Intense Chocolate Cookies

I have been on a cookie overdrive this month. First there were those yummilicious coconut cookies, then some oatmeal raisin ones, and then I came across this magical recipe for heavenly, sinful, intense roundels of cookies. That too from the goddess herself……Nigella!!! The moment I saw the recipe, I knew I had to make these….or rather ‘try’ making these. I had originally intended to make a big batch and giveaway some to friends (The weekend was an extended one you see!!). But never having made chocolate cookies before, I suddenly developed cold feet (I was attempting a Nigella recipe, no less!). So I decided to make a small batch as a tester. If it worked fine, I could make those giveaways next weekend. By the time these got done, I was cursing myself for not having attempted the giveaway batches……they were so good!! The big grin on the husband’s face said it all J.

Intense Chocolate Cookies

(Adapted from Nigella Lawson’s recipe, basically I changed a little of the measurements and ingredients to suit myself)

Ingredients:

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• ½ cup cocoa powder
• ½ tsp baking powder
• ½ tsp salt
• ½ cup butter
• ½ cup dark cooking chocolate, broken into pieces
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 egg, cold from the fridge
• A handful of dark chocolate chips

Method:

Preheat the oven to 170°C.

Place the dark cooking chocolate and butter in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of barely simmering water. Heat, stirring occasionally, until melted. Take care not to burn the mixture. Let the mixture cool. Place the flour, cocoa, baking powder and salt into a large bowl and mix well. In another bowl, whisk the egg and sugar together until light and fluffy. Add the vanilla extract and the melted chocolate mixture and stir well. Mix in the dry ingredients and finally the chocolate chips. Scoop out equal sized portions of the dough onto a lined baking sheet. Bake at 170°C for around 15 minutes. Leave the cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 5-10 minutes. Then, transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Enjoy!! You may also store the cookies in an air-tight jar.

Dark chocolate has an amazing way of making you feel happy and satisfied. And these cookies are truly dark and intense (see the colour?). The aroma that wafted throughout the house while baking these were enough to get curious stares from the neighbours. And my mouth was already watering….I just couldn’t wait to finish baking. The end product was one of the most amazing cookies I’ve ever had. And I have only one person to thank for my superb and sinful experience……Nigella J.

Love,

Anjali D.

Coconut Cookies

I love coconuts…..I’ve always loved them. Being from a part of the country where coconuts are used in various forms in all religious ceremonies and social festivities, the taste and flavor of coconuts is ingrained in my very being! So, when I moved to a different part of the country (post marriage) where coconuts are equally cherished, albeit in a different style / manner of cooking, I felt comforted in the fact that I would not be missing out on a few favorites after all J.

A couple of weeks back, my landlady gifted me a coconut (along with some other goodies J) as part of her religious custom during a Lakshmi (the goddess of wealth) pooja ceremony. I’m still getting used to the difference in social and religious life of the people in this part of the country from those parts where I’ve spent the most part of my life until now. In northern India, Lakshmi pooja is celebrated at a different time of the year.

Anyways, the initial idea was to prepare some coconut milk and store it in the fridge for future use. However, since scraping the edible part out of a coconut requires considerable time and effort, I just kept delaying that activity. Of course, I kept the coconut in a visible space in my kitchen so I would not forget all about it ;). In any case, last weekend, I decided enough was enough and enlisted the husband’s help in removing the coconut flesh. I gave up the coconut milk idea since it is readily available in the superstores and decided to use it in its original form. So, the task now was to decide how to use it best! I used up some part of it in a chicken curry over the weekend but still had lots left up to be used. I was in the office drafting a document when the brainstorm happened. I didn’t waste any time and decided to use it up that day itself when I reached home after office. Considering that it took such less time to dish up this goody, I didn’t let my late office hours and my gym routine (AND my lazy bones) disrupt me from this idea. Go through the recipe and see if the considerable ease motivates you too to try this on a busy weekday evening J (that is, if you have pre-grated coconut handy; else, reserve it for a weekend).

Ingredients:

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• ½ teaspoon baking powder
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 cup grated coconut
• 1 egg, beaten
• 2 tablespoons butter, melted
• A pinch of salt

Method:

Mix all the ingredients together until well combined.

Place teaspoonfuls of the mixture on a well-greased baking tray. Shape them into roundels and flatten them a little with your fingers. Make sure to leave gaps between the cookies as these will expand.

Bake in a pre-heated oven at 180°C for 12-15 minutes.

My cookies were crisp on the outside and soft and chewy on the inside – exactly the way I like them. My sister said they looked like the ones she buys at those expensive donut outlets and the husband said they tasted even better J. My success at these also prompted me to make a batch of giveaways for my friends. Happy me J!

Love,

Anjali D.