Walnut chocolate cookies

By Birgitta

An easy gluten-free cookie recipe which can be dolled up with chocolate chips, dried cherries, raisins or slivers of toasted almond.

Dan Lepard

Ingredients

• 100 g finely chopped dates
• 100 g unsalted butter, softened
• 125 g brown sugar
• 125 g white sugar
• 25 g cocoa
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 250 g cornflour
• 1/2 tsp xanthan gum
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
• 125 g walnuts, roughly chopped

Preparation

Step 1

Put the dates in a bowl, cover with 50ml of boiling water and steep for five to 10 minutes. Add the butter and both sugars; beat until light and smooth, and with the soft dates mashed evenly throughout. Add the cocoa and vanilla, beat again until smooth, add the cornflour, xanthan gum, baking powder and soda, and beat well. Now mix in the walnuts.

Line a tray with nonstick baking parchment. Use your hands to roll the mix into walnut-sized nuggets, then press these lightly on to the tray, spaced 5cm apart - you won't fit it all on (see below). Heat the oven to 170C (150C fan-assisted)/335F/gas mark 3 and bake for 13-15 minutes. Leave the cookies on the tray for five minutes, to cool and firm up, then transfer to a wire rack with a spatula. Repeat with the remaining mixture, store it in a tub in the fridge for a few weeks, or roll it into a log, wrap in clingfilm and freeze.