Almond Butter and Dark Chocolate: A Beautiful Cookie Combo
I’ve always been a cookie lover, especially the dark chocolate kind, and when my good friend Nina spoke of an almond butter stuffed one, I was inspired to trial this one out in the kitchen. Especially since she tried said cookie combo from Pret A Manger and reported it to be flavourless, dry, and quite frankly, a ripoff.
Experiencing bad food myself or hearing of other’s being subjected to it always irks me, especially when you can feel your hard earned cash evaporate before your very eyes as you eat out of spite – or even worse, throw it in the bin.
So I set out experimenting, and adapted my existing cookie recipe into a dark chocolate version.
The result?
A beautiful cookie combo.
The salty almond butter centre cuts through the sweetness of the cookie base, complimented by the sharpness of the dark chocolate. Let’s just say if you’re a fan of salted caramel, sweet and salty popcorn, or chocolate peanuts, then you’re bound to love these.
Cookie queries
Here are some answers to questions you might have after having a look at the recipe:
Why brown the butter?
This might not be a new concept to some, but if it is, you should follow this step, as it gives decadent, nutty aroma. There is, however, a fine window between browned and burnt, so be careful to watch the pan and heat the butter slowwwly.
How do I achieve the perfect bake?
It can be difficult to determine when cookies are done to your liking, but taking them out of the oven earlier rather than later is always a better option in my opinion. You can always return undercooked cookies to the oven for a minute or so, but you cannot reintroduce moisture into dry and overcooked ones. We want to avoid recreating the Pret version at all costs.
Can I use vanilla essence?
If you can’t find extract, then you certainly can use essence, but extract is so much better and you can definitely taste the difference. Essence tends to have quite a weak, synthetic taste, and so I really recommend you get yourself the real deal.
Storage and Consumption
These cookies can be eaten at room temperature, but for the best eating experience, I recommend eating them warm from the oven or reheating them later as the spread inside will melt and become much more enjoyable. I prefer to freeze them in bulk so I can enjoy them later, but they will likely be eaten before you get the chance!
VISUAL STEPS
Ingredients:
Making the dough:
fill with almond butter:
shape:
Give this exciting flavour combo a go and leave me your thoughts down below – I’m quite confident this version is neither dry, nor flavourless:
Dark Chocolate and Almond Butter Cookies
Equipment
- 3 medium baking trays 30 x 20cm
Ingredients
- 175 plain flour
- 25 g cocoa powder
- ¾ teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
- ¼ teaspoon teaspoon salt
- 170 g unsalted butter
- 200 g dark or light brown sugar see notes
- 50 g caster sugar
- 3 eggs separated = 1 whole + 2 yolks
- 1 teaspoon bourbon vanilla extract
- 100 g dark chocolate 60-70% chopped (70% ideal but no stress)
- 50 Almond butter
Instructions
- Sift the flour, cocoa powder, and bicarbonate of soda into a small bowl and stir in the salt. Set aside.
- Melt 120g of the butter in a small saucepan over a medium heat and continue to cook for 5-10 minutes or until the butter foams and browns. Swirl the pan continuously and keep an eye on it as it can turn from nicely browned to burnt quite quickly!
- Transfer the browned butter into a large heat-resistant mixing bowl and let it cool for about a minute. Add the remaining 50g of butter and stir until melted. It shouldn’t sizzle when added – you can test a cube first before adding the rest.
- Add both sugars and whisk together until combined, ensuring there are no lumps. Crack in the egg, egg yolks, and vanilla extract, whisking again until smooth.
- Incorporate the flour mixture until almost combined and then add the chocolate. Stir again to form a soft dough [see notes].
- Refrigerate for at least one hour whilst you prepare the pistachio filling – the longer chilled, the better.
- Line a medium sized baking tray with baking paper. Scoop out 16 teaspoons of the almond butter and place into the freezer for at least another hour.
- Take ½ tablespoon of the dough and make a small dent. Place one almond butter mound on top and cover it with another ½ tablespoon of dough, rolling it in a rough ball [see photos] Keep refreezing the almond butter between rolling the dough to maintain its shape if it begins to melt.
- You should have around 12 depending on the size of the cookies – they should ideally be the size of a golf ball.
- Preheat the oven to 180℃ gas/160℃ fan and line two trays with baking paper. Place the prepared cookie dough onto trays, spacing them as far apart as possible. You may have to complete several batches depending on oven and tray size. Cook for 10-14 minutes until golden brown but still soft in the middle.
Notes
If you fancy trying another version of this cookie…
Pistachio Spread Cookies
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