Smoky, Salty, and Chocolate Cookies from Natalie Paul

Cookies aren’t exciting to me.

Don’t get me wrong, I like to eat them, but I find that cookies can sometimes be a bit…boring. The popular biscuits are safe, familiar, and rarely change from the classic chocolate chip variety. They’re also relatively easy to whip up, too: perfect after a long or stressful day. So all positives, and of course, I have a favourite recipe, but sometimes I need a bit more from my bakes. That’s why I’m always intrigued when I find a new spin on the baking classics, exactly like the White Chocolate, Ginger, and Rhubarb Cookies from Anna Jones.

For my birthday a while back, a dear friend, who is similarly as food obsessed as me, gave me a beautiful new recipe book – Beatrix Bakes. The name comes from an Australian cake shop (that has unfortunately just closed down), and is compiled of recipes full of customer favourites. Written by Natalie Paulit doesn’t only offer beautiful recipes and pictures, but also a comprehensive baking guide. I’m a big fan of recipe book authors that don’t beat around the bush (think Marcella Hazan telling you that if you aren’t using San Marzanos then your tomato sauce is going to be rubbish) and give you precise guides, with just a little wiggle room, for recipes and ingredients. Paul is a bit like a bossy older sister, firm but kind, strongly recommending ways to use equipment, and what to do if everything goes wrong.

So why these cookies?

Short answer, because I saw the word ‘smoky’ in the title and was immediately fascinated. You never see a smoky flavour associated with something sweet, instead it usually conjures up images of barbecue sauce, or a lovely peaty Islay whisky (my favourite). Producing the smoky flavour is the new-to-me ingredient, Lapsong Souchong tea. This black tea comes from China, and has a definite smoky scent, but I also get a kind of citrus too. The tea, combined with one of my all-time favourite ingredients, brown butter (seriously, try making this at least once, you will not regret it) was a good sign to me. These aren’t the same old cookies I’d seen before!

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Smoky, Salty, and Chocolate Cookies from Natalie Paul

From the book Beatrix Bakes

Author Natalie Paul

Ingredients

• 70 g walnuts
• 170 g dark chocolate
• 240 g butter
• 240 g muscovado sugar
• 100 g demerara sugar
• 5 g Vanillla paste
• 50 g egg
• 20 g egg yolk
• 220 g plain flour
• 2 g Lapsong Souchang Tea
• 8 g bicarbonate of soda
• 2 g salt
• one pinch sea salt flakes

Notes

You can find the full method here.

The smell in my kitchen, as I mixed all the ingredients together, was unbelievably good. At first, I wasn’t overly convinced by the lapsong souchong aroma, but as soon as it was mixed with the other ingredients, I realised, good things were coming. The smoky tea, in combination with the nutty brown butter and toasted walnuts, was divine. I have to admit, the flavour of the cookies was perfectly balanced, nothing was competing to be the main star. I can imagine making these a lot more often in my kitchen. Finally, cookies to get excited about!