A RECIPE: Chocolate cocoa nib shortbread, revisited

Sometimes, old really is best. There’s that sense of comfort that comes with familiarity- in other words you know what you’re going to get. Recipe testing doesn’t always provide those kinds of assurances.

I don’t usually make a point of claiming favourites but lets just say that if I died from gorging on this chocolate shortbread then it would have been a happy way to go.  As afternoon treat recipes go this one is living with the Gods- well maybe they are sharing a seat with these. If the two of them ever happened to find themselves side by side next to my tea mug in the same afternoon…..oooh well now, that would be asking for trouble.

I’ve tried multiple ways of making them and finally I’ve come up with what I like to refer to as  the ethereal version. And now comes the part where I try to tell you why. Their deeply rich chocolate crumb is guaranteed to sabotage even the most abstemious eaters and hardcore dieters alike. I’m talking, cocoa powder, melted 70% chocolate, chunks of 70% chocolate and cocoa nibs encased in butter, a bit of flour and sugar to hold them together and oh, just a generous pinch of salt for good measure.  These are pure D-I-E-T  S-A-B-O-T-A-G-E and you’ll need to scrub your teeth after to hide the shame evidence. A ticket to chocolate heaven has never been free.

So, if they are so darn good then why did I have to go and change them? Lets just say that I have trouble following recipes- even my own. Plus I think there’s always room for improvement. This time I used a mixture of oat flour and plain flour which gives them just the right texture- they don’t go rock hard in the fridge but they also don’t go soft. I’ve cut down on the salt because I had too many people with uneducated palettes accuse me of loosing control with the salt spoon. They still taste bloody good- they’re just a bit more user friendly. The sugar  was cut down by a third- you won’t notice that there’s less sugar but what you will notice is what great use that expensive chocolate you bought was put to.

I should also mention that it was my gifted friend Dan and his fancy camera who very kindly took these beautiful photos. Dan claimed he was watching his food intake the day he came over- but it did not take persuasion to send him home with half a batch of these little treasures. The remaining half batch  managed to bypass bunking down in the biscuit tin and were polished off with impressive speed and award winning enthusiasm by yours truly and  her husband. Only now that they are gone are we safe from temptation.

Chocolate Cocoa Nib Shortbread

I got the idea for this recipe from another food blogger who made cookies similar to these at work one day. They were totally divine- but being my impatient-self I didn’t want to weigh out tons of ingredients, wait around while the dough chilled and then form into rounds and bake in batches so I made a few ingredient cuts, skipped the chilling and pressed the dough into a tin.

Cocoa nibs (roasted, unshelled chopped cocoa beans) can be bought in gourmet shops- if you go to the effort of seeking them out you will not be disappointed.

You can use all plain flour, but the oat flour gives the shortbread a softer texture- you will want to store them in the fridge.

Makes: 12-24…..

Diet Facts: This recipe is diet sabotage. Do no attempt if you are on a diet.

280g/10 oz bittersweet chocolate (preferably 70 %), chopped and divided

225g/2 sticks (8 oz) unsalted butter, softened

100g/4 oz light brown soft sugar

150g/1 cup oat flour

150g/ 1 cup plain flour

50g/2 oz unsweetened good quality cocoa powder

50g/1/2 cup cocoa nibs (or chopped nuts)

1/2 tsp kosher salt (1/4 tsp if it’s fine salt)

1 20 x 30 cm baking tin

1/ Heat the oven to 350F/180C/Gas 4. Melt half of the chocolate (I microwave for 1 minute and then stir until it’s fully melted) Beat the butter (ideally in a kitchen aid with the paddle beater) until smooth. Add the sugar and beat until fully combined and creamy (about 1 minute with the mixer, 2 minutes by hand).

2/ Add the melted chocolate and mix until evenly combined. Sift over the 2 flours, cocoa and salt and mix until almost combined. Fold through the cocoa nibs and remaining chopped chocolate by hand. If the mixture is really wet, then add another tablespoonful or two of flour. If not, press mixture into tin evenly. If it’s sticking really badly to your hands then lightly wet them. Prick all over with a fork.

3/ Bake in the oven for 25 minutes- it will continue to cook as it cools. After 10 minutes, cut the squares with a knife but leave in the tin. Allow to cool then store in an airtight container in the fridge.

A RECIPE: Malted oat shortbread

I’m not a demanding girl. Really, I’m not. I have simple tastes and I don’t require fancy clothes or jewels or wine. I’m not a bride-zilla and I’m not a nagging girlfriend- I simply tell Don to do something rather than ask. All I ever want is a decent cup of tea and in the afternoon an equally complimentary biscuit. Is that really too much to ask? I think not.

And yet, five weekends out of ten I find myself in a less than satisfactory tea situation delivered by my very own nearest and dearest. My father has made my mother tea, in bed, every morning of their marriage and yet here I am about to embark on holy matrimony and I cannot rely on an acceptable cup of tea. He insists on making it- and I try my best to encourage and compliment if and when it arrives in a drinkable state, but honestly most of the time it isn’t worth the cost of the imported tea bag.

