Gift shopping is a challenge - clothes, shoes, jewellery, perfumes and sometimes even books are all based on personal taste. Whenever you purchase something for someone you’re not too familiar with, you’re always a little nervous. A few hundred questions runs amok in your head - Will she/he like it? Will it fit? Will the perfume smell like air freshener/Mortein on her/him?

If you wish to avoid such a headache do consider making something for this person because unlike the above items, food on the other hand is a universal language. Until very recently I’ve never realised the power of ‘gifting’ food. A few who have received such gifts have always been very satisfied.

Hence if you are considering such option, give this recipe some of your attention. Inspired by Laura Vitale’s Triple Chocolate Biscotti, these biscuit bars are delicious! Semi convenient, but very easy to make, the receiver of this gift will be extremely happy!

Ingredients

1 ½ cup of all-purpose flour
1 cup of sugar
½ cup of cocoa powder
¾ tsp of baking powder
30 – 40 g of peanuts
30 g of cooking chocolate (dark)
1 tsp of instant coffee powder
1 tsp of vanilla essence
3 eggs

Directions

Pre heat the oven to 160 Celsius.

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.

Chop up the cooking chocolate in to miniscule cubes.

In a large bowl add flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder, peanuts, coffee powder and lightly stir.

Add the chopped chocolate and stir.

In a separate bowl, lightly beat the three eggs and pour in to the mixture.

Add the vanilla essence and slowly whisk all the ingredients for a few minutes.

Next use your hands, mix the batter a bit and place is it on a baking sheet.

Dip your hands in a little bowl of water and form the batter in to a nice polished loaf.

Bake for 35 minutes and let it cool for about 15 minutes.

Start cutting the log diagonally in to thick slices and placed them (cut side up) on the baking sheet.

Reduce the heat to 150 Celsius and bake for about 20 – 25 minutes.

Disasters, Warnings and Tips

Photo credits Fari Hamid.

Have this with a cup of coffee! Yummmmmmmmmmmm!

The hand wetting is to prevent the dough from sticking on your hand.

When whisking carefully whisk with a hand mixer and only for a few minutes.

Instead of using peanuts you can use cashew nuts or almonds.

I admit this recipe is a little weary, but NOT difficult.

Use a table spoon of coffee liqueur (http://life.dailymirror.lk/article/7304/the-startup-cook-coffee-liqueur) instead of the instant coffee powder and vanilla essence.

A 50g Scan Jumbo Peanuts were purchased for this recipe. I used only 30 -40g, the rest I sampled. What? I was checking for salt consistency!

I’m still fascinated by Dory from Finding Nemo - Can’t wait for ‘Finding Dory!’

If you don’t use the same peanuts as I did, remember to add to a dash of salt.

Did five sit ups after having this, I like to keep fit like that.

The chopped chocolate functions as chocolate chips here.

By Shazzana Hamid