You can save spent coffee grounds until a cookie urge strikes: freeze them in a ziplock bag, then defrost before use.
Timings
Prep time: 15 minutes, plus 1 hour chilling
Cook time: 12 minutes
Makes
About 20
Ingredients
- 180g plain flour
- 40g skinned hazelnuts, toasted and roughly chopped
- 50g cocoa powder
- 60g spent coffee grounds
- ½ tsp bicarbonate of soda
- 100g softened butter
- 80g soft light-brown sugar
- 100g caster sugar
- 1 large egg, lightly beaten
Method
- Put the flour, nuts, cocoa powder, coffee grounds, bicarbonate of soda and a good pinch of fine sea salt in a medium bowl, and stir well with a fork.
- Beat the butter and sugars together until pale and creamy.
- Gradually beat in the egg.
- Stir in the dry ingredients, mixing until you have a stiff dough. Chill for at least 1 hour.
- Preheat the oven to 180C/160C fan/gas mark 4 and line a baking sheet.
- Pull off pieces of dough and roll into balls the size of large walnuts.
- Arrange on the baking sheet about 7cm apart. If you need to bake in batches, keep unused dough in the fridge.
- Bake for 6 minutes, then turn the sheet around and bake for 6 more.
- As soon as the cookies come out of the oven, press down gently on each one with the bottom of a glass, just enough to flatten the top slightly. This results in a desirably chewy cookie.
- Leave on the tray for a few minutes to firm up, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Recipe from Second Helpings by Sue Quinn (Quadrille, £18.99)