Chilli chocolate cookies

This is a tried and tested cookie recipe for me – I’ve made these countless times and they always turn out well.

Everyone loves a cookie (especially Kieran) and this recipe is very versatile so if chilli in chocolate isn’t your thing, you could make chocolate orange or salted chocolate cookies instead. In fact, I’ve made both of those variations and they were delicious.

Ingredients

225g unsalted butter, softened
100g caster sugar
175g dark muscovado sugar
2 tsp vanilla extract
2 Eggs, beaten
300g plain flour
50g cocoa powder
1 tsp baking powder
1½ tsp cayenne pepper (less or more to taste)
100g bar dark chilli chocolate, roughly chopped
200g bar dark chocolate, roughly chopped

Instructions

Beat the butter and sugars together, then gradually mix in the vanilla and eggs. In another bowl, combine the flour, cocoa, a pinch of salt, baking powder and cayenne pepper, then mix these into the butter and fold in all the chocolate.
Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Place walnut-sized spoonfuls of the mixture on baking sheets lined with baking parchment, leaving enough space between so they don’t melt together. Bake in batches, for 10-12 mins, depending on how gooey you like your cookies. Allow to cool on the baking sheets for 1 min before removing to a plate to cool completely.