Chocolate Melting Moments Recipe

This recipe is specially for Rachel (and Leon, Louie and Ruby), as they enjoyed them so much and even left one or two for Clare and me.

I'm not quite sure how to describe these lovely treats - they're a bit cookie-like I suppose. I first saw them made on a Rachel Allen TV programme and made some scribbled notes on the ingredients but not the method - so it's been a bit of trial and error arriving at the process described below. Two notes of warning: the first is that you mustn't panic at the point when it seems that the mix is too dry and 'sandy' to ever come together into a smooth paste. The second is more of a health warning - these treats are just irresistible and are best hidden well away from chocaholics!

You'll need either one large ar two smaller baking trays (I line trays with reusable "bak-o-glide" - but simple greaseproof is fine, as these Melting Moments don't seem to stick) and a wire rack for cooling the 'cookies'.

Its also worth double-sifting the dry ingredients to make sure they're thoroughly mixed.

Set the oven to 180C/gas 4.

Ingredients:
125g lightly salted butter at room temperature (the salt seems to enhance the chocolate flavour)
100g plain flour
50g icing sugar
50g cornflour
25g Cocoa powder
a jar of Nutella or Green & Black's Hazelnut Chocolate spread

First beat the butter, either with a mixer or wooden spoon until smooth and 'fluffy'. Next add the double-sifted dry ingredients, all in on go, and start working the mixture with a wooden spoon, pressing it into the side of the bowl and making sure its all thoroughly combined (it'll look like chocolatey sand).

Now dive into the bowl with one (clean) hand and start squeezing the mixture together, persevere with this and you'll find that it will start to come together. Once the mix has formed into a smooth paste ball, stop working it and roll it on a lightly floured surface into a regular shaped 'log' (think rolling pin). Cut this into three equal segments. Then divide each segment into six or eight balls of equal size. You'll end up with 18 or 24 balls.

Space these balls on the baking tray(s) and press down lightly with the back of a fork. Now pop into the preheated oven for 10-12 minutes. When you take them out of the oven, don't be tempted to touch them as they're easily 'dented' (you'll have to trust that they're cooked). After 5 minutes, carefully remove them from the tray and allow to cool on a wire rack.

Once they have cooled and can be handled, carefully sandwich them together with Nutella or even better Green & Black's if you can find it. Count them carefully - you'll start with 9 or 12 Melting Moments that I can guarantee will disappear, as if by magic, before your very eyes!  Yum!