Nib & peel biscuits

 April 27, 2024

   

I've barely been baking this year, but autumn often gets me in the mood for it. My inspiration to take on this recipe was a very marked-down packet of cocoa nibs I picked up from Terra Madre. My one strong memory of baking with nibs before was in this biscuit recipe where they're paired with candied citrus peel - I blogged about it back in 2007 (!) but didn't publish the recipe so I'm here to redress that oversight today.

The biscuits have very simple, classic ingredients - they come out quite crisp and toasty, with a bit of chewiness at the centre. They're not a thick, pillowy cookie. I like that the cocoa nibs are flinty and barely sweet as a contrast to the soft and sugary peel.

Nib & peel biscuits

(very slightly adapted from a recipe from Cook (almost) Anything)

125g butter, softened

200g caster sugar

1 egg

1 teaspoon vanilla

200g plain flour

40g sweetened citrus peel, finely diced

1 teaspoon baking powder

40g roasted cocoa nibs

Preheat an oven to 180°C. Line 1-2 baking trays with paper.

Thoroughly beat together the butter and sugar in a large bowl. Add the egg and vanilla, and beat until combined. In a separate small bowl, stir a tablespoon of the flour together with the citrus peel to manage its stickiness and prevent it from clumping. Sift the remaining flour and baking powder into the butter mixture and mix until almost combined. Add the cocoa nibs and citrus peel, stirring until just combined.

Place generous, well-spaced tablespoons of the mixture onto the baking tray(s) and bake for around 10 minutes, until just browning around the edges. Allow them to cool on the tray for 5 minutes before transferring them elsewhere.