Here at Madeleines, we’re passionate about great food. It’s even in our motto: ‘All About Food’. Every so often, we’re going to share a recipe from one of our staff. This month, our sales manager, Roxann, shares these delicious chocolate biscuits, with a difference.

These biscuits are so easy to make and you can freeze the dough, so you can always have fresh baked cookies when you really need a pick-me-up. The addition of the spice really makes these simple biscuits something special.

Roxann

(from poiresauchocolat.net, and inspired by Signe Johansen’s Scandilicious Baking – a fantastic recipe book, highly recommended)

  • 100g butter, cold from the fridge
  • 50g caster sugar
  • 1 tsp ground cardamon
  • 90g plain flour
  • 35g cocoa powder
  • 1/4 tsp baking powder
  • a big pinch of fine sea salt

Blend the butter, sugar and cardamon together in a food processor until you have a paste. Add the flour, cocoa, baking powder and salt and pulse just until you have a dough. Tip the dough onto a big sheet of cling film then roll into a short sausage about 5 cm in diameter. Chill in the fridge for an hour until firm.

Preheat the oven to 170C. Line a baking tray with parchment paper. Use a sharp knife to cut as many thin slices of the dough as you want to bake – they should be about 5 mm thick. Place on the tray then bake for 7-8 minutes – the middle will have risen slightly. Leave to cool on the tray for 5 minutes then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

The dough can be kept in the fridge for a few days or in the freezer for a few weeks – just cut off a few cookies at a time. Perfect for unannounced tea-time guests, or late night chocolate cravings. Best eaten on the day you bake them.

(Makes about 15 cookies)