Double chocolate and ginger cookies

Chocolate and ginger make a perfect combination and the two flavours go together particularly well in these double chocolate and ginger cookies. As with other cookies, they are easy to make and can be made in bulk and frozen for convenience. The quantities in this recipe are sufficient to make around 25 biscuits.

Ingredients

• 125g butter (at room temperature)
• 125g caster sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla essence
• 120g plain flour
• 30g cocoa powder
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 75g chocolate chunks (or chocolate chips)
• 40g crystallised ginger

Equipment needed to make double chocolate and ginger cookies

• Large baking bowl
• Wooden spoon to cream the butter and sugar together
• Large sieve
• Metal baking sheet
• Non-stick baking parchment
• Chopping board and sharp knife to chop the chocolate (if not using chocolate chips)

How to make double chocolate and ginger cookies

Cream together the butter and caster sugar.

Add the egg and vanilla essence and beat.

Sift the flour into the bowl. Add the cocoa powder, baking powder, oats, chocolate chunks (or chocolate chips) and mix until all the ingredients are combined. The mixture will be fairly dry and stiff but this is how it should be at this stage.

Take a dessertspoonful of mixture and form into a cookie shape. Place on a non-stick baking sheet on a baking tray. Repeat until all the mixture is used up. Leave a space between each cookie to allow room to spread slightly during cooking.

Cook in batches, one tray at a time, in the centre of the oven until they start to turn golden at the edges. This should take around 10 minutes but check regularly as they can easily become overcooked. The cookies will be soft and will set as they cool down. Leave on the baking tray for a couple of minutes or so and then transfer to a wire cooling rack. For an Aga, cook on the grid shelf on the floor of the roasting oven with the cold plain shelf on the second set of runners.

The cookies can be stored in an airtight container for a couple of days, but if you plan to keep them any longer I recommend they are frozen.

Tips

1. Remove the butter from the fridge ahead of starting to make the cookies so that it reaches room temperature and soften. Alternatively, soften (but do not melt) the butter in the microwave using the appropriate setting. If the butter is taken straight from the fridge it will be very difficult to cream the butter and sugar together.
2. If using chocolate chunks, don't chop the chocolate too small as it is better to have some large chunks in the biscuits. I suggest aiming to have some chunks up to around 0.5 cm across.
3. Remember to leave a space between the cookies to allow room for expansion during the cooking time.
4. Don't be tempted to leave the cookies in the oven for too long. They will still be soft when they are ready to be removed from the oven and will set as they cool.
5. The cookies can be stored in an airtight tin, but will only be at their best for a couple of days. If you plan to keep them any longer it is better to freeze them in an airtight container so they can be enjoyed at their best. I find that they keep well in the freezer for about 2 to 3 weeks.

Other cookie recipes you may wish to try