Famed for the gigantic, raspberry-dusted meringues that adorn his shop windows, Yotam Ottolenghi is a patisserie expert, and these deliriously fudgy cookies are no exception.
Ingredients
(makes 24 cookies)
110g unsalted butter at room temperature, cubed
110g caster sugar
1 large egg, lightly beaten
125g plain flour
½ tsp baking powder
20g cocoa powder
½ tsp ground cinnamon
¼ tsp salt
100g 70% cocoa chocolate chips (or 100g dark cooking chocolate in 0.5cm pieces)
50g mashed banana (½ small banana)
170g pecan halves, finely chopped
100g icing sugar
Top Tips
Maintain that fudgy factor by ensuring you don’t overbake these cookies.
You can also freeze them for up to three months once you have rolled them in to balls. Simply add one extra minute on to the baking time when you are ready to use them.
Method
1. In the bowl of an electric mixer with the paddle attachment in place, beat the butter and sugar on a medium-high speed until light and fluffy, then add the egg and beat to combine. Sift the flour, baking powder, cocoa powder, cinnamon and salt into a bowl, then add to the butter mix, beating on low speed for 15 seconds. Now beat in the chocolate and banana until combined, then transfer to the fridge for two hours to firm up.
2. Once firm, form the dough into 24 3cm balls, about 20g each. Put the pecans in a bowl, then drop in each ball, rolling it around to coat, which will press the nuts in as well, so they stick.
Put the cookies on a baking tray lined with greaseproof paper and refrigerate for at least an hour.
3. Heat the oven to 190°C/375°F/gas mark 5 and line two oven trays with baking paper. Put the icing sugar in a bowl and roll the cookies one by one in the sugar, pressing it in as you go, so it sticks. Arrange the cookies on the trays 2-3cm apart, then flatten them to about 1cm thick.
4. Bake for 10 minutes, then remove: the cookies will be soft to the touch. Leave to cool for 10 minutes, then move to a rack. Serve warm or cool.
