Recipe: muscovado dark chocolate chunk cookies by Matt Adlard

Every baker needs a classic chocolate chip cookie recipe, said Matt Adlard. I like them slightly crispy on the outside, with a soft and chewy centre. By using muscovado sugar, we get more of that molasses flavour and the cookie retains more moisture, resulting in the perfect texture. I always use the best chocolate I can get my hands on for these, as it makes a huge difference in the flavour.

Ingredients: makes 12

• 110g unsalted butter, softened
• 120g dark muscovado sugar
• 80g granulated/caster sugar
• 2g sea salt
• 50g eggs
• 225g all-purpose/plain flour
• 5g corn flour
• 5g baking soda
• 2g baking powder
• 180g chopped dark chocolate, 70% cocoa solids, plus more for topping
• Special equipment: stand mixer, with paddle attachment 3 × baking trays/sheets cookie cutter

Method

• In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the butter, sugars and salt. Beat on medium-high speed until the mixture is light and fluffy, about 3 minutes, pausing to scrape down the sides as needed.
• Add the eggs and beat until they have been fully incorporated, scraping down the sides to make sure all the butter is also incorporated.
• In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, corn flour, baking soda and baking powder.
• Place a sieve over the stand mixer bowl and sift the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients. Mix on low speed just until the flour has been incorporated.
• Add the chopped dark chocolate and mix again to incorporate.
• Roll the dough into 65g balls in your hand and place them on a baking tray. Cover with plastic wrap/cling film and refrigerate for 2 hours.
• Preheat the oven to 170°C. Working in batches, place 6 dough balls on a baking tray lined with parchment paper. Press a few more bits of chopped dark chocolate into the top of the balls.
• Place the tray in the oven and bake for 12-14 minutes, or until lightly golden.
• Remove the tray from the oven and, while still hot, take a cutter slightly larger than the cookie and quickly rotate it around the cookie. This neatens up the edges and gives a perfectly round cookie.
• Allow the cookies to cool on the tray for 5 minutes before transferring them to a rack to cool completely.

Recipe from "Bake It Better: 70 Show-Stopping Recipes to Level Up Your Baking Skills" by Matt Adlard, published by DK at £20. To buy from The Week Bookshop for £15.99, call 020-3176 3835 or visit theweekbookshop.co.uk.

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