Soft Chocolate Cookies

Inspired by Nigel Slater ... chocolately ... nutty ... yummy!

• 200g dark chocolate (at least 70% cocoa solids)
• 75g butter
• 225g light muscovado sugar
• 2 eggs
• vanilla extract
• 100g skinless hazelnuts
• 150g self raising flour

1. Preheat oven to 180 C

2. Snap the chocolate into pieces in a small heatproof jug or bowl. Place the bowl over a small pan of simmering water. Allow the chocolate to melt slowly. Turn the heat off as soon as the chocolate has melted.

3. Cream the butter and sugar until with a mixer until smooth and creamy. Break the eggs into a bowl, whisk them lightly, just enough to break them up, then add gradually to the butter and sugar with a couple of drops of vanilla. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula to ensure a thorough mixing.

4. Toast the hazelnuts in a shallow pan until golden, shaking regularly so they colour evenly. Grind half of the nuts coarsely to the texture of gravel. Grind the other half of the nuts more finely until they resemble breadcrumbs.

5. Add the flour and both textures of nuts to the mixture. Stop beating as soon as everything is combined. Finally, add in the melted chocolate and stir gently until combined.

6. Place large heaped teaspoons of the mixture on to a non stick baking sheet. Allow plenty of room as mixture will spread. You should get 16 cookies. The mixture can wait for a few minutes if cooking them in batches. Don't flatten the cookies, they will do so in the oven.

7. Bake for 10 minutes. The cookies will have spread and be very soft to the touch. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool a little. As soon as they are cool enough to move without breaking, slide a palette knife underneath and carefully lift them on to a cooling rack.

They will keep in good condition in a biscuit tin for a few days ... if you can resist!