Cardamom crunch cookies

When I whipped the recipe up, I was craving a sugary cardamom bun (recipe that I’m still working on after a trip to Copenhagen) but didn’t have much time. So to satisfy that craving I created these. After hunting through my cupboards, swearing that I had some eggs somewhere, but couldn’t find any, I figured there must be a way to make these without any. And they worked! So these happen to be eggless too which, monetarily, is a win! They’ve got a crispy sugary cardamom coating and soft in the middle and in my opinion after eating A LOT of them, taste better when they’re cold as it lets the coating set. But by all means, please do dig in while they’re still warm too. Sometimes I find that cookie recipes make way too many (I know, there’s no such thing) but when you’re tight on money using a load of ingredients which you just want to make a few cookies doesn’t seem right - which is why this makes 8 but you of course can double it if you want.

Cardamom crusted cookies

MAKES 8

60g unsalted butter, softened

85g soft light brown sugar

50g caster sugar
3 ½ tbsp water or milk

1 tsp vanilla paste (optional, if you have some)

150g plain flour

¼ tsp baking powder

½ tsp cinnamon

100g dark chocolate, chopped into chunks (or use chocolate chips)

For the cardamom sugar

30g caster sugar

10 cardamom cloves, seeds removed and crushed or 1 tsp ground

1 Heat oven to 200C / 180C fan and line a large baking tray with baking paper.

2 Put the butter, caster and brown sugar into a bowl and whisk with an electric whisk until fluffy. Add in the water, vanilla, flour, baking powder and cinnamon and mix until you have a soft dough that’s still mouldable.

3 Add in 3/4 of the dark chocolate and then divide the mix into 8. Roll each into a ball and press down until it’s around 1/2cm high. Press the remaining chocolate into the top of the cookies.

4 To make the coating mix the caster sugar and cardamom together. Roll the cookies in the sugar mixture coating all of it and then place it onto the baking tray chocolate side facing up.

5 Bake for 10 - 12 minutes until golden around the outside. Leave to cool completely on the tray and then dive in.