Coffee ground cookies recipe

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

1. 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.

2. Beat the butter and sugars together until pale and creamy.

3. Gradually beat in the egg.

4. Stir in the dry ingredients, mixing until you have a stiff dough. Chill for at least 1 hour.

5. Preheat the oven to 180C/160C fan/gas mark 4 and line a baking sheet.

6. Pull off pieces of dough and roll into balls the size of large walnuts.

7. Arrange on the baking sheet about 7cm apart. If you need to bake in batches, keep unused dough in the fridge.

8. Bake for 6 minutes, then turn the sheet around and bake for 6 more.

9. 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.

10. 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)

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