Rich Cocoa and Fennel Seed Cookies

 

Have you tried this combination before? If yes isn’t it a beautiful match and If not then you are missing out. Although, it all depends on your palate and whether you savor the flavour of fennel as it’s a bit like Marmite you either love it or hate it, purely due to its aromatic and licorice type taste. Chocolate however,well who doesn’t savor that? Cocoa itself is known to have over 700 known compounds and has the highest level of the antioxidant polyphenol, the best part of cocoa is that it enhances production of the “feel good” chemicals in the brain, of course I am talking about pure cocoa and hence I aim to use a lot more dark chocolate in my chocolate recipes. To be fair fennel has it’s own proclaimed health benefits too such as to aid relief from indigestion, colic, constipation, flatulence and much more.  So really a great combination :).

The idea of combining chocolate and fennel came from my original  Chocolate Mukwas Medallions  recipe. Fennel seed is an important component in the famous “Mukhwas” that is served after an Indian meal, it not only helps to refresh your palate but it also aids with digestion after indulging in rich, spicy curries. In this recipe, cocoa cleverly complements the herby notes found in fennel seeds  so why not turn them into bite size melts to enjoy with your choice of beverage either after a meal, with tea or for a quick fix?

Rich Cocoa and Fennel Seed Cookies

Preparation time: 15-20 minutes
Baking time: 15 minutes

Ingredients

1 Tbsp Fennel roasted, take out 1 Tsp and leave aside, coarsely grind the rest
150g Salted butter at room temperature
75g Icing sugar
30g Cornflour
45g Cocoa powder
125g Plain flour
30ml Milk

Method:

1. Line baking trays with baking paper.
2. In a blender, using a flat blade cream the butter and sugar till light and creamy.
3. Add the ground fennel seeds, cocoa, corn flour and plain flour. Use the pulse button to bring the mixture into a soft dough by slowly adding the milk.
4. Transfer the dough onto a work top and bring together.
5. Pre-heat the oven to 170 C or 150 for fan assisted.
6. Roll the dough into a sausage shape and make equal small portions.
7. place on the lined tray, use a fork to flatten and mark the top of the cookies.
8. Bake in the oven for 10-15 minutes.
9. Cool on a wire rack before transferring into an air tight container.