The very first cookbook I used when I was a child was loaded with cookie and bar recipes. My mum gave it to me (who knows where she found it), and it was perfect because every recipe was so easy to make. I pretty much baked everything in the book, many of them multiple times. I can still remember baking in the evening in the quiet kitchen. I would weigh all the ingredients, referring to the cookbook lying open on the counter, covered with flour. The secret in this recipe is adding cornflakes, which gives the cookies a nice crunch. I love them as much today as I did the very first time I made them.
Makes 24 cookies
1 Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C) and line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.
2 In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar with a wooden spoon until soft and light in color.
3 Add in the egg and vanilla and mix until combined.
4 Gently stir in the flour, cocoa powder, coconut, and cornflakes and mix until incorporated.
5 Using a tablespoon measure, scoop out heaping tablespoons of the dough, roll them into balls, and place them on the prepared cookie sheet. Leave some space between the cookies, as they’ll spread during baking.
6 Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, until lightly golden. Transfer the cookies to a wire rack to cool.
7 While the cookies are cooling, melt the milk chocolate in a small heatproof bowl in the microwave or over a bain-marie.
8 Set the wire rack with the cookies over a sheet of parchment paper. Dip half of each cooled cookie into the melted chocolate, then return it to the rack and let set at room temperature for about 1 hour, until the chocolate has hardened.
9 Store the cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.