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 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!
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!