Chocolate and Coconut Biscuits

Anyone from the UK (and Australia) would be well aware of the lovely Davina McCall.  I have enjoyed watching her on Long Lost Family on the telly for years.  She has a number of cookbooks out, including Davina's Kitchen Favourites, from which this recipe comes.  She doesn't pretend that she devised or wrote the recipes, but she is front and centre throughout the book, displaying her lovely teeth (hehehe). 

The cover says sugar-free, but the recipes have lots (and lots!) of maple syrup and some honey, so still plenty of sweeteners here.  The cover also says 'no-fuss' which is true.  These are fairly simple and tasty recipes "to enjoy together".  I believe a child of hers is vegan so there are some vegan recipes in here too.

Speaking of vegan, I lived with various vegans and vegetarians in my student days, and I helped a mate write a vegan cookbook.  I must hunt it up, and see if there are any recipes I can make for the blog.  I seem to remember there was lots of tofu and soybeans!  And whatever happened to those tinned soybeans in tomato sauce you could buy back in the day? 

ready for the oven (yep, more chocolate)

Makes 30 biscuits:

ingredients:

200g./7 oz butter

175g./6.2 oz/135 mL of pure maple syrup

250g./9 oz plain flour (Davina says to use wholemeal spelt, but I ain't got that stuff here)

50g./1.8 oz cocoa powder

300g./10.5 oz dessicated coconut

2 tsp baking powder

a large pinch of sea salt

25g./1 oz dark chocolate, coarsely grated   see Notes

more chocolate on top before baking  (you choose how much)

icing sugar, for decoration after baking (I added more chocolate too)

use the good stuff

Method:

Throw the butter into a small saucepan and let it melt, then add the maple syrup - give it a good stir and let it cool down

Grab a large mixing bowl and add the flour, cocoa, coconut, baking powder, and salt - and give it a good stir with your whisk

Then pour in the cooled butter and maple syrup mixture, and you guessed it - stir really well! Looks like a bit of a hot mess for a bit, but it comes together into a thick dough

Now wrap in cling film or a clean plastic bag, and into the fridge to chill for half an hour or so (or more if you forget!)

Turn on your oven to 200C/390F to heat up

Grab 2 baking trays and line with baking paper  see Notes

Divide the dough into 30 pieces (I had two lumps of about 520g./18.4 oz, which I then divided into 35g./1.3 oz blobs of dough - yep, I did indeed weigh them out to make sure they were similar

Davina says to use a 6.5 cm/2.6 inch cookie cutter, but if you weigh the pieces, you can just shape the blobs into round-ish biscuits

Grate on more chocolate if you fancy then ...

Bake for 18-20 minutes till they go crisp around the edges (too dark to tell if they're browning hehehe ...)

Let 'em cool, and then cast on some icing sugar if you like and some extra bits of grated chocolate on top

These biscuits are NOT sweet in themselves, so guess what!  I melted some dark chocolate and poured it all over the tops, then put on heaps of 100s and 1000s too.  More chocolate is always more better :=)

make sure it's not expired :=)

Notes:

I used way more chocolate than that!  I added a Flake bar 30g./1 oz, and about 50g./1.8 oz chocolate bits to the dough

I divvied up my dough into 2 lumps, one for the freezer (after slicing into discs), and one to be baked - as 30 biscuits are a bit much for us!

I actually weighed them out, and then weighed each disc so I had the same size biscuits = each biscuit was about 35 grams

BTW, these are very coconutty, so don't make 'em unless you are a coconut fan

oops not Davina's spelt flour - oh well!

ingredients gathered

melt the butter and stir the dry ingredients

add in the chocolate

stir well to combine into a thick dough/mixture

divvy into two lumps if not baking all at once (each lump about 520g.)

spread 'em out on your tray(s)

ready for the oven @200C

mmm just slightly overdone? :=)

yep smother 'em in icing sugar - why not?

butter is better

Pistachio Choc Chip Cookies/Biscuits

I feel for the pistachio farmers who surely cannot keep up with the current demand!  I did read that the people in countries like Türkiye and Iran (the top producers and consumers) are finding it rather difficult to produce enough, and to obtain the nutty ingredients (at a fair price) for their own cuisine.  And honestly, I think there are other nuts with way more taste and interest, in my mind (and tastebuds).  But anyways, don't mind my ramblings - these are delicious, my friends.

