Right now, there is less than seven weeks until the end of the year. Have you started thinking about this year's Christmas cookie platter? As you can tell, I have. These lovelies are so soft and airy, with a delightful combination of cocoa and spices, they are sure to brighten up the platter. If you are worried about the white pepper in them, fret not, that is the same delicious spice combination as the one in Speculaas cookies. And, if you are really feeling festive, you can dip them or just decorate them with a bit of melted chocolate, but I chose to serve them just as they are, lovely in their simplicity. I do recommend letting them cool down a bit before serving, as they tend to be too soft right after coming out of the oven.
Ingredients
200 grams soft flour
50 grams cornflour (corn starch)
¼ teaspoons baking soda
25 grams unsweetened cocoa powder
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon grated nutmeg
½ teaspoon ground cardamom
½ teaspoon ground cloves
⅛ teaspoon ground white pepper
50 grams butter
100 grams sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
200 grams plain yoghurt
Preparation
Melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add the sugar and cocoa powder and whisk together. Cook, stirring constantly, for about 30 seconds, then remove from heat and add vanilla and spices and whisk until everything is combined and smooth. Set it aside to cool slightly. Take a large bowl, and sift in the flour, cornflour, and the baking soda. Make a little well in the middle, then pour in the chocolate mixture and the yoghurt, and lightly mix with a wooden spoon until everything is incorporated.
Using a small cookie scoop, scoop out the batter and arrange the cookies on a large cookie sheet lined with baking paper. Leave a bit of room between them, as they will spread a bit, and this will keep them round and pretty. Bake them immediately in a preheated oven, at 180˚C (350˚F) for 8-10 minutes. As they will be soft when you take them out of the oven, let them cool for a couple minutes on the cookie sheet before removing them and putting them on a wire rack. Yields 20 cookies.
