Chocolate Candy Cane Cookies

I should probably start off by telling that these pictures are from last year! Yes I uploaded these pictures to a new post LAST December and never got around to typing up the recipe to share and then Christmas was over! Ive made these every Christmas for the past few years since I found the recipe in The Mail on Sunday magazine, You.

I made a batch of these earlier in November before Susie left for Japan, and I plan on making some more this week (if I get the time, I've have to work until 5pm on Christmas Eve)

Ingredients (makes approx. 20)

400g dark chocolate
110g butter softened and chopped
175g brown sugar
1 medium egg
1 tsp vanilla extract
150g plain flour
25g cocoa powder sifted
1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
120g candy cane chopped

*Preheat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Place 120g of the chocolate in a heatproof bowl over a saucepan of simmering water and stir until melted and smooth. Roughly chop the remaining chocolate. Set both aside.

*Place the butter and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer and beat for 7-10 minutes or until light and creamy. Add the egg and vanilla and beat until well combined. Add the flour, cocoa, bicarbonate of soda and melted chocolate and beat until combined. Fold through the reserved chopped chocolate.

*Roll tablespoonfuls of the mixture into rounds. Place on baking tray lined with non stick baking paper, allowing room for the cookies to spread, and flatten slightly. Press the chopped candy canes into the tops of the cookies and bake for 10-12 minutes or until the edges are firm. Allow to cool on trays!

*Enjoy

You can substitute the candy canes with white chocolate chunks, or anything you like! This cookie recipe is one of the most delicious  ones I've tried, and also probably the most unhealthy one too!