A friend with a dairy allergy came to stay, and we didn’t want her to feel hard done by watching all her fellow guests enjoying all-butter croissants and an overflowing cheeseboard.
So we had guacamole, Kerala Fish Molly, Artemis’ Cypriot stuffed mushrooms, pork tenderloin with braised fennel and butter beans, neolithic meat pie…. and to finish blueberry cake, baked nectarines, and these delightful dark morsels of sweetness.
They were so popular with everyone that I had to warn off the hordes from demolishing the contents of the biscuit tin to ensure the lactose-intolerant one got a look-in. These biscuits use olive oil instead of the usual butter, this not only gives them a rather satisfying crispy-fudgy texture, but my theory is that they keep slightly longer. Not that that is usually a problem!
One important key to success is to find good quality vegan dark chocolate which is not easy. Tony’s Chocolonely is good, as is JustChoc’s.
I think these cookies might also be good with some chopped, toasted pecans added to them.
You could make the dough ahead of time and freeze; or keep in the fridge for a couple of days.
This is what to do:
Jules’ dairy-free dark and delightful chocolate cookies
Serves – 20
Ingredients
- 180g/6 oz plant-based dark chocolate – see above for recommendations
- 120 ml/½ cup olive oil
- 70g/⅓ cup soft dark brown sugar
- 70g/⅓ cup golden caster sugar
- 1 egg
- 210g/1¾ cup plain flour
- 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
- Pinch of textured sea salt flakes (I use Maldon… or pink hibiscus salt looks beautiful)
- chopped, toasted pecans; or dried sour cherries – optional
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180°C.
- Melt about two-thirds of the chocolate either in a bain marie (in a bowl over, but not touching, simmering water) or ideally in the microwave, in thirty second burst on a low setting, stirring between bursts.
- Mix together the oil, sugar and egg until they are smooth, and then stir in the melted chocolate. Add the flour and bicarbonate of soda and mix well – you may find this easier to do with an electric whisk.
- Cut the rest of the chocolate into small dice and stir into the mix.
- Bake for 15 minutes – check – are they cracked on the surface, as in the photo? If yes, they’re ready. If not, return them to the oven for a couple more minutes.
- Take them out, and sprinkle with the textured salt while they’re still hot and a bit gooey so the salt with stick on them.
