Savvy Cook by name, savvy cook by nature – Izy Hossack is known for her inventive baking, and her recipe for these deliciously rich double chocolate cookies transforms that can of kidney beans lurking at the back of your store cupboard into somewhat coincidentally gluten-free sweet treats that won't break the bank. For a touch of extra decadence, top your cookies with a scattering of chopped pistachios and a drizzle of melted dark chocolate.
Make Izy Hossack's double chocolate cookies with a pistachio crumb
Soft, rich and melt-in-your-mouth, Izy Hossack's double chocolate cookies swap flour for kidney beans to create tasty, budget-friendly, gluten-free treats
Makes 18
Preparation time 20 mins
Cooking time 6-8 mins
Ingredients
- 125g plain dark chocolate (at least 70% cocoa solids)
- 5 tablespoons nut butter, such as cashew, peanut or almond
- 240g (1 can, drained weight) cooked kidney beans, drained and rinsed
- 100g granulated sugar
- 50g unsweetened cocoa powder
- ¾ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 20g pistachios or any nut or seed (optional)
Method
- Preheat the oven to 180°C fan, 200°C, Gas Mark 6 and line a baking tray with nonstick baking paper.
- Break the chocolate into small chunks and place in a bowl in a small pan of simmering water, over a low heat. Stir constantly until the chocolate has melted, then remove from the heat. Pour 50g of the melted chocolate into a small bowl and set aside for later, keeping the rest in the pan.
- If using a hand-held blender, add the beans and nut butter to the pan and blitz into a smooth paste. Stir in the remaining ingredients, except the reserved chocolate and pistachios, if using.
- If using a food processor, pour the melted chocolate from the pan into it along with the nut butter and beans. Blend until smooth, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Add the sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt and blend again.
- Place heaped tablespoons of the dough on to the prepared baking tray. You can put them fairly close together as they don't spread much when baking. Wet your hands slightly and flatten the dough with the palm of your hand.
- Bake in the oven for 6–8 minutes. The cookies should still be soft in the centre but set around the edges. Leave them on the baking tray for a minute, then transfer to a wire rack to cool.
- Place the reserved chocolate in a sandwich bag (you may need to re-melt it), cut the tip off of the corner of the bag and use it like apiping bag to drizzle the melted chocolate over the cookies. Finely chop the pistachios, if using, and sprinkle over the cookies while the chocolate is still molten. Leave to cool and set. Store in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
The Savvy Cook by Izy Hossack; photograph by Izy Hossack. Mitchell Beazley, £14.99 octopusbooks.co.uk
