13.01.2011- C is for Cookie!

Last week I tried a new recipe from my lovely Hummingbird Bakery book, this time for double chocolate cookies. Whilst January usually ushers a period of resolution to get healthy/go to the gym more/eat less rubbish, my logic is that it's futile to even attempt this all the time the seemingly never-ending post-Christmas food mountain (largely consisting of Pringles, a box of mince pies which have to be eaten by the end of January and enough chocolate to give Willy Wonka a run for his money) is still to be demolished. So, for now at least, my resolution is to practice my baking!

Hummingbird Double Chocolate Cookies
Makes 12

Ingredients
50g unsalted butter
450g dark chocolate, chopped
2 eggs
170g light brown or muscavado sugar
¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
85g plain flour
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon baking powder

To make the cookies:
1) Preheat the oven to 170 degrees, Gas Mark 3.
2) Melt the butter and half of the dark chocolate in a heatproof bowl over a saucepan of simmering water until the mixture is smooth, stirring with a wooden spoon. Be careful not to let the base of the bowl touch the water, as this will cook the chocolate.
3) Mix the eggs, vanilla extract and sugar together using an electric mixer or handheld electric whisk until well combined. Slowly pour in the melted chocolate and butter and beat on slow speed until both mixtures are fully combined.
4) Sift the flour, salt and baking powder into another bowl and then add to the chocolate mix in three stages, making sure to mix well after each addition. Stir in the remaining chopped chocolate with a wooden spoon until it is well dispersed throughout the cookie dough.
5) Taking a baking tray which has been pre-lined with greaseproof paper, arrange the cookie dough on the tray in even amounts, leaving room between each for spreading during the baking process. (I found this part the most tricky, so it might me an idea to have two pairs of hands here as the dough is quite hard to shape. But then again, it might be a case of practice makes perfect!) If necessary, use more than one lined baking tray to accommodate all of your cookies.
6) Bake the cookies in the oven for 15 minutes, checking them regularly after 10 minutes. They are ready to be taken out of the oven when their tops begin to crack and they appear glossy.
7) Leave the cookies to cool slightly before placing on a wire rack to cool totally. (It might be an idea to put some greaseproof paper under your wire rack just in case any of the melted chocolate seeps out and makes a mess here.)
8) Serve and enjoy, preferably with a steaming mug of hot chocolate!

Although my cookies resembled cow-pats more than the perfectly formed circles they were supposed to be, they still tasted amazing!

Have you ever tried baking cookies? And what are your favourite recipes?

(Image credit: Sarah Farrell, please do not reproduce without permission.)