This is a recipe from Donna Hay's lovely new-ish cookbook Sunshine, Lemons and Sea Salt, reflecting her love of modern coastal living and cooking.  She lives on the New South Wales coast, and she wanted this cookbook to show her love of the beach, and sunny days.  Her signature colour is blue (her homewares range are mostly blue), which is a fave colour of mine too. Oops, this sounds like an ad.  Nope, just me enjoying her recipes and accoutrements.

these didn't last long!

Makes 12:

Ingredients:

120g./4.2 oz pistachio spread    see Notes

335g./12 oz plain flour

1.5 tsp baking powder

1 tsp bi-carb soda (baking soda)

1 tsp cornflour

180g./6.5 oz brown sugar

110g./4 oz caster sugar

225g./8 oz butter, chopped and left to sit out for a bit to soften

2 large eggs

2 tsp vanilla extract

1/2 tsp sea salt flakes

250g./9 oz milk chocolate, chopped

150g./5.3 oz toasted pistachios, chopped

pistachios

Method:

Line a small baking tray with baking paper

Scoop/spoon out 12 x 1.5 teaspoons of the pistachio spread and place them on the baking tray in delightful little mounds or balls

Freeze for an hour, or till nicely firm (took about 2 hours here)

Turn on your oven to 180C/350F to heat up

Grab a mixing bowl, and your whisk, and throw in the flour, baking powder, bi-carb soda and cornflour

Whisk well, then set aside while you grab another mixing bowl, and beat the 2 sugars and butter together - Donna says for 8 minutes, or till light and fluffy    see Notes 

Now beat in the eggs, one at a time, then beat in the vanilla and salt for 3-4 minutes till beautifully incorporated

Then add in the flour mixture bit by bit, beating but not over-beating

And chuck in the chocolate and nuts, and stir!   see Notes

Being in muggy Brisbane, I decided to put the dough into the fridge for about 20 minutes to firm up, before rolling it out into 12 rounds of about 1/2 cupful/110g./4 oz, and flattening slightly   see Notes

Your frozen nutty paste balls get pressed into each of the rounds of dough, which you gather around to enclose the paste

Now place the nutty doughy rounds onto 2 large baking trays lined with baking paper, allowing plenty of room between them - Donna says to leave 10cm/4 inches between each cookie!

Bake for 12-14 minutes (or 16 in my oven), till the edges are lightly golden-brown

Cool 'em on the trays, and enjoy

you guessed it!

Notes:

Pistachio spread is sweetened, whereas pistachio paste is just the ground pistachios

Donna says to use a stand mixer; I don't have one so used my electric hand beaters, and for a few less minutes than 8.  And it was just fine!

I used a mixture of white, and dark, and Lindt milk chocolate rather than all milk chocolate

Donna says to freeze the cookie dough rounds overnight if you want fudgier cookies!

My dough was so soft, I could not roll it out, so had to use spoons to shape it, then put them back in the fridge again to firm up.  I should have shoved 'em in the freezer for a bit, I guess

ingredients gathered

spoon/scoop out the pistachio paste onto the trays

beat the sugars and butter together

eggs and flour mixture in; ready for the choc chips and nuts

stir in the chocolate and nuts

get ready to enclose the frozen pistachio paste

golden-brown goodness

oozy and chocolatey

dive in!

baking soda aka bi-carb soda

make sure it's within date! No old baking powder here!

Sablés Korova

Who doesn't love a chocolate biscuit full of dark chocolate chips?  Especially when they are dark and sandy, like their name.  I seem to be making a lot of chocolatey biscuits lately - and a good thing too.  So here we have another recipe made for Cookbook Club.  We were using Emelia Jackson's cookbook Some of my best friends are Cookies.  (Love that title!)  And this is a beauty.  She has some really fabulous recipes in her book.    

