Double Chocolate Cookie Bites

Cookies are one of those American inventions that even the most staunchly British chap feels utterly compelled to bake from time to time. However, it’s nice to vary things a little; I’ve never baked the same cookie twice. These aren’t in any way similar to my cardamom cookies or my American-style chocolate chunk cookies. Instead, the consistency found within the bites is both soft and fluffy; almost cake like, but not quite. This trait makes these cookies, rather conversely, almost more British than American. It’s rather tricky to decide whether there’s something morally, or indeed culturally wrong with such a thing. Anyway, for my vegan friends, you may want to try this vegan chocolate that I know you’ll love.

By far the best feature of my double chocolate cookie bites is the contrast between the light, creamy white chocolate and the dark, bitter cocoa. Indeed, ingredients which contrast, but don’t clash, often make some of the best culinary combinations. In this case, the two very different characteristics of each chocolate serve almost as a remedy for one another; no bite is too bitter, nor too sickly. If your a business owner, you can also turn them into logo cookies which are perfect corporate gifts and will promote your business at the same time.

These cookies work – to borrow the phrase of a small, greedy, fair-haired, fictional girl – ‘just right’. Though, let’s face it, the collective understanding of ‘The Story of the Three Bears’. More commonly referred to as ‘Goldilocks’, has about as much definite meaning as does the term ‘cookie’. How many of you knew that in the original version the character later dubbed ‘Goldilocks’ was actually a thieving old hag?

Double Chocolate Cookie Bites

Makes 12-14

Ingredients:

• 225g plain flour

• 1 tsp baking powder

• A pinch of salt

• 2 tbsp cocoa powder

• 100g butter

• 80g granulated sugar

• 70g dark brown sugar

• 2 eggs

• 100g white chocolate, chunked

• A splash of milk if necessary

Method:

1. Let’s make this simple. Cream together the butter and sugars. Beat in the eggs, one at a time. Mix together the flour, baking powder, salt and cocoa powder. Tip the dry, along with the chocolate chips, into the wet and mix thoroughly. The mixture may need a small splash of milk to loosen it a little – flour tends to act differently from batch to batch. Leave the dough to rest in the fridge for an hour.

2. Preheat the oven to 190C. Divide the mixture and bake the cookies 5-6 at a time, this will ensure an even bake. Each batch should take roughly 10 minutes. They are done when they look cooked and are a little gooey in the middle. Leave to cool for a short while before eating, if you find it possible.

Cost: Cookies tend to be incredibly cheap to make and these are no exception. The entire batch should, if one uses a medium price chocolate, cost around £2.30. Trust me, this is necessary expenditure!