Book Club Gingernuts

Books are like moveable feasts. Unlike a TV you can carry them round with you wherever you go and change them every week. They’re small enough to tuck into handbags, bring out in buses, in airports, in parks and anywhere around the house. 

This week it’s my turn top bring some nibbles for the book club I have joined and I am giving it some serious thought. As there is only a small gap between work and book club it has to be something that can be made or gathered in a very short time, or baked some days ahead.

Sandwiches are great, as are small cheeseboards with crackers, and bowls of olives, or crisp sliced green apples. I am tempted to make Christina’s little cream cheese and ginger, or  smoked salmon and rocket sandwiches moistened with a little wasabi mayonaise.

But this week I think I’ll make Kate’s cookies as they don’t crumble at all. They are her own invention; she has played with them over time to get them just right. And they’re fast and easy. Once you have bashed a bar of chocolate into smaller pieces, you’re almost done as the food processor takes care of the rest

Kate’s Cookies200 g of chocolate
125 g butter
150 g flour
½ teaspoon of baking powder
75 g rolled oats
1 egg
125 g of brown sugar

Whizz together:
About 1/3 of the chocolate then the butter, flour and baking powder.
Chop the remainder of the chocolate by hand. ( I do this by placing it in a plastic bag and bashing it energetically with a rolling pin). Kate has assured me that the chunkier the pieces the better the cookies will taste.
Now add the rolled oats, egg and brown sugar, and whizz again briefly to mix.
Roll into small balls and flatten slightly.

Place on a baking tray.

Bake for 15-20 minutes @ 180 C until lightly browned.

Be careful not to let them burn!