These are called sablé due to their sandy texture, that being the French word for sand.  And indeed the texture is very sandy!  Speaking of sand, that reminds me of a Texan lady currently living in Brisbane - Lex in Wonderland.  I really enjoy her Instagram account, as she describes all the differences and things she loves about life in Australia.  

One of the things she mentions is seeing accessible beach matting here in Queensland.  She was amazed when her husband told her what it was for - i.e. allowing disabled people, people in wheelchairs, or with baby strollers and so on, access to the beach!  My disabled hubby for instance finds it very hard to walk on sand, so this is a wonderful thing for many!       

dark and mysterious!

(Recipe by Emelia Jackson: Some of my best friends are Cookies:)

(Start this one early - or the day before, as it has to be refrigerated for some hours, or overnight)

Makes 16:

ingredients:

200g./7 oz plain flour

45g./1.5 oz dark cocoa powder

1/2 tsp bi-carb soda (baking soda)

120g./4.25 oz butter, softened

180g./6 oz brown sugar

1/2 tsp salt

1-2 tsp vanilla extract

150g./5.5 oz dark chocolate chips

I love vanilla!

Method:

Put the flour, cocoa and bi-carb into a large mixing bowl, and give it a good whisking

Now either use your stand mixer or just electric beaters as I do, and put the butter, brown sugar, salt and vanilla into a mixing bowl, and beat till softened and well-mixed (Emelia says on medium-low speed if using a stand mixer) 

Now add the flour and cocoa mixture to the buttery mixture, and mix till just combined (Emelia says it will look sandy) - I finished mixing it with a spatula!

Add the chocolate chips, and mix them in - don't worry about its sandy, clumpy appearance, says our mate Emelia

Grab some clingfilm/plastic wrap, and line your bench with it

And now dump the sablé mixture onto the clingfilm, form a log shape, and roll it firmly in the plastic wrap - you want to end up with a 30cm/12 inch log

Wrap it in another layer of clingfilm if you feel the need to enforce the log shape :=)

And into the fridge for at least 4 hours or overnight (or whack the dough into the freezer, and bake from frozen)

The next day: turn on your oven to 160C/315F fan-forced to heat up

Line 2 baking trays with baking paper

Slice the dough into 1cm/0.5 inch (or thicker if you please) pieces, and place on your trays

Bake for 12-13 minutes till dry and set    see  Notes

Cool completely on the trays

Notes:

I used half black cocoa and half Dutch cocoa to give them a lovely dark colour

And I used dark brown sugar, and a mix of 175g. regular plain flour plus 25g. wholemeal plain flour

I rebelled and used 2 tsp of vanilla, and salted butter (she says to use unsalted but you know that's the Devil's work!)

I ended up baking mine at 180C/350F fan-forced (I think) for 20 minutes! - but my gas oven is a bit old and cranky, like me :)

use some wholemeal flour too, for healthy:=)

ingredients gathered

flour mixture goes into the butter mixture

stir in the chocolate chips

yep, I know what you're thinking :=)

slicing it up

and into the oven

looking different :) but ready to eat

I took some to our local bookshop

As I often do, I took along some of these to the gals at our local bookshop Quick Brown Fox!  Only Theresa was in, so she was left with an ethical dilemma.  What to do? what to do? - hehehe ...

Peppermint Ice Cream Loaf (Or should that be Ice-Cream Loaf?)

Here it is!  One quick, final post for the year.  I thought I'd throw together an ice-cream loaf as it is stinking hot today (as YouTuber Emmymade would say - hehehe).  And in fact, she inspired me with her recipe for mint Viennetta!  Sadly, Mr P. does not like mint-flavoured anything so I will have to eat this all by myself.  Oh the tragedy!! :=)  

Mr P. did finish off the plate for me when I was putting the loaf back into the freezer last night.  Very brave of him, indeed.  He said he only managed it because there were wafers :=)  Now to co-erce my neighbours into taking a big (huge) slice of this!  

