Chocolate Orange Rye Cookies

Do you ever just NEED cookies? Does this feeling usually happen late at night when all the shops are closed and you have no ingredients? Yeah, me too. These are desperate late night cookies made from a selection of ingredients that I could find in the cupboards. I almost called these 'cupboard cookies' as they are a pure creation of desperation. 

They came out better than expected but were definitely slightly different to usual as they were crispy on the outside and chewy in the middle rather than just one or the other. Plus, the addition of rye flour made me feel like they were grown up cookies somehow. They were sophisticated cookies that would not be dunked in milk or rather a Baileys (adult milk). Although, it was a week night so of course I devoured them with cups of tea.

Makes: One serving (15ish cookies)
Prep time: 55 minutes (includes 30 minutes chill time for you and the cookies)
Cook time: 12-15 minutes

Ingredients:

• 155g orange chocolate - cut roughly into small chunks
• 50g milk chocolate - cut roughly into small chunks
• 100g softened unsalted butter - cut into cubes
• 100g caster sugar
• 100g light brown sugar
• 50g dark muscavado sugar
• 2 medium eggs
• 130g rye flour
• 100g plain flour
• 25g cocoa powder
• 1tsp bicarbonate of soda
• Sea salt
• Icing sugar - for dusting

Method:

Preheat your oven to 180C. Line baking sheets with baking parchment.

Melt the butter and all the chocolate in a heat proof bowl over a pan of simmering water. Make sure the water doesn't touch the bottom of the bowl.

Whisk the sugar and eggs together in a large bowl for at least 5 minutes or until they have doubled in size.

Add the melted chocolate and butter mixture.

Add all your dry ingredients. Be sure to sieve your flours.

Mix it all together with a wooden spoon.

Once combined you need to chill the mixture in the fridge for at least half an hour. Time to get the Bailey's out!

For each cookie take a piece of dough just smaller than a golf ball. Roll them into balls with your hands and place them on the baking tray. Gently press down on each cookie ball with the palm of your hand. They will spread out further whilst cooking. Before putting in the oven give each cookie a tiny sprinkle of sea salt. This helps to enhance all the chocolate flavours which is always a good thing.

Cook for 12-15 minutes. The time depends on your oven. Keep an eye on them. When you take the cookies out the oven they still need to be a little soft in the middle and then left to cool on the baking tray. This will ensure they firm up but gives the middle the soft and chewy bite.

Dust with a sprinkling of icing sugar. This gives a lovely contrast against the deep chocolatey colour and a little extra sugar is always fun.

If you make these unconventional cookies let me know how you get on. Try experimenting with what you have in your cupboards to fix your midnight cravings and tell me what you come up with! Tuck in your napkin and enjoy!

Love, Rachael x