Recipe: Chocolate Brazil Soft-Baked Cookies

Chocolate Brazil Soft-Baked Cookies

brownies Preparation time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 20 minutes
Use: 6.5cm (2-1/2in) biscuit cutter
Makes: 20

This recipe was sent to us by Lorna Dowell, another of our National Trust chocolate competition finalists. Lorna was inspired to experiment after a delicious tea at the National Trust site at Dapdune Wharf where she ate soft-baked chocolate chip biscuits.

1/3 cup (3/4 stick) unsalted butter
1/4 cup sugar
1 large egg, beaten
1-1/3 cups whole wheat flour
1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1-2 tablespoons milk
3 ounces dark chocolate, minimum 60 percent cocoa content,
roughly chopped
3 ounces milk chocolate, preferably 34 percent cocoa content,
roughly chopped
2 ounces brazil nuts, chopped (about 1/2 cup)
1/2 teaspoon salt

Instructions

1) Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/gas mark 4. Grease a baking sheet with melted butter.

2) Cream together the butter and sugar in a bowl until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg.

3) Sift the flour and baking powder once, returning the bran to the sifted flour, then fold it into the mixture. The bran gives a distinctive flavour and texture to the cookies.

4) Beat well, adding the vanilla extract and sufficient milk to make a pliable dough. Mix it with your hands, adding the milk in stages until the dough is fairly soft, but not sticky.

5) Add the chopped chocolate, nuts and salt and distribute evenly through the dough. Roll out on to a lightly floured board to a thickness of about 1/4 inch. Press out the cookies using a cookie cutter, and space them well apart on the greased baking sheet.

6) Bake in the centre of the oven for about 20 minutes. Watch them carefully so they don?t overcook. Remove from the oven and leave to cool on the baking tray for a few minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

HINT: All flour should be sifted before you use it. Sifting flour is important, not just to remove any little foreign bodies that may be in the flour, but also to aerate it.

Buy the Book!

from:
Green and Black's Chocolate Recipes
From the Cacao Pod to Muffins, Mousses and Moles
Editor: Caroline Jeremy
Photographs by Francesca Yorke
Kyle Books
Paperback; $19.95
ISBN: 1904920039
Recipe reprinted by permission.