Chocolate. Fleur de sel. Two ingredients I love and that go together well. You may have noticed I love a lot of different ingredients, but I am particularly fond of a rich chocolate flavour. I feel like salt in general really brings something amazing out of dark chocolate. I was keen to combine these flavours but also did not want to over indulge in something really sweet and rich (I am not saying I don't like this, I could easily get a nice slice of dark rich chocolate brownie and never share it with anyone because why would I?!).
What I really wanted was something small and perfectly delicious to accompany my daily cups of jasmine green tea.
So, I came up with these little chocolate and fleur de sel crème fraîche biscuits and they are just lovely, not overly sweet at all.
What I really wanted was something small and perfectly delicious to accompany my daily cups of jasmine green tea.
So, I came up with these little chocolate and fleur de sel crème fraîche biscuits and they are just lovely, not overly sweet at all.
I had made dough with sour cream before for savoury pastry and loved the result so I decided to give it a try with crème fraîche instead for this recipe. It did not disappoint. The addition of crème fraîche creates a wonderful smooth and silky dough. Once baked, the biscuits are not too hard or too soft, just a perfect in between texture that will make you go for more (I had to push the plate of biscuits far far away from me at some stage or else I would have been like a cookie monster, found guilty in a corner with chocolate crumbs all over my face).
I am thinking this dough would also be perfect for blind baking and make delicious little tartlets, endless possibilities!
Find the recipe after the photos. I hope you give it a try!
I am thinking this dough would also be perfect for blind baking and make delicious little tartlets, endless possibilities!
Find the recipe after the photos. I hope you give it a try!
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Chocolate and Fleur de Sel Crème Fraîche Biscuits Recipe (Vegetarian)
Ingredients (make 30 biscuits)
150g plain flour (plus extra for dusting)
30g cocoa powder
50g demerara sugar
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
80g chilled unsalted butter (diced)
60g crème fraîche
fleur de sel (alternatively use sea salt flakes)
1. Mix the flour, cocoa powder, sugar and baking powder in a large baking bowl. Add the chilled diced butter and mix with your fingers until you get a fine crumb. Add the crème fraîche and knead the ingredients together to form a smooth silky ball of dough. Flatten it, wrap it in cling film and put in the fridge for 30 minutes.
2. Preheat the oven to 180ºC (I use a traditional electric oven for baking).
Line a baking tray with greaseproof baking paper.
Dust a large flat surface with flour and roll out the dough until it is 4mm thick. Cut little round shapes using a 5cm diametre cookie cutter. Using a pastry brush, dust off the dough from any remaining flour. Place the little discs of dough on the baking tray with enough space between them (you should be able to fit 12 on a tray - bake in one or two batches depending on how many trays your own). Prick the dough with a fork.
Sprinkle with fleur de sel and place the tray on the middle shelf of the oven. Bake for 15 minutes.
3. Leave the biscuits to cool out of the oven for 5 minutes on the baking sheet then transfer them onto a wire rack and cool down completely.
Enjoy your biscuits with a cup of tea, coffee or hot chocolate.
Bon appétit!
Ingredients (make 30 biscuits)
150g plain flour (plus extra for dusting)
30g cocoa powder
50g demerara sugar
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
80g chilled unsalted butter (diced)
60g crème fraîche
fleur de sel (alternatively use sea salt flakes)
1. Mix the flour, cocoa powder, sugar and baking powder in a large baking bowl. Add the chilled diced butter and mix with your fingers until you get a fine crumb. Add the crème fraîche and knead the ingredients together to form a smooth silky ball of dough. Flatten it, wrap it in cling film and put in the fridge for 30 minutes.
2. Preheat the oven to 180ºC (I use a traditional electric oven for baking).
Line a baking tray with greaseproof baking paper.
Dust a large flat surface with flour and roll out the dough until it is 4mm thick. Cut little round shapes using a 5cm diametre cookie cutter. Using a pastry brush, dust off the dough from any remaining flour. Place the little discs of dough on the baking tray with enough space between them (you should be able to fit 12 on a tray - bake in one or two batches depending on how many trays your own). Prick the dough with a fork.
Sprinkle with fleur de sel and place the tray on the middle shelf of the oven. Bake for 15 minutes.
3. Leave the biscuits to cool out of the oven for 5 minutes on the baking sheet then transfer them onto a wire rack and cool down completely.
Enjoy your biscuits with a cup of tea, coffee or hot chocolate.
Bon appétit!
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