Truffle cookies recipe

Fabulous chocolate bites with a silky smooth truffle at the centre.

These truffle cookies are like a halfway point between sweet chocolate truffle and a biscotti. You bake them until the outside is crisp but the inside is still soft and truffly. They are smaller than classic chocolate chip cookies, more like a nibble to have with your morning coffee, or as a treat to serve up with coffees after a dinner party. This recipe makes around 40, and most guests will probably want two or three, so this will be plenty for most tables. Any leftovers will keep well in a tin for a few days. Use the best chocolate you can for these - the quality will show in the the truffles.

Ingredients

• 250g (9oz) continental plain chocolate (70% cocoa solids), broken
• 60g (2¼oz) cocoa powder, sifted
• 110g (4oz) butter
• 3 eggs
• 200g (7oz) caster sugar
• 1½ tsp vanilla extract
• 75g (2¾oz) plain flour
• 1⁄4 tsp baking powder
• 1⁄4 tsp salt
• 150g (5½oz) continental plain chocolate (70% cocoa solids), chopped into small chunks

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/Gas mark 4.
2. Combine the broken chocolate pieces, the cocoa powder and butter in a metal bowl and place over a pan of simmering water. Stir occasionally until the chocolate and butter have melted. Remove from the heat, stir to combine and set aside to cool.
3. Beat the eggs and sugar, using an electric mixer, until light and fluffy. Beat in the vanilla extract and chocolate mixture. Sift together the flour, baking powder and salt. Add to the butter mixture together with the chopped chocolate and stir until just combined.
4. Cover the dough and chill for at least 3 hours. Even after chilling, the dough will be quite soft.
5. Quickly roll the dough into heaped teaspoon-sized balls (roughly 3cm/1in wide) and place 5cm (2in) apart on ungreased or parchment-lined baking sheets. Bake for 10 minutes, or until the tops are crispy and the centres just set.
6. Allow to cool for 5 minutes on the baking sheets then transfer to a wire rack and allow to cool completely. Dust with cocoa powder to serve.

Top tip for making truffle cookies:

Try dipping these cookies in white chocolate for an extra special treat.

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