Double dark chocolate cookies

These spell trouble for anyone on a diet, because they're far too good to stop eating after just the one!

They can be baked until chewy in the middle, or perfectly crisp all the way through, depending on your personal preference – you simply need to adjust how long you bake them for. I bake mine for 10 minutes, after which they might seem underdone – but I promise they'll firm up. After 12 minutes, they're still a little chewy after cooling, while after 13-14 minutes, they're crisp and dunkable.

A pinch of sea salt is compulsory to add the sweet and saltiness – it also really brings out the flavour of the dark chocolate. Speaking of which, I recommend you buy the best-quality chocolate you can afford, with 70% or more cacao. If you prefer a regular choc-chip cookie, simply swap the cacao powder for more flour.

I haven't tested these using a gluten-free flour blend, but I see no reason these wouldn't work. I recommend adding an extra 1-2 tbsp milk to the mixture, then see how you go.

SERVES:
makes approx 18

Ingredients
Instructions

Ingredients

½ cup tahini paste

½ cup coconut oil – soft but not liquid

½ cup soft brown sugar

½ cup caster sugar

2 tsp vanilla extract

¼ cup oat milk or alternative

1 cup plain flour

¼ cup raw cacao powder

½ tsp baking powder

½ tsp bicarbonate of soda

1 tsp sea salt, plus extra to finish

2 tbsp cornflour

200g 70% dark chocolate, roughly chopped

2 tbsp sesame seeds

Instructions

Place the tahini, coconut oil and sugars in the bowl of a mixer and beat together until soft, creamy and fluffy – you can use a hand whisk, but it will require a bit of elbow grease.
Gradually add the vanilla and oat milk, and beat for a few more mins.
In a separate bowl combine the flour, cacao, baking powder, bicarb, salt and cornflour.
Add the dry mix into the wet in three stages, with the machine still running slowly. Once its just combined, stop the machine and fold in the chopped dark chocolate by hand.
Lined a large baking tray with greaseproof paper and add scoops of the dough in rows. I use a small ice cream scoop, which is the equivalent of around 2 full tablespoons. You should have enough dough for about 18 cookies.
Place the tray in the fridge to chill for at least 1 hour. 10 mins before you're ready to bake, preheat the oven to 180°C/fan 160°C/Gas 4, and line two baking trays with greaseproof paper.
Remove the dough from the fridge and place the balls on the baking trays, about 2 inches apart.
Top the dough with a sprinkling of sesame seeds and a pinch of sea salt, then bake to your liking – 10-12 mins for chewy centres, 12-14 for crisp cookies. Don't forget that they'll firm up once cooled.
These cookies are best eaten about 2 mins after they've come out of the oven, while they're still warm and the chocolate is liquid – but they'll also stay delicious for a good few days stored in an airtight container.