I know I've mentioned this before, but as a child, my family lived behind a butcher's shop in the mountains.  The butcher owned a goat, which he tied up in our backyard.  The goat would sometimes get off its tether (how?) and chew up mum's laundry on the outdoor washing line.  

There were not one but two outdoor loos (dunnies/toilets/outhouses) in the yard.  Surrounded by much, much mint growing wild.  You can imagine what we imagined the mint was doing!  It almost put me off for many a year, and I have never been able to bring myself to eat mint sauce.  Anyways, what a ramble.  Merry festive season to you all, my virtual and IRL friends!  See you in 2026, with bells on!!

for the peppermint lovers!  Delicious!

Sherry's Recipe:

Serves (maybe) 10-12?  (depends on the size of your slice)

Ingredients:

1 Litre/34 oz good-quality vanilla bean ice cream

1 tsp vanilla paste

1/4 tsp green food colouring

1/2 tsp peppermint extract   see Notes

2 Peppermint Crisp chocolate bars

2 mint Aero bars

2 Flake bars

250g./9 oz dark chocolate  (I use 70% Lindt), melted

2 x 125g./4.4 oz packets of chocolate wafer biscuits   see Notes

Chantilly cream:

200 mL/7 oz whipping cream

1 tsp vanilla extract

1-2 Tbs icing sugar mixture

Method:

Start this recipe early in the day, or even better, the day before you want to eat it

Firstly, bring out the ice cream tub so the ice cream can get soft enough to mix the good stuff thru' it

Grab a loaf tin (mine is 23 x12 x 6 cm), brush a small amount (1/2-1 tsp?) of a neutral oil around the inside, and line with freezer film or plastic wrap, leaving a large overhang to fold over the whole shebang when freezing

Melt the chocolate in the microwave, and allow it to cool for 5 minutes or so

Spoon the ice cream into a large mixing bowl, add the vanilla, food colouring and peppermint extract, and stir thru' till beautifully green

Bash the heck out of the 2 Peppermint Crisp bars and one of the Flake bars (I used my cocktail muddler), into beautiful shards and chunks, and yep - stir 'em all in

Now start layering - spread a thin layer of the melted chocolate over the base of the loaf tin, then add a layer of the wafer biscuits

Next is a thick layer of the delightful green ice cream mixture, then another layer of the melted chocolate

On goes another layer of wafers, and ice cream, then place into the freezer for about half an hour, till the ice cream has firmed up a bit

And then top with the rest of the melted chocolate (you will probably need to zap it in the microwave again for a few seconds) and place back into the freezer for several hours, but probably best overnight

The next day, whip the cream with the icing sugar and vanilla, and smear all over your green loaf which you have turned out onto a serving plate (which can happily go into the freezer)

Top with the smashed-up Aero bars and the other Flake bar

Back into the freezer for a bit to firm up, then bring it out for about 10 minutes so you can slice it up!

minty goodness - just don't plant it out near an outside dunny (toilet) :=)

Notes:

Try a bit less of the peppermint extract if you're worried that it may be too strong for you (and more of the food colouring if you want it incredibly vibrant green!)

FYI, I used one whole packet of the wafer biscuits, and about 2/3 of the second one

No idea if these chocolate bars exist in other countries, but just buy something with lots of peppermint flavour and chocolate - Peppermint Crisp has "green mint crystals", which are delightfully crunchy (and sometimes bloody!  I have cut the roof of my mouth more than once on them)

 

ingredients gathered

oil and line your loaf tin with freezer film or plastic wrap

spoon the ice cream into a large mixing bowl

stir in the colouring, extract and choc pieces

layer with the melted chocolate and wafers

spoon in the ice cream mixture and the melted chocolate

add another layer of ice cream

cover with the freezer film and place in the freezer

then add the final layer of chocolate

and smother with the Chantilly cream and shards of chocolate bars

not half-bad!