Chocolate Chip Cookies

I think there comes a point in every life when chocolate is needed, in fact, sometimes, it’s the only thing that will do.  I reached that point last week: blustery weather, things to worry about, so much to do, cups of tea a constant.  What I really required, I decided, was a good dose of dark cocoa.  Think of all the flavanols, anti-oxidants and generally fabulous things contained in proper dark chocolate and then think of them combined with a little malty flax and some light muscovado sugar to make a delightful chocolate cookie?  The idea sparked a little baking session that probably did more to soothe my worries than the cookies themselves (but isn’t that the way it should be?) and produced these lovely numbers, warm from the oven, slightly crisp on the outside while remaining soft in the centre, as only a proper cookie should be.

I can’t pretend to you that these cookies are completely healthy; there are more ingredients to them than just flaxseed and dark chocolate, but what these cookies are, is completely allergy-free and completely and utterly moreish.  The delicious scent of them baking is enough to make them a success, but I think you’ll find that the sweet, intense chocolate flavour is just the right kind of treat for this autumnal month.  Perfect for serving with a cup of tea and the people that you love, they’ll thank you for it, I promise.

CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES

Makes 32 cookies

110g/4oz dairy-free margarine – Pure Sunflower Spread

110g/4oz light muscovado sugar

55g/2oz golden caster sugar

1 tbsp ground flaxseeds

220g/8oz Doves Farm gluten free self-raising flour

1 tsp baking powder

2 tbsp rice milk

50g dairy-free dark chocolate – I recommend Montezuma’s

A good pinch of sea salt

Preheat the oven to 180c and line two baking trays with parchment.

Roughly chop the chocolate into little pieces, then place the margarine, caster sugar and muscovado sugar in a large mixing bowl and cream together using a wooden spoon, until incorporated and smooth.  Sift the flour and baking powder into the bowl, add the ground flaxseed and the salt and mix together until blended in with the mixture – it will look rather clumpy at this stage.

Add the chocolate and rice milk to the cookie mixture and beat together until the dough pulls together to form a large ball – you can at this stage, use your hands to pull the mixture together.  Take a heaped teaspoon of the dough and roll into it into a ball, before pressing it with the flat of your hand so that it forms a flattened disc about ½ cm deep and 4 cm in diameter.  Lay the cookies on the baking tray about 1 inch apart from each other (that’s about 8 per tray) and bake in the oven for 12 – 15 minutes or until just firm and slightly cracking on top.  Remove from the oven and place on a cooling rack while you bake the remaining cookies.

Comments

[Emma]

Ooh these look so good, nom nom nom.

[Lizzy]

I made these yesterday and they came out just right, crunchy on the outside and soft in the centre. They were brilliant still warm from the oven, thanks!