Unrefined sugar gives this cookie recipe a rich dark flavour, but it can taste slightly bitter with a strong mineral kick. That’s where the lemon and cocoa come in, as lemon brightens the flavour on the first bite, while the cocoa help to push the aftertaste towards chocolate. Adding a high c and a low b to this peanut cookie number.
75g unsalted butter, softened
50g crunchy peanut butter
225g Muscovado or dark molasses sugar
1 good tbsp black treacle or molasses
finely grated zest of one lemon
1 large egg
175g salted peanuts
200g plain flour
1 tbsp cocoa
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
Beat the butter, peanut butter, sugar, treacle and lemon until smooth. Add the egg and beat it in really well. Add the flour, cocoa and soda and mix until the soft dough is smooth then stir in the peanuts. Heat the oven to 180°C/fan 160°C/350°F/gas 4 and line a baking tray with foil or non-stick paper. Round teaspoon sized balls of the dough onto the tray, spaced 5cm apart, and bake for about 12 - 14 minutes until puffed. Remove the tray from the oven and leave for 5 minutes to set slightly then use a spatula to move the cookies to a wire rack or cold plate to cool.
