Ginger and Dark Chocolate Chunk Biscuits
Brrrr, it has been a cold week - time to warm things up with ginger and mixed spice in freshly baked warm cookies. There is something very pleasing in whipping up a batch of biscuits, not only does it make the house smell liked spice heaven, you also get to curl up on the sofa and devour them.
I don’t know about you but the world is pulling me towards the winter festivities, adverts on the telly, christmas magazines are out and shops have already got their decorations up. I am almost ready to be absorbed into it all but I have one more step to before taking the plunge and that will come next week…
A little group of my family declare the festive season as started once we have had afternoon tea at Fortnum and Masons in London. We have done it for a few years now, we get dressed up and arrive well before the afternoon tea is booked so that we can marvel at the store in all it’s christmassy glory. We come into the city from different points, so meet up a little bit down the street so that we can all approach it together and say all our “Oooo’s” and “Ahhhh’s” in unison!
Ginger and Dark Chocolate Chunk Biscuits
125g unsalted butter, softened
95g dark soft brown sugar
230g golden syrup
375g plain flour, sifted
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
1 tsp mixed spice
2 tsp ground ginger
100g 70% dark chocolate, roughly chopped
Preheat oven to 180ºC and line 2 baking trays with baking parchment
Beat together the butter and sugar for 5 minutes, or until pale and fluffy. Add the flour, bicarbonate of soda, spices and golden syrup and mix briefly again - until just combined.
Add the chopped chocolate and give another beat to disperse the chocolate evenly through the dough.
Roll tablespoon sized balls between your hands and then place onto the prepared baking tray, leaving 5cm between each ball of dough. Slightly flatten the balls - this will help them to spread evenly in the oven.
Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until a level golden colour. They will seem soft when you first take them out of the oven, but they harden up whilst they cool down. Once cooled, transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.
I dare you not to feel totally autumnal when you are baking these, if the smell of the spices baking in the oven doesn't get you, then eating them definitely will!
