Dipped Chocolate Cookies

As cookies go, this is a pretty solid recipe. It’s for that American, gooey, chewy sort of slab that’s just a bit too easy finish. You move onto the next one. And then the next one. Soon, there’s none left and if you’re anything like me, you languish in your own mixture of guilt and happiness. But then, these are smothered in chocolate ganache. Ganache, although it sounds fancy and complicated, isn’t. It’s just chocolate and heated double cream, mixed until shiny and gloopy. If you combine the relative restraint of a single-chocolate cookie with the sheer richness of ganache, you have something rather special indeed.

Let them cool, and the ganache sets quite soft, and you’ve got something that can be enjoyed for several days in all its brilliance. Have these still warm from the oven, though, with the ganache still dripping off the edges, and these are a chocolate explosion. They are probably unmatched in the baking world for sheer indulgence. This recipe will work every time, so long as you don’t forget about them in the oven. They might seem soft and puffed up as soon as you remove them but they’ll go chewy as they cool.

Step 1

In a large bowl, weigh your soft butter and both sugars. Beat these together with a wooden spoon until they are combined – don’t beat too long, as you don’t need to waste time incorporating loads of air.

Step 2

Add your eggs and mix this in, recklessly. Add your flour, baking powder and chocolate chips, and finally mix everything together until it’s smooth. Don’t mix for too long – just enough that it’s incorporated.

Step 3

Cover your bowl and pop it in the fridge for at least 15 minutes. You can now preheat your oven to 190C/170C fan/Gas 5. Line a large baking sheet with baking paper (non-stick greaseproof paper).

Step 4

Scoop out 12 large spoonfuls onto your baking sheet, leaving as much space as possible between them. They will spread and touch, but don’t worry: they’ll easily break apart after baking.

Step 5

Bake for 12-15 minutes, or until they’re puffed up and soft in the middle, but a noticeable golden brown colour. Remove them and leave them to cool slightly as you make your ganache.

Step 6

Place your cream in a saucepan, and bring it to the simmer. As that’s heating, break your chocolate into a bowl. Pour your hot cream over your chocolate and gently stir to combine until smooth.

Step 7

Dip your cookies into your smooth, shiny ganache and leave to set, preferably on another sheet of baking paper.

Top Tip:

The key to truly awesome cookies? Make the dough, then let them set in the fridge overnight. You’ll have thicker, chewier, more flavourful cookies at the end. You can even freeze the dough, and you’ve got cookies ready to bake frozen whenever you fancy them.

Enjoy!