Craving something sweet and a little different, I turned to my collection of cookbooks for inspiration. I pulled Sirocco by Sabrina Ghayour off the shelf and flipped through the chapter on ‘Superb Bakes and Sweet Treats.’ As I browsed, I realised I’d already made the date and orange cinnamon scones earlier this year from the same chapter. Today, I settled on a cookie recipe featuring dark chocolate and pistachios—a perfect choice since I had all the ingredients in my cupboards.

I am still striving to maintain my work-life balance so I logged off from work on time (a small victory!). I then spent a pleasurable half-hour making the cookie dough, chopping up rich dark chocolate and vibrant green pistachios. The process was soothing, a perfect way to unwind after a busy day.

The final product? Quite satisfying. I decided to reduce the sugar, using only 87 grams, and used 100 grams of dark chocolate since I didn’t want to open another pack just to make up the full 150 grams. The cookies were delicious, especially warm and fresh from the oven—not overly sweet, which made them wonderfully moreish. The contrast between the soft center and the crunchy outside was just perfect.

Taking Sabrina Ghayour’s recommendation, I paired these cookies with a cold glass of milk. It was a simple, comforting treat. The recipe yielded 12 cookies, making them quite substantial. With 6 each, Ignacio and I have the perfect snack for work or an evening treat with a cup of tea over the next few days.

Ingredients

100 g salted butter, softened

100g light brown sugar

75g caster sugar

1 large egg

1 heaped teaspoon vanilla bean paste

175g plain flour

100g pistachio slivers or chopped pistachio

150g dark chocolate chunks

Instructions

Preheat the oven 180oC, Gas Mark 4. Line a large baking tray with baking paper.

Cream the butter and sugars together in a bowl, then add the egg and vanilla paste and mix until smooth.

Add the flour and incorporate the creamed mixture until a dough forms. Finally, mix in the pistachios and chocolate chunks, ensuring they are evenly distributed throughout the mixture.

Divide the mixture into 14 – 16 equal portions and roll these into 3 cm balls. Place as many of the balls as you can on the prepared baking tray, ensuring you leave a space of 5 cm around each ball as they will spread out a lot. Bake for 13 – 15 minutes or until golden at the edges. Remove from the oven and leave to cool for a few minutes, then enjoy them warm.

Reference: Sirocco, Sabrina Ghayour, page 219