Don does not drink tea. Seriously. Sometimes I question how English he actually is- a Brit that doesn’t drink tea? Sounds suspicious to me. And whilst I regret that we cannot read the papers or eat breakfast pouring each other tea from the pot, I regret even more that Don fails appreciate the finer points in tea making. This isn’t about how long you steep the tea bag for or whether or not the milk was put in before the tea was poured or after- this is about appreciating a quality cup of tea. Quality being key word. Don cannot see the difference between serving a cup of tea that resembles dirty dishwasher or one that it is rich in golden colour. This is a problem.

I can live with the dried up contact lenses that he flicks onto the floor rather than into the rubbish bin. I can handle the large shoes, which I trip over in the morning or the fact that he snores, can’t clean the dishes properly and always throws his dirty clothes over my neatly laid out clean ones. But, this tea situation is honestly quite dire.

My only consolation is that at least I can rely on myself for a decent biscuit (and tea, of course). Something buttery and rich, not too sweet, not too crumbly and one that will dunk without leaving too much biscuity residue in the bottom of my cup. This malted oat shortbread was inspired by a need for something wholesome- malt powder, whole wheat pastry flour and oats. The malted flavour is mild but it really adds depth so I highly recommend using it if you have some lying around. One things for sure, as healthy as these look they won’t be lying around for long- Don ate ten in a row after I scolded him for the abysmal tea he served me. Demanding? I think not.

A RECIPE: Peanut butter sandwich cookies

The best part about my job is getting exposed to half a dozen new recipes a day. It’s rather like flicking through a new issue of Gourmet and thinking oooh that looks good only I see it in the flesh and then I get the instant satisfaction of actually getting to taste it. Not so good for the ever-nearing (230 days- gasp!) wedding waistline but my mouth is rarely disappointed with me. It’s often the devil and angel on the shoulder story although for me the devil’s fixed firmly to my face (or maybe it’s my greedy mits) and the angel flits around in my head and is hardly worth its halo. That saying: well I don’t get to eat this everyday sort of doesn’t work when one day its short ribs and the next is peanut butter pie. I eat a lot of salad when I’m not at work.

Don, though still remarkably svelte has gone up two trouser sizes since we met 4 years ago- poor guy, he never stood a chance. Dating me is like becoming a guinea pig- try this, taste this, what do you think of this? But then Don never had the less is more mentality in him either. He has two little devils and they sit in prime-viewing position, a little higher on his face. Right now he’s stretched out across the sofa cradling his full belly after the brunch we hosted earlier today. Freshly baked bread, courgette & feta fritatta, baked marmalade French toast, homemade granola, fresh fruit, bacon and pumpkin muffins- all on his plate, piled up like a Christmas dinner. You would think I starved him most of the time. I on the other hand after a ten mile run (the angel was momentarily in control) pre-brunch am trying to ignore the ever persistent tummy rumblings.

Now, back to that peanut butter pie I mentioned oh, 200 words ago. I raved last week about the guys over at Baked in my neighborhood Brooklyn and this week I’ve found myself unable to move on. Their peanut butter pie filling gave me the idea to use it as a filling between peanut butter cookies- something that I’ve been working on for months.  What’s the second best part about my job? Stealing other peoples’ ideas Blog inspiration. The cookie recipe I stole from the talented Heidi over at 101 cookbooks who I have not had the pleasure of meeting but that doesn’t eliminate her from my recipe pilching- I’m ruthless. In both the filling and the cookies I’ve cut down on the sugar content because I like the salty taste of peanut butter and I think the sugar inhibits it. Pair the crisp salty peanut buttery cookies with a creamy sweet and slightly tangy filling and let’s just say it’s a happy-lie-on-the-sofa-and-clutch-your-belly-situation.

A RECIPE: Oatmeal chocolate chip cookies (with avocado)

A while back I was given a recipe for avocado oatmeal cookies and my boss and I looked at each other, raised our eyebrows and similtaneously said: “bleh“. Without even giving the recipe a chance on its own we omitted all the spices and wacked in some coconut, good quality chocolate chips and hallelua we had avocado and oat cookies. Only what blew us away was that they were truly magnificent. Perhaps some of the best cookies I’ve ever eaten- no joke. And I wasn’t the only one saying it,

So, what’s the deal with the avocado? Well, the whole point is to use the avocado as a partial replacement for butter, which means that you’re getting a little more healthy fat and a little less lardy fat. I’m pretty sure that this still doesn’t classify them as healthy or part of your five-a-day and I’m sure that some of you are thinking ‘what’s the point- if you’re going to eat a cookie, eat a cookie’. But- I live my life along the lines of ‘it’s the little things that count’ and a little more avocado and a little less be butter without altering the flavour is certainly not going to hurt you. In fact I think it’s a wonderful thing. It’s like buying a dress in a sample sale- it’s still a great dress but you feel especially smug knowing that you snagged it for half price. Need another reason to try them? How’s this-there is something extraordinarily satisfying about giving a begging pair of hands a cookie, walking away and then turning back over your shoulder to say: “oh, by the way- it has avocado in it….mwahaaha!”