whole milk
¼ tsp vanilla bean paste
125g plain flour
¼ tsp fine sea salt
¼ tsp baking powder
¼ tsp bicarbonate of soda
50g caramelised white chocolate, roughly chopped
flaked sea salt, for sprinkling
To decorate
75g caramelised white chocolate, melted
1 Put the two sugars in a large mixing bowl and set aside. Add the butter and milk powder to a small saucepan, place over a medium heat and cook until browned, stirring constantly to prevent the milk powder from catching on the bottom of the pan. Once you can see brown flecks in the butter and it has a nutty aroma, pour over the sugars and stir together with a whisk. Leave to cool for a couple minutes, then add the egg yolk, milk and vanilla and whisk until smooth. Add the flour, salt, baking powder and bicarbonate of soda and stir together with a spatula to form a dough. Add the chocolate and stir to distribute. Cover and refrigerate the dough for an hour before baking.
2 Preheat the oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4 and line a large baking tray with baking parchment.
3 Divide the dough into six equal sized pieces and roll into balls. Place on the prepared tray and sprinkle with a little flaked sea salt. Bake for 12-13 minutes until lightly browned around the edges. Remove and set aside to cool on the tray for 5 minutes before carefully transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
4 To decorate, dip the cookies halfway into the melted chocolate, allowing any excess to drip back into the bowl. Place the cookies back on the parchment-lined tray and refrigerate just until the chocolate has set.
5 Stored in a sealed container, the cookies will keep for 3-4 days.
RASPBERRY AND PISTACHIO WHITE CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES
These raspberry swirled cookies are absolutely jam packed with flavour, and with actual jam! The combination of white chocolate, pistachios and raspberry jam makes for a delicious, texture-filled treat.
MAKES 12
165g unsalted butter, diced
165g caster sugar
1 large egg
½ tsp vanilla extract
225g plain flour
1 tsp baking powder
½ tsp fine sea salt
50g pistachios, roughly chopped
100g white chocolate, discs, feves or roughly chopped bar
60g raspberry jam
1 Line two large baking trays (half sheet pans) with baking parchment.
2 Place the butter in a small saucepan and heat just until melted. Pour into a large bowl and add the sugar. Stir together with a whisk, then set aside for 5 minutes to cool slightly. Add the egg and vanilla and whisk until a smooth, shiny batter is formed. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt. Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture and stir to form a soft dough. Add the pistachios and chocolate and stir to combine. The dough should feel soft but scoop-able. If it feels too loose, cover and leave for 10 minutes, during which time it should thicken slightly.
3 Dollop the jam randomly over the surface of the dough and use a knife to very gently swirl and fold it in. The aim is to end up with a dough that has a mix of swirls and pockets of jam, stir too much and the jam will lose definition. Use a 60ml mechanical ice cream scoop to form the cookies, placing the rounds onto the prepared trays. Refrigerate for 2 hours before baking. If you want the cookies to look extra special, gently roll the chilled balls of dough in a few extra chopped pistachios
4 Preheat the oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4.
5 Bake the cookies for about 16 minutes or until the edges are golden but the centres are still a touch pale. Remove and cool on the trays for 5 minutes before carefully transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
6 Kept in a sealed container, these cookies will keep for up to 5 days.
CHOKLADBISKVIER
Shaped like small cones, these classic Swedish cookies are made by combining an almond macaroon with chocolate buttercream. The recipe makes rather a lot, but if you need something to take to a party these will absolutely get you a return invitation.
MAKES 30
For the macaroon
200g ground almonds
200g icing sugar
150g egg whites (from about 4 large eggs)
¼ tsp almond extract (optional)
¼ tsp fine sea salt
For the chocolate Swiss meringue buttercream
80g egg whites (from about 2 large eggs)
large pinch fine sea salt
160g caster sugar
240g unsalted butter, diced and at room temperature
125g dark chocolate (80% cocoa solids), melted and cooled
For the coating
300g dark or milk chocolate, melted and preferably tempered
1 Preheat the oven to 190C/170C/gas 5 and line two large baking trays with baking parchment.
2 For the macaroon, simply put everything in a large bowl and stir to form a sticky batter. To form the cookies, you can either pipe into small rounds or use a small mechanical ice cream scoop, depositing about 1 tablespoon of batter per cookie. Alternatively, you can also use two spoons to portion out the batter. Use wet fingers to neaten up the shape should you need to. The cookies will spread as they bake, so don’t be tempted to put too many on a single tray.
3 Bake for 15-18 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from the oven and slide the parchment onto a wire rack so the cookies can fully cool.
4 To make the buttercream, place the egg whites, salt and sugar in a heatproof bowl and place over a pan of simmering water. Whisk gently until the mixture is hot to the touch and you can no longer feel any grains of sugar. Remove the bowl from the heat and, using an electric mixer, whisk until stiff and glossy and cooled to room temperature, 5-7 minutes. With the mixer still running, slowly add the butter, a couple pieces at a time. Once it is all added, continue mixing until a smooth silky buttercream texture has been formed. Scrape in the cooled melted chocolate and again mix until evenly combined.
5 Peel the cookies from the parchment and flip so they are bottom side up. Pipe, scoop or spoon a mound of buttercream onto each cookie and then use a small offset spatula to shape the buttercream into a cone shape. Place the finished cookies on a baking tray and refrigerate for about an hour or until the buttercream is firm.
Note The coating calls for a lot of chocolate but not all of it will be used – you need enough to allow for dunking. Any remaining can be left to set and used in another recipe.
NOW BUY THE BOOK
Our recipes are from Chocolate Baking by Edd Kimber with photographs by Matthew Hague (Quadrille, £28). To order a copy for £23.80 until 22 March, go to mailshop.co.uk/books or call 020 3176 2937. Free UK delivery on orders over £25.
