Searching for a no-mess Chocolate Recipe?

Enjoy a chocolate recipe at your picnic without a gooey mess.

I usually avoid chocolate on a sunny picnic (a cold-weather picnic is a different story!) but these crazy cookies hit the spot nicely without melting.

On the other hand, perhaps at a romantic picnic, you don't mind if things get a bit squidgy! That's where a chocolate dipping sauce comes into its own - perhaps with fresh strawberries.

I call the cookies crazy for two reasons. First off, they craze in the oven and secondly I went a bit crazy making them! I also thought the icing sugar would melt in this chocolate recipe and it doesn’t, so that's a bit crazy!

Try them and see.

They’re rather rich but they keep well and don’t seem to get too gooey in hot weather.

Ingredients for crazy cookies

175 g of dark chocolate
15 g of butter
175 g of plain flour
half a teaspoon of baking powder
pinch of salt
2 eggs
150 g of caster sugar
1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
60 g of icing sugar

Method

Put the chocolate and butter in a small bowl and melt gently by either microwaving it on the lowest possible setting or putting it in a bowl over a pan of simmering water. Melt until smooth when you stir it and then let it cool a little while you ..
Beat the eggs and caster sugar in another bowl until the mixture is very pale in colour.
Then beat in the melted chocolate and vanilla extract.
Add the flour, salt and baking powder and stir well combing everything.
Cover the bowl and refrigerate for at least an hour until firm. You can leave overnight if you need to.
When you’re ready to bake, heat the oven to 160 degrees C or 150 if you have a fan, or gas mark 3.
Shape the doughy mixture into small balls (this amount makes about 20) and roll in the icing sugar.
Put them on baking paper or Teflon coated non-stick bakeware liners. Press down with your fingers to flatten. Bake for about 13 – 15 minutes.
Let them cool for a few minutes and then remove to a rack until cold.