Decadent Chocolate Cookies by Kirsten Tibballs

Vanilla Ganache

1. In a saucepan boil the cream, vanilla, inverted sugar and butter. (If you don’t have inverted sugar, you can use honey.)
2. Pour over the two couvertures in a bowl and whisk to combine.
3. Cover with plastic wrap touching the surface of the ganache and cool at room temperature until it reaches a piping consistency.

Chocolate Cookies

1. Preheat the oven to 160°C.
2. Line 3 standard baking trays with Silpat mats or baking paper.
3. Combine the flour, cocoa powder, cream of tartar, bicarbonate of soda and salt in a bowl. Set aside. (If you can’t get cream of tartar, you can replace it by adding a small amount of lemon juice into the butter.)
4. Melt the butter in a small saucepan or the microwave.
5. Once fully melted, stir in the chocolate, and combine until smooth. If the chocolate doesn’t completely melt from the heat of the melted butter, you can apply a little bit more heat. Leave at room temperature to cool.
6. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, place the eggs, caster sugar and brown sugar and whisk for 5-6 mins until pale and light.
7. Change to a paddle attachment and add the dry ingredients, until just combined.
8. Add in the cooled chocolate and butter mixture and combine. Transfer the mixture into a piping bag fitted with a 12mm plain piping tube.
9. Pipe approximately 30mm discs onto your lined trays, leaving room between to allow for spreading.
10. Bake for 8-9 mins at 160°C until risen and with a cracked on top. Leave to cool on the trays.
11. Once cool, turn over every second biscuit. Place the ganache once set into a piping bag with a 12mm plain piping tube.
12. Pipe onto the turned over biscuits and then sandwich together.