Not Plant Based

HEARTBREAK CHOCOLATE MINI EGG COOKIES

What do you do when you are heartbroken? You smash up the chocolate from the easter egg you planned to give to your ex partner, and you make cookies.

I must admit, I knicked Eve’s white chocolate and cranberry cookies recipe she created for Sainsbury’s magazine, tweaking it slightly. She tells me that the batch serves 12, and the cookies keep for 3-4 days in an airtight container. Uncooked cookie dough (shaped into balls) can be frozen for up to one month, to be defrosted before baking.

Ingredients:

135g unsalted butter
½ tsp vanilla extract
75g caster sugar
75g light brown soft sugar
1 large egg, beaten
190g plain flour
½ tsp bicarbonate of soda
125g mini eggs

How to:

1. Heat the butter very gently in a pan, or in the microwave, until melted, then pour into a large mixing bowl. Add the vanilla extract and both types of sugar and beat until smooth. Mix in the egg.

2. In a separate bowl, sift the flour, bicarbonate of soda and a pinch of salt together, then mix into the butter mixture, a spoonful at a time.

3. Smash up the mini eggs and add to the cookie dough and mix well. Put the dough in the fridge to chill for at least 2 hours (don’t skip this part…I did on the first batch and paid for it dearly).

4. Line 3 large baking trays with baking paper (or cook in batches, if needed) and preheat the oven to 170°C, fan 150°C.

5. Use a spoon to break up pieces of dough and roll them between your hands to form balls. Put 4 on each baking tray, leaving plenty of space between each ball in order for the cookies to spread as they cook.

6. Bake for 10-15 minutes, or until they are lightly golden and crisp at the edges.

7. Bring them out the oven then use the cutters to shape into hearts. Leave to cool for 5 minutes on the tray, then allow to cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes – they will firm up as they cool.