SHF Chocolate Crackle Top Biscuits

I baked a batch of biscuits last week. It was my first foray into baking for weeks. I’ve been too busy cleaning muddy footprints off the rug, doing Christmas shopping (to send sea mail to family in the UK) and refereeing between cat and toddler. I finally found I needed to bake when I ate a supermarket cake and knew life is so much better than that.

I needed something simple and stumbled upon a recipe I had made a few times in my days before blogging. It was simple enough to make during Midsomer Murders and still follow the plot (though I once watched an episode and predicted everything that was going to happen so perhaps this is no recommendation!)

I think E must have been missing my home baking because he asked when the biscuits would be ready when the mixture was still firming up in the fridge. We both enjoyed a few warm bikkies while watching Inspector Barnaby solve the case! He is a clever old thing but can he explain why we say biscuits and Americans say cookies?

Not only are these biscuits easy but they also have a mysterious and delightful transformation during baking from round snowy white balls to flat discs that look like cracked earth in the desert. Not to be confused with the ubiquitous chocolate crackles of my childhood. They are soft inside with an intense chocolate flavour and the odd chunk of chocolate. Just the thing to eat with a cuppa in the evening.

I am sending these biscuits to Aparna of My Diverse Kitchen who is hosting Sugar High Friday #69. The theme is Bite Size Desserts. Sugar High Fridays is a sweet blog event founded by Jennifer of The Domestic Goddess.

Previously on Green Gourmet Giraffe:
This time last year: NCR Lemony Mediterranean Salad
This time two years ago: NCR: Spring Strawberry Soup

Chocolate Crackle Top Biscuits
From Super Food Ideas
makes about 24

• 100g dark chocolate (I used 70% Lindt)
• 50g butter
• 1 egg
• ½ cup brown sugar
• ⅔ cup plain white flour
• ¾ tsp baking powder
• 1 tbsp cocoa
• ⅔ cup icing sugar
  

Melt 50g chocolate with the butter. Chop the remaining chocolate into chunks and set aside.

Whisk egg and brown sugar together until thickened. Add melted chocolate and butter. Stir in flour, baking powder and cocoa till combined. The mixture will be gloriously glossy. Mix in chocolate chunks.

Refridgerate bowl of mixture for about 1 hour or till batter firms up. Then place icing sugar in a shallow bowl. Roll heaped teaspoons into balls (about walnut sized) and toss in the icing sugar so they are well coated.

Arrange balls on greased or lined baking tray with plenty of space between them (I think I gave them about 5cm between them) because they will spread. Bake at 180 C for 12 minutes or until just hardened on top.

Cool on tray for about 10 minutes and then transfer to wire rack to cool completely. Store in an airtight container. I am not sure how long they last but I don’t imagine they will be around your kitchen too long. (NB Martha Stewart says up to 1 week.)

On the Stereo:
Wild Wood: Paul Weller