Cookies de Chocolate y Nubes

makes 21 cookies

75g VALOR chocolate puro, pieces

125g unsalted butter

200g soft brown cane sugar

1 free-range egg

4 tbsp milk

1 tsp vanilla essence

150g plain flour

100g VALOR cocoa powder

1 tsp baking powder

150g VALOR chocolate puro, small pieces

75g nubes (marshmallows), whatever colour takes your fancy

2 tsp water

1. Preheat the oven to 200ºC, and line 2 baking trays with baking paper.

2. Melt the chocolate in a bowl over barely simmering water, and set aside to cool.

3. In a large bowl cream together the sugar and butter, then add the egg, milk and vanilla essence; whisk in until well combined.

4. Mix in the cooled chocolate. 

5. Sift in the flour, cocoa and baking powder, and once combined add the small chocolate pieces.

6. Using metal spoons and a cup of cold water (stops mixture sticking to spoon), spoon mixture onto lined baking tray. Using the back of a spoon press the mixture down to form cookie.

7. Bake for 12 minutes. remove from the oven and leave to cool for 5 minutes.

8. Melt the marshmallows ( with the water) in a small pan over a low heat... then drizzle over your cookies.

Ximo

banana, hazelnut70 & chocolate cookies

makes 17

250g self-raising flour*
175g caster sugar
75g whole rolled oats
60g unsalted butter
65g lightly salted butter
2 tablespoons maple syrup
2 tablespoons milk
100g dark chocolate, broken into small pieces
100g hazelnuts, chopped
1 banana (100g), chopped


Preheat the oven to 200ºC.

In a large bowl, mix the flour, sugar and oats. rub in the butter with your fingertips until it looks like a crumble topping. Add the maple syrup and milk and bring the mixture together. stir in the rest of the ingredients. If the mixture seems to dry add another tablespoon of milk.

using a little mixture on each corner, stick a sheet of grease-proof paper to your baking tray. Use a tablespoon(previously dipped in cold water), to measure. out the mixture and flatten into rough biscuit shapes. Bake for around 15 minutes, or until the underside is golden brown (I like my cookies a little chewy).  Stamp your cookies and leave to cool.

* Self-raising flour can be made by adding 1 tsp of Baking Powder to every 110g of plain flour.

Chai cookies

makes 25 cookies

225g unsalted butter, softened
225g soft brown sugar
2 egg yolks
1 tbsp chai milk (see below)
half a tsp crushed roasted cardamom seeds
1 tsp vanilla essence
225g wholemeal flour
1 tsp baking powder
110g rolled oats
100g Moscatel sultanas

for the chai milk
1 cup of milk
1 cinnamon stick
7 cardamom seeds
1 star anise
half a tsp of fennel seeds

For the chai milk; heat the milk and add the spices. Simmer gently for 5 minutes; then leave to cool.

Preheat the oven to 200ºC. Line the baking tray with greaseproof paper.

In a large bowl, cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg yolks, chai milk, cardamom seeds (discard the husk) and vanilla essence. Sift the flour and baking powder into another bowl and mix well; add the rolled oats. Stir the flour into the butter/ egg mixture; until well combined. Fold in the sultanas.

Place spoonfuls of the mixture onto the lined baking tray and press down with the back of a spoon (dipping it in water stops it from sticking!). Bake for 15 minutes or until golden brown. Leave to cool for 7 minutes. If you have a cookie stamp, use it when you remove the cookies from the oven...

banana, walnut and dark chocolate cookies

makes 20 cookies

250g self-raising flour
175g caster sugar
75g rolled oats
half tsp ground cinamon
half tsp nutmeg
125g unsalted butter
2 tbsp honey
3 tbsp milk
100g chopped dark chocolate
100g broken walnut
70g chopped banana (one banana)

Preheat the oven to 200ºC

In a large bowl; mix the flour, sugar, oats and spices. Rub in the butter until it resembles crumble topping. Add the honey and milk, mixing together. Stir in the rest of the ingredients.

Cover a baking sheet with a sheet of baking paper, using a little of the mixture for each corner. Place spoonfuls of the mixture on the baking sheet, leaving enough space between each one (I bake 9 at a time).
Flatten the cookies a little using the back of a spoon dipped in cold water.

Bake for fifteen minutes or until they are golden brown.

yummy!