Chocolatey to the point of madness …

I have just made Nigella’s Intense and Indulgent Chocolate Cookies and the mouth-watering aroma of chocolate is seeping into every corner of the cottage. These are the chocolatiest cookies you will ever come across, is the claim by Nigella and judging by the chocolate overload on my senses right now, I’m not arguing.  Alas, these are not for my consumption - though I am finding it extremely difficult not to sink my teeth into one right now - they are for His Nibs to take to the office. They are loaded with chocolate, rich dark cocoa, melted dark chocolate and chocolate chips ….. two packets! and look very appetising wrapped in greaseproof paper and tied with string, even if I do say so myself.

Here is the recipe, courtesy of Nigella, should you want to indulge, with my notes attentively added in brackets.

              Ingredients

·    125g (5oz) dark chocolate, minimum 70% cocoa solids

·    150g (6oz) flour (it doesn’t specify but I have tried both plain and SR and find that plain gives the best results)

·    30g (a smidge over 1oz) cocoa, sieved

·    1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda

·    1/2 teaspoon salt

·    125g (5oz) soft butter

·    75g (3oz) light brown sugar

·    50g (2oz) white sugar

·    1 teaspoon vanilla extract

·    1 egg, cold from the fridge

·    350g (2 bags) chocolate chips (I used one packet of milk chocolate chips and one packet of plain chocolate chips)

             Method

Serves: Makes 12 (I use an ice cream scoop as the measure and you get exactly 12 cookies)

1.        Preheat the oven to 170°C/gas mark 3 or for a 2 oven Aga use the roasting oven with the grill on the oven floor and the cold shelf on the 2^nd set of runners up.

2.       Melt the dark chocolate either in the microwave or in a heatproof dish over a pan of simmering water.

3.       Put the flour, cocoa, bicarbonate of soda and salt into a bowl.

4.       Cream the butter and sugars in another bowl. Add the melted chocolate and mix together.

5.        Beat in the vanilla extract and a cold egg, and then mix in the dry ingredients. Finally stir in the chocolate chips.

6.       Scoop 12 equal-sized mounds and place on a lined baking sheet about 6cm apart. Do not flatten them (I do flatten them slightly with a fork).

7.        Cook for 18 minutes, testing with a cake tester to make sure it comes out semi-clean and not wet with cake batter. (I cooked for 13 minutes in the Aga and they have come out just right – any longer and they start to overcook on the edges and loose that delicious squidgyness).

8.       Leave to cool slightly on the baking sheet (if you can restrain yourself) for 4-5 minutes then transfer them to a cooling rack to cool completely (before storing in an air tight tin ….. yeah, right! Before scoffing).

Happy baking

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