Chocolate cookies with a crunchy caramel centre

I guess this cookie is reminiscent of a Hershey’s peanut butter cup, minus the peanuts and in cookie form! So maybe not all that similar on second thoughts. The sweet, crunchy filling is a combination of Lotus caramelised spread mixed with crushed cornflakes which is then enrobed in a chocolate dough that bakes to a crisp shell. You can’t beat a sweet surprise inside a cookie and the extra crunch here gives an added unexpected dimension that really works. Quite pleased with this experiment.

Crunchy Caramel Filled Chocolate Cookies (dairy-free, egg-free, nut-free, sesame-free, soya-free, vegetarian and vegan)

makes about 18

• 1 cup soft brown sugar
• 1/2 cup dairy-free spread
• 2 tbsps golden syrup
• 1/2 tsp vanilla
• 1/4 cup cocoa powder
• 1 1/4 cups plain flour
• 1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
• 1/4 tsp salt

For the filling:

• 1 cup lotus caramelised spread
• 1 cup cornflakes, crushed
• 1/4 cup icing sugar

– Preheat the oven to 180 degrees Centigrade/Gas mark 4

– Cream together the spread, sugar, syrup and vanilla

– Sift in the flour, cocoa, bicarb and salt and mix to a stiff dough. Set aside.

– Make the filling by mixing together the Lotus spread, crushed cornflakes and icing sugar.

– Take tbsp amounts of the chocolate dough and pat out to a small round. Place a tsp of filling in the middle of each and bring the sides up and around to form a chocolate ball with no gaps.

– Place on a cookie sheet and slightly press down.

– Bake for 10 minutes. Cool for a couple more minutes before transferring to a wire rack.

– These cookies keep well for up to a week in a sealed container, and are lovely warmed for 20 seconds in a microwave before eating. The first photo shows the cookies, warmed and with a gooey centre. The second when they have been let to cool and the centre has set.