Chocolate Biscuits – Breakfast
Title: Chocolate biscuits
Cook time: 45 minutes
Level: Medium
serving: 35 biscuits
Ingredients:
150g dark chocolate, broken into small pieces
120g butter, at room temperature
120g caster sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla essence
2 eggs
300g plain flour, sifted
50g hazelnuts, halved, to decorate (optional)
chocolate icing:
150g icing sugar mixture
2 tbs cocoa powder
1-2 tbs boiling water
Directions:
Place the chocolate in a small heat-resistant bowl or in the top half of a double saucepan and mix over a saucepan of simmering water until melted (see microwave tip). Set away.
Beat the butter, sugar and vanilla essence, using electric beaters in a medium mixing bowl until pale and creamy. Add the eggs one by one and beat well after each addition.
Insert the chocolate to the butter mixture and use a wooden spoon to stir until just combined. Add the flour and mix to a soft dough. Cover with plastic wrap and place freeze for 1 hour.
Preheat oven to 190°C. Cover a baking tray with non-stick baking paper. Spread the hazelnuts on the baking tray and toast in preheated oven for 5 minutes. Remove nuts from tray and reserve.
Roll heaped teaspoonfuls of the biscuit dough into balls and place on the lined tray 3cm apart.
Bake in for 12 minutes or until cooked through. Stand on tray for 10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool. Repeat with the remaining dough.
To make the chocolate icing, sift icing sugar and cocoa into a small bowl. Slowly stir in enough boiling water with a wooden spoon to form a paste. Mix until smooth.
Spread the icing over the cool biscuits with a small palette knife and decorate each with a hazelnut half.
Personal Suggestion: This chocolate biscuits are delicious for a Sunday breakfast. If you want to prepare them during the week, you can make the mixture a day ahead and place in the fridge overnight.
