If you’re like us, you always have chocolate around the house. But Sydney’s hottest summer may have had unfortunate effects on any chocolate you accidentally left in the sun. One of our secret stashes got too warm and melted. This meant they were no longer tempered, so although the flavour was still there, they had lost their sheen and became brittle.
Unless you know how to re-temper chocolate, one of the best ways to use untempered chocolate is in cooking. This recipe for chocolate chip cookies is a great way to use up good quality untempered bars because the biscuit is light enough to allow the flavour of the cacao to be savoured.
Bean-to-bar chocolate chip cookies
- 180g butter, softened
- 3/4 cup lightly packed (120g) brown sugar
- 2 eggs
- 2 cups (300g) plain flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 150g dark bean-to-bar chocolate, chopped into chips
- 1/3 cup slivered almonds
- Preheat the oven to 180 degrees C and line two baking trays with non-stick baking paper.
- Beat butter and sugar together with an electric mixer until pale and creamy.
- Add the eggs one at a time and beat well.
- Add the flour and baking powder and beat until a smooth dough forms. Fold through the chocolate and the almonds.
- Roll 1 tablespoon of the mixture in a ball, and place on a tray lined with baking paper, then press down to flatten slightly. Repeat with the remaining mixture (should make about 25 biscuits).
- Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until golden. Allow to cool on the trays.
Note: You can also freeze the mixture in a log shape before baking. That way you can just slice off rounds to bake as required (they’ll take a little longer to cook – maybe 20-25 minutes). You will always have freshly baked biscuits on hand!
Recipe adapted from Donna Hay. I left out the vanilla essence and reduced the sugar so that the biscuit would be a little blander and the chocolate could still be savoured. I also added some almonds (just because I love them!).