Thumbprint Freckle Cookies

I regularly write recipes for a kids magazine and for the latest issue we've been working on some more old fashioned style recipes like thumbprint cookies. Here I've used an 'old school' recipe and incorporated raspberry essence and chocolate freckles - one of the benefits of writing for a kids mag means I legitimately get to eat biscuits like these. The results were pretty delicious so I had to share.

Chocolate and Raspberry Thumbprint Cookies

Ingredients

210g plain flour, sifted

30g cocoa powder, sifted

45g dark chocolate, melted

1 ½ tsp baking powder

pinch salt

110g butter

2 tsp raspberry extract

50g caster sugar

2 eggs

50g pure icing sugar (for rolling)

1 bag chocolate freckles

Method

Preheat oven to 175C. Line a baking sheet with baking paper and set aside. Add the flour, cocoa baking powder and salt to a bowl, stir to combine and set aside. Cream the butter, raspberry extract and sugar until pale and thick, add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add the vanilla extract and stir to combine. Add the flour mix, in thirds to the butter mixture, blending well after each addition.

Roll into walnut sized balls and then roll the balls in the icing sugar mixture before placing on the baking tray. Leave room between each biscuit for them to expand a little. Press a freckle into the centre of each cookie, depressing it in the centre slightly. Bake for 12 minutes. Remove from the oven and serve warm or allow to cool completely before storing in an airtight container.