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Our hens have pretty much given up on laying at the moment. I can’t really blame them though. With all the wet and windy weather we’ve had, they’re probably using up most of their energy simple wading through the mud to get to food… egg production isn’t a priority right now. So the arrival of a fresh egg in the kitchen has become something of an event. An event to be celebrated.
This one was used to make a batch of chocolate cookies. But chocolate cookies with a twist – a sprinkling of paprika in the mix to add extra flavour. Vanesther over at Bangers & Mash has been hosting a new food blog challenge called The Spice Trail. A different spice each month, and this time it’s paprika.
Now paprika isn’t a spice that I use very often… it’s one of those neglected jars that sits at the back of the shelf, overlooked in favour of the cumin, chilli flakes or nutmeg. But a challenge is a challenge, so I set about thinking of a new way to use paprika in my cooking. And yes, I know it’s January and a time for healthy eating, but a wee treat now and then is always good, isn’t it? So here we have dark chocolate and paprika cookies.
Based on a cookie recipe from the BBC website, I’ve used dark rather than milk chocolate, added some cocoa powder (just in case there wasn’t quite enough chocolate in there already) and a teaspoon of paprika. There are fewer chocolate chips than in the original too… I was thinking that none would be good but my daughter was horrified at this idea, so we compromised with a scattering of chips on the top of each cookie.
Dark chocolate & paprika cookies
(Makes about 24 cookies)
75g dark chocolate
100g soft brown sugar
100g golden caster sugar
100g unsalted butter, softened
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla extract
200g plain flour
25g unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tsp paprika
a handful (or more) dark chocolate chips
Preheat the oven to 200oC, 400F, gas 6, and line a couple of baking sheets with baking parchment.
Break the chocolate into chunks and melt in a bowl over a pan of hot water.
While the chocolate is melting, cream the sugars and butter together in a large bowl. Add the egg and vanilla extract, and beat them into the mixture.
Sift the flour, cocoa powder and paprika together.
Stir the melted chocolate through the sugar and butter mixture, then add the flour mix and fold that in so there is no dry flour left. This makes quite a firm cookie dough.
Take a tablespoonful of the cookie dough and roll it into a ball. Place the ball on a prepared baking sheet, flattening the top slightly. Keep making cookies until you run out of dough. Before baking, press a few chocolate chips into the top of each cookie.
Bake in a preheated oven for about 10 minutes. The cookies will still be soft when you take them out of the oven, but they firm up as they cool – although the inside stays satisfyingly soft. Leave to cool on the tin for a few minutes before transferring them to a wire rack. The cookies don’t need to cool completely before you start eating them, but if you’re wanting to store them make sure they’re good and cold before putting them into an airtight container.
Look yummy…..too bad I’m on a chocolate free January 😦
… there’s always February – we’ll send a food parcel down at the end of the month!
Temptress!
Sorry!
They sound (and look) delicious, what a great idea to use paprika.
Thanks – they’re easy to make too, which is even better!
They look very dunkable – does the paprika add heat or just taste?
The paprika I used just added flavour… I’m planning to try them with chilli powder next time for a bit of heat. And we tested their dunkability tonight after tea – verdict was the texture wasn’t perfect, but the flavour when dunked in black coffee was fantastic.
They look good. Do you use smoked paprika?
I didn’t used smoked paprika – my daughter really doesn’t like smoked foods and it seemed mean to add an ingredient she dislikes so much to a recipe for something she loves. She still hasn’t forgiven me for adding beetroot to chocolate brownies a couple of years ago!
I love chocolate and spice. The cookies look and sound wonderful.
Thank you – I’ve already eaten far too many!
Looks wonderful! I’m on your side – no chips next time 🙂
Thank you for your support in this! I suppose there could be a with chips and a no chips option being as they’re added at the end… that way everyone is happy.
They look lovely and we definitely need chocolate treats amongst all the January healthy eating!
Everything in moderation!
I really can’t wait to try out this recipe. I’ve made chocolate and chilli cookies before, but never thought to try chocolate with paprika – it sounds so good. Especially smoked paprika with dark chocolate. Yum! And a marvellous entry for this month’s Spice Trail challenge. Thank you so much for sharing 🙂
Thanks Vanesther – your challenge really was the inspiration for this recipe! Be interesting to know if smoked paprika works too.
Pingback: The Spice Trail: cooking with paprika « Bangers & Mash
I’d love a chocolate cookie, but I think I’ve had enough chocolate to last me the entire year… okay, a month maybe! 😉
I know how you feel about the Christmas chocolate overload… but hang on in there and that feeling will pass!
So good to see someone not doing healthy detox recipes in January! And I love the idea of those flavour combinations.
Well, dark chocolate has a high iron content and paprika is rich in antioxidants… if I can find a health benefit for large amounts of sugar, I may re-post this as a January diet recipe!
A really interesting way of using paprika – one of my favourite spices. Bet they taste lovely!
Paprika is one of those spices that tastes good and has a lovely colour too – no wonder it’s one of your favourites.
A chocolate cookie with added spice is always a good idea. I too have paprika lurking, never seem to use it enough. Now I can!
Your chocolate cookies look very enticing. By adding paprika you have created something really unique. I’m sure it’s works well, like chilli and chocolate do.
Thank you Julie! Chilli and chocolate would be another good flavour combination for these cookies… maybe with a hint of cinnamon too?
Pingback: The Spice Trail: your favourite paprika recipes | Bangers & Mash
loving the look of these…very delicious!
Thank you! They’ve become a favourite cookie in our house!
I LOVE paprika and dark chocolate. I’ve made chocolate truffles with it before, and I’m half way through a different experiment with them, but I need to wait for the right season. Your biscuits are another lovely way to use the two together. This could be the next thing I bring to my workmates.
Your experiment sounds intriguing… will you be sharing when the time is right? Meantime chocolate & paprika truffles are on the list to try here!
Of course, but the recipe needs a bit more work first 😉
I have an easy chocolate truffle recipe on my blog. I stirred the paprika through the cream before adding it to the chocolate. Let me know what you think of them, if you give them a go, please
I’ll definitely try your recipe – probably with and without paprika, just to be sure!