To me Christmas is all about the baking. Well, that’s not entirely true. There’s also the spirit of the season, the wonderment of the day as seen through children’s eyes etc etc but what really gets me excited, and flicking through cookbooks in anticipation, is the bounty of baking that awaits.
Like lots of people have a plethora of Chrissy events to attend, which means finding new recipes to road test.
I had looked at this recipe for a few years after it appeared in issue 42 [Jan 2009] and decided this was going to be the year I made Donna Hay’s chocolate candy cane cookies. Candy canes, in my books, are ghastly – sticky and fragile and far too sweet. Even my kids’ school has banned them yet here I was, buying and bringing these sugar-packed morsels into my home.
Getting to smash them into smithereens was quite satisfying, though…
If, like me, candy canes aren’t your thing, feel free to omit them and enjoy these chunky, chocky cookies unadorned.
GATHER:
110g softened butter, diced
¾ cup brown sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon best quality vanilla
1 cup plain flour
¼ cup cocoa, sifted
½ teaspoon bicarb soda
120g dark chocolate, melted
250g dark chocolate, extra, roughly chopped
About 5 candy canes, smashed into little pieces
LET’S GET TO IT:
Preheat oven to 160C and line two baking trays with non-stick paper.
Beat sugar and butter in bowl of electric mixer for 8-10 minutes, until creamy and light.
Add egg, vanilla and beat until combined.
Scrap down sides then add flour, bicarb, and melted chocolate until just combined.
Fold through extra chopped chocolate.
Roll tablespoons [I used heaped teaspoons] into rounds, place on tray and gently flatten. Sprinkle over the chopped candy canes.
Bake 10-15 minutes, depending on size of bickie.
the hungry mum 