Christmas Pudding Double Chocolate Cookies

December is here and the festive season has arrived! Once again I can only question how has the year flown by so quickly?! Before we know it it’ll be 2022 and time to attempt those new year’s resolutions again. But for now, it’s time to indulge and these double chocolate cookies are the perfect way to do so.

Crunchy on the outside, soft in the centre and deliciously sweet throughout. I don’t often bake cookies as they’re usually easier to buy (and scoff), but this recipe is simple and quick. There’s no resting time and they bake in 12 minutes, so you’ll have a batch of tasty chocolatey delights in under an hour.

Want the secret to perfectly round cookies?

I also have the best tip on how to get perfectly round cookies! It’s taken me a while, but after seeing a few videos of other bakers making cookies I saw their secret and I want to share it with you. The key is shaping them once you take them out of the oven. Cookies harden as they cool, so you have to be quick and this is the perfect time to mould them.

And the secret to round edges? Use a chef ring or circular cookie cutter! Place the ring around the cookie and, while maintaining contact with the tray underneath, move the ring in circular motions with the cookie in the centre. As you rotate your hand, the cookie will bounce off the sides of the ring and new edges will form. The cookie will then hold this shape as it cools, resulting in beautifully round edges.

These cookies can be eaten fresh from the oven, but they’re even better with a bit of decoration. A drizzle of white chocolate and sprinkles on top and you’ll have cute, festive treats with these Christmas Pudding inspired double chocolate cookies. They’ll last about 3 days in an airtight container but are best eaten fresh. The cookie dough and cookies can be frozen if you don’t want to use the whole batch at once. Just leave it to defrost before placing it into the oven to make sure you get an even bake – no one wants a frozen centre!

Prep time: 20 minutes

Baking time: 12 minutes

Total: 35 minutes (to allow for cooling)

Makes 12

Dairy-free: Use dairy-free butter and dark chocolate to make this recipe dairy-free. Either omit the white chocolate decoration or use dark chocolate instead.

Ingredients

3.5 oz / 100g butter

5.3 oz / 150g soft brown sugar

1 egg

1 tsp vanilla essence

1.4 oz / 40g cocoa powder

5.3 oz / 150g self-raising flour

1/2 tsp baking powder

5.3oz / 150g dark chocolate chips

To Decorate

3.5 oz / 100g white chocolate

Christmas inspired sprinkles

Method

First, preheat your oven to 175 degrees, line two large baking trays with baking parchment and set them aside.

In a large bowl, use an electric whisk to cream the butter and sugar together until the mixture is light, pale and beautifully smooth. Mix together for longer than you think as this is the foundation for your batter and essential to a good bake!

Next, add the egg and vanilla essence to the bowl and mix fully.

Sieve the flour, baking powder and cocoa over the bowl and mix into the batter until it’s almost come together. Then add the chocolate chips. (You can use chips or cut up a bar of chocolate for chunkier pieces.) Fold the chocolate into the mixture but only until it’s just mixed in – you don’t want to over mix it!

Use a dessert spoon to spoon the mixture out onto your pre-prepared baking trays, dividing it into 12 equal balls of cookie dough. Allow plenty of space between each scoop to allow for the cookies to spread out when baking.

Place into your preheated oven for 12 minutes. The cookies should have spread slightly and risen nicely. Remove from the oven and place on a flat surface. Using a chef ring, place it over each cookie and, keeping contact with the baking tray, spin the ring in circles around each cookie. With the cookies still warm, this is the time to shape them. The chef ring helps mould the cookies into perfect circles. Set them aside, still on the baking tray, to cool fully.

Decorating the cookies

Once the cookies have completely cooled, they will be much firmer and ready to decorate! Melt the white chocolate either in the microwave or in a bowl over a saucepan of water. Drizzle the chocolate over half of each cookie spreading it to look like the icing of a Christmas pudding. Have fun playing with the variety of drips and flow of the chocolate. Then sprinkle some of the Christmas coloured sprinkles over the warm white chocolate.

Finally, enjoy your Christmas Pudding inspired double chocolate cookies – Perfect with a cup of tea.

To view how I made these double chocolate cookies, follow me on Insta @theardentbakery & for more recipes head to my baking section.

Els x