ULTIMATE CHOCOLATE BISCUITS

I have spent my adult baking life, on a quest for the perfect biscuit.  I had it once. I ate one.  It was at a wake, of all places.  Unfortunately, the circumstances prevented me from hunting down the person who made the biscuit and insisting they hand over the recipe.  My sense of decency and decorum got in the way.  I have often thought of that biscuit. The taste, the texture, the smell.  I have tried many times to recreate it - I have come close but never quite nailed it.  Well, today I believe that I have actually baked a biscuit that is even better than my post funeral nibble.  When I first tasted one of these biscuits today, my tongue thought it had died and gone to heaven.  The taste and texture are just perfect.  Of course I know that different people have different ideas about what constitutes the perfect biscuits but I really do think that even the toughest biscuit critic will enjoy these. (Yes, as per the picture, they are meant to be cracked.)  Bear in mind though, that results may vary according to the quality of your ingredients.  I am a cocoa/chocolate snob and I buy quality cocoa powder online and also quality cooking chocolate. It costs a bit but it really is worth it.  If you can't afford to buy expensive cocoa powder, I highly recommend that you get yourself to Woolworths and buy their Homebrand Cocoa Powder.  It is cheap as chips and it is very nearly just as good as the expensive cocoa.  So, with out further ado, I give you....

ULTIMATE CHOCOLATE BISCUITS 

120g of chocolate (70% cocoa)
1 1/4 cups plain flour

1/3 cup cocoa 

1 tsp bicarb soda

1/2 tsp salt

125g butter, very soft and diced

3/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar

1 egg

2 tsp vanilla extract

2 cups chocolate chips

1/2 cup white sugar (for rolling biscuits in)

1. Preheat oven to 160 degrees. Line baking trays with baking paper.
2. Place broken up chocolate in the jug with the kneading blade.  Select Speed 9 for 20 seconds.
3. Once program is complete select Speed 3 Temp 65 Time 3 minutes.

4. When chocolate is melted, allow to cool for five minutes.

5. Add all ingredients to the jug except for white sugar. Seclect Pastry P1 for 1 minute.
6. At the end of the program if the dough has formed a ball, use a spatula to break it up.
7. Add chocolate chips to the jug.  Select Speed 4 Time 30 seconds.

8. Roll mixture into balls slightly bigger than a walnut but smaller than a golf ball (best way I can describe it :-)  ). Roll balls in the white sugar.
9. Place balls on the line tray and press with hands to flatten.
10. Place in the oven on the second rack from the top. Bake for 14 minutes or until biscuits have cracked.
11. Remove from oven and allow to cool on the tray for 5 minutes before carefully removing to a wire cooling rack.

NOTE - with all recipes that I share, butter must be very soft but not melted.  It should be soft enough that you can poke your finger through it but it can still hold its shape.