Dark Chocolate Cranberry Cookies

Another dive into the Bourke St Bakery cookbook for today, You may as well get used to it because there will be a lot more to come.

I wanted cookies, bad. We have a cookie compendium at home with 500 recipes, but nothing jumped out at me. I'm sick of plain old chocolate chip, shortbread and jam thumbprints. Give me something interesting for once, cookbook shelf!

Bourke St make these intensely rich chocolate biscuits with sour cherries. And I wouldn't have messed with them if it weren't for the fact that I can't find dried sour cherries anywhere!

REVEAL YOURSELF CHERRIES. (If anyone has any clue please let me know!)


Lucky dried cranberries are in abundance, they fit the mould like a tacos and margharitas, like vegemite and toast, like champagne and strawberries, like cookies and cream. What make these so gob-smackingly yum (no yum/yuck to be found here Mr. Preston) is the entire bar of real dark chocolate melted and folded into the mix. Cocoa powder just doesn't cut it.

This will be my last sweet post for a while, I'm in a bit of a savoury rut and am determined to dig myself out of it. I'm thinking roast cauliflower with raisins, capers and chilli, i'm thinking fennel gratin, i'm thinking snapper pie. I'm thinking lots of things, don't turn that dial kids!

Dark Chocolate Cranberry Cookies:
adapted from the Bourke St Bakery Cookbook

235g dark chocolate (55% cocoa), chopped
1 cup plain (all-purpose) flour
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 1/2 teaspoons bicarbonate of soda (baking soda)
1/2 teaspoons salt
100g unsalted butter
240g soft brown sugar
2 eggs
85 g dried cranberries

Preheat the oven to 165 degrees C.

Put the chocolate in a large stainless steel bowl and set over a saucepan of simmering water, making sure the base of the bowl does not touch the water. Allow the water in the saucepan to boil for 2 minutes, then turn off the heat and stir the chocolate while it slowly melts.

Sift the flour, cocoa powder, bicarbonate of soda and salt into a bowl.
Put the butter and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a whisk attachment. Whisk on medium speed until pale and creamy. Add the eggs, one at a time, making sure each is incorporated before adding more. Add the dry ingredients in three batches, mixing well after each addition, then add the melted chocolate and mix until well combined.
Remove the bowl from the mixer, then fold through the dried cranberries.

The mix can become quite sticky , so you may need to refrigerate it for 15 minutes before shaping the biscuits. Take 3 tablespoons of mixture at a time and roll into even-sized balls - you should make about 12 balls in total.

Place the balls on baking trays lined with baking paper, allowing room for them to spread. Refrigerate for a further 30 minutes, or until firm. Bake in batches, for 15-20 minutes each, or until risen and quite cracked on top. Cool on trays. The cookies can be stored in an airtight container for up to 3 days.