Christmas chocolate cookies

Simple Christmas chocolate cookies made without cutters and from basic ingredients you’ll find in any kitchen (you don’t even need eggs!). Perfect for baking with children – let them make a bit of a mess and finally use up those sprinkles left over from Easter ;). I baked these just after Christmas, from a new cookbook Father Christmas brought me – I simply had to try them. They’re easy, delicious and well worth making!

Makes 24 cookies.

Ingredients for christmas chocolate cookies:

• 250 g butter
• 150 g caster sugar
• 40 g cocoa powder
• 300 g plain flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• ½ teaspoon bicarbonate of soda

All ingredients should be at room temperature.

In a mixing bowl, beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the cocoa, flour, baking powder and bicarbonate of soda, then mix until combined. You’ll get a soft, slightly sticky dough.

Roll small portions of dough into balls and place them on a lined baking tray, leaving a few centimetres between each. Flatten slightly.

Bake at 150°C for about 15 minutes. The cookies will crack slightly towards the end of baking. Remove from the oven, leave to cool briefly on the tray, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Ingredients for chocolate icing:

• 2 tablespoons cocoa powder
• 170 g icing sugar
• 60 ml boiling water
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Place all ingredients in a small saucepan and heat gently, stirring frequently, until smooth. Remove from the heat and leave for 10 minutes, then use immediately.

Additionally:

• sugar sprinkles

Ice a few cookies at a time, then sprinkle with decorations before the icing sets. Leave to firm up.

Enjoy!

Based on a recipe from Nigella Christmas by Nigella Lawson.