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CHRISTMAS CHOCOLATE BISCUITS

CHRISTMAS CHOCOLATE BISCUITS

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Makes: approx. 24

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  • Nigella Recipe
  • Vegetarian

I love these dark, fat patties of chocolate shortbread exuberantly topped with festive sprinkles. There’s something so cheering about the sight of them, but they have more in their favour than looks: they are a doddle to make, and meltingly gorgeous to eat.

We have even more delicious recipes for Christmas cookies and homemade Christmas gift ideas. We're sure you'll like our easy Christmas dinner recipes too.

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Ingredients

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for the biscuits

  • 250 grams soft butter
  • 150 grams caster sugar
  • 40 grams cocoa powder
  • 300 grams plain flour
  • ½ teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder

for the festive topping

  • 2 tablespoons cocoa powder
  • 175 grams icing sugar
  • 60 ml boiling water (from a kettle)
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • Christmas sprinkles
NIGELLA CHRISTMAS

As featured in

NIGELLA CHRISTMAS

Method

  1. Preheat the oven to 170°C/gas mark 3/325ºF and line a baking sheet with Bake-O-Glide or baking parchment.
  2. Cream the butter and sugar in a bowl and, when you have a light, soft, whipped mixture, beat in the 40g / one-third cup cocoa powder (sieving if it is lumpy) and, when that’s mixed in, beat in the flour with the bicarb and baking powder. Or just put everything in the processor and blitz, if you prefer.
  3. This mixture is very soft and sticky and I find it easiest to form the biscuits wearing my CSI (disposable vinyl) gloves, so pinch off pieces about the size of a large walnut, roll them into balls, then slightly flatten into fat discs as you place them, well spaced, on your baking sheet; you should get about 12 on at a time.
  4. Bake each batch for 15 minutes; even though the biscuits won’t feel as if they’ve had enough time, they will continue to cook as they cool. They will look slightly cracked on top, and it’s this cosy, homespun look I love.
  5. Remove the baking sheet to a cold surface and let it sit for 15 minutes before transferring the biscuits to a wire rack, with a sheet of newspaper under it (to catch drips while topping them).
  6. To make the topping, put the cocoa powder, icing sugar, water and vanilla extract into a small saucepan and whisk over a low heat until everything’s smoothly combined. Take off the heat for 10 minutes.
  7. When the biscuits are cool, drizzle each one with a tablespoonful of chocolate glaze – to glue the sprinkles on in a minute – using the back of the spoon to help spread the mixture, though an uneven dribbly look is part of their charm.
  8. After you’ve iced 6 biscuits, scatter with some of the Christmas sprinkles, and continue thus until all the biscuits are topped. If you ice them all before sprinkling, you will find the cocoa “glue” has dried and the sprinkles won’t stick on.

MAKE AHEAD TIP:

Bake the biscuits up to 5 days ahead. Cool and store in an airtight container between sheets of parchment paper.

FREEZE AHEAD TIP:

Freeze the cooled biscuits in sealable bags or rigid containers for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature.

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  • I made these last weekend. I was a bit worried at first because the dough seemed a bit crumbly but when I put on my CSI gloves it stuck together really well. They are delicious and my future mother in law even asked for the recipe, for the first time in months of feeding her several of Nigellas (and mine) lovely creations. I can't thank you enough for that.

    Posted by HannaBerlin on 21st Dec 2011 at 23.58

  • Made them without the topping. The best chocolate biscuits I have ever tasted, they are crisp and rich, a real hit with family and friends.

    Posted by Lorna1 on 22nd Jan 2012 at 17.34

  • I made these, too! Really delicious and so much fun to make. Thanks Nigella! :-)

    Posted by KGHag on 22nd Nov 2012 at 13.38

  • These were supposed to last for a couple of days, hidden in secluded box. I bake very often and more and often than not are complimented for my baked treasures, but this time my husband said I'd have outdone myself :-) And with the by the way comment "You did not really expect those to last for more than 24h, did you?" he gobbled them all up with some help of our children. Thank you!!!

    Posted by Cookie Jar on 23rd Nov 2012 at 16.43

  • Fantastic recipe! I add a teaspoon of vodka! Fab!

    Posted by ItalyFrancesco on 11th Dec 2012 at 9.17

  • Why aren't mine crunchy? They soft, not what I was expecting or have I not left them alone long enough!!! Lol

    Posted by Jolist1972 on 15th Dec 2012 at 19.19

  • They are just perfect!

    Posted by Tea&Cookies on 18th Dec 2012 at 0.54

  • I halved the recipe to 12, and added 1/2 tsp Mixed Spice and 1/2 tsp Cinnamon with several chopped chocolate coins, just for the festive season :P Amazingly yummy !!

    Posted by jazzyjeff on 19th Dec 2012 at 16.06

  • These work brilliantly even for a not-even-amateur baker! Made a bit of a mess of the kitchen in the beginning by torpedoing biscuit blobs out of the bowl with the hand mixer but so worth it! Nom nom nom... CSI gloves are a good tip!

    Posted by noodlepip on 1st Jan 2013 at 22.42

  • Wonderful biscuits! Delicious and very easy to make. These and the Cloud cake are my favourite Nigella recipes

    Posted by rachellesimpson on 11th May 2013 at 13.15