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Bitter Chocolate Spiced Carob Cookies

Bitter Chocolate Spiced Carob Cookies

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These Bitter Chocolate spiced carob cookies were made with bitter chocolate, carob syrup and ginger. They have a chocolatey taste due to the chocolate but also due to the carob syrup.

Carob cookies with angel in the background image

Carob syrup is produced from ripe carobs and only a few traditional Cypriot recipes exist using teratsomelo (carob syrup), such as Cypriot pastelli and dough cookies, Koulourouthkia me teratsomelo.

It has a flavour similar to chocolate and it can replace cocoa and sugar as well as molasses.

You can also use it as a topping in pastries, with yogurt or ice-cream as well as a sweetener in hot or cold beverages.

My husband started doing the shopping  when he realized that when I was with him we ended up with a huge bill.   He usually goes to our neighbourhood supermarket where we can get all we need but in order to get some unusual ingredients we have to go  to one of the big chain supermarkets where I can get nearly most of the things I want.    I convinced him once in a while to go together to one of these supermarkets.

A few days ago I needed a few ingredients which I could find at our nearby supermarket and instead of buying a few things, I ended up with a full cart.

One of the things I bough was fresh ginger.  It was the first time I bought some and I knew nothing about how to use it .

fresh ginger image

The first thing that came into my mind were some ginger biscuits we used to eat in England which I loved them although they had that pungent taste.

I decided to google search for some ginger cookies and as I was in a hurry to start cooking and baking, I found one I liked but I had to make my twist to it as I did not have bittersweet chocolate chips (but I did have a bittersweet chocholate, which I cut into small pieces).

dark chocolate image

I did not have crystallized ginger and I did not have molasses.   I remembered I  had carob syrup, called haroupomelo, in Greece  or teratsomelo, in Cyprus.

haroupomelo carob syrup image

Haroupomelo or teratsomelo, is a Greek and Cypriot product (charoupia/teratsia = carobs + meli = honey) and the honey is taken out of carobs and made into a syrup.  I brought this last year from Cyprus but had forgotten all about it.   The recipe did not clarify whether to use fresh or powdered ginger.

Although I did not have most of the ingredients, that did not discourage me from making them.

The cookies were delicious and I loved them.  The ginger and the dark chocolate went together beautifully and the slight bitterness contrasts really well with the smooth butteriness of the biscuit itself.  

The cookies were a little stingy on the ginger and next time I would add more.   However, I cannot say the same about my children. 

It was the first time I’ve ever made something sweet which they did not like.  Maybe because they never ate ginger before they did not touch them. 

The recipe said to bake the cookies only for five minutes.  Although when they came out of the oven, they were very soft, they became harder when they cooled down but after a while they were soft again, so I would bake them more, as I prefer crunchy cookies.

Since then I have used it in two savory dishes which both tasted great and I still have some left, so I will be definitely using it soon.  My son liked both savory dishes whereas my daughter did not eat any of them.

Ingredients needed for the Bitter Chocolate Spiced Carob Cookies

Preparation time: 20 minutes

Baking time:  5 minutes

Makes:  50

  • Extra dark bittersweet chocolate chips
  • Butter
  • All-purpose flour
  • Demerara sugar
  • Fresh grated ginger
  • Baking soda
  • Cinnamon
  • All spice
  • Cocoa powder
  • Carob syrup

How to make these Bitter Chocolate Spiced Carob Cookies

  1. Cream the butter and the brown sugar in a mixing bowl until light and fluffy.  Slowly add carob syrup scraping well after each addition.
  2. Sift all of the dry ingredients and add them along with the chocolate chips and ginger to the bowl and mix until just combined.  At this point change the whisk to the K paddle and on low speed add the flour mixture and mix again.
  3. The batter should look very sticky.  Refrigerate for at least 1 hour and then scoop about a teaspoon on baking tin lined with parchment paper.
  4. Preheat oven to 180o C /350o F.
  5. Bake only for 5 minutes.  Although they will look very soft, they will solidify when they cool down.

Note:  You can make these cookies vegan by using olive oil margarine and couverture chocolate.

You can also substitute Haroupomelo (carob syrup) with Petimezi, called Epsima, in the Cypriot dialect, which is a concentrated grape syrup.

Carob and ginger cookies image

Bitter Chocolate Spiced Carob Cookies

Yield: 50
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 5 minutes

These Bitter Chocolate Spiced Carob Cookies were made with bitter chocolate, carob syrup and ginger. They have a chocolatey taste due to the chocolate but also due to the carob syrup.

Ingredients

  • 150 grams extra dark bittersweet chocolate chips
  • 226 grams butter
  • 3 cups + 2 tbsp all-purpose flour
  • 1 cup demerara sugar
  • 2 1/2 tsp fresh grated ginger
  • 2 tsp baking soda
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • 1 tsp all spice
  • 2 tbsp cocoa powder
  • 1 cup carob syrup

Instructions

  1. Cream the butter and the brown sugar in a mixing bowl until light and fluffy. Slowly add carob syrup scraping well after each addition.
  2. Sift all of the dry ingredients and add them along with the chocolate chips and ginger to the bowl and mix until just combined. At this point change the whisk to the K paddle and on low speed add the flour mixture and mix again.
  3. The batter should look very sticky. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour and then scoop about a teaspoon on baking tin lined with parchment paper.
  4. Preheat oven to 180o C /350o F.
  5. Bake only for 5 minutes. Although they will look very soft, they will solidify when they cool down.

Notes

You can make these cookies vegan by using olive oil margarine and couverture chocolate.

You can also substitute Haroupomelo (carob syrup) with Petimezi, called Epsima, in the Cypriot dialect, which is a concentrated grape syrup.

Nutrition Information
Yield 50 Serving Size 1
Amount Per Serving Calories 87Total Fat 5gSaturated Fat 3gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 2gCholesterol 10mgSodium 85mgCarbohydrates 11gFiber 3gSugar 7gProtein 1g

"These values are automatically calculated and offered for guidance only. Their accuracy is not guaranteed."

Did you make this recipe?

Tried this recipe? Tag me @ivyliac and use the hashtag #kopiaste!

Collage Carob and Chocolate Ginger Cookies image

You will find the recipe in my book:  Mint, Cinnamon & Blossom Water, Flavours of Cyprus, Kopiaste!

I am submitting this recipe to Susan, of Food Blogga, who is hosting the event Eat Christmas Cookies.

Kopiaste and Kali Orexi!

signature Ivy

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PG

Saturday 20th of December 2008

these are for sure excellent in taste! Fresh ginger and chocolate are a wonderful combination. Wish i could pick up one from the bowl, looks so tempting! :)

giz

Friday 19th of December 2008

Ginger=healthy, cookies with ginger = healthy and yummy too. Your husband just needs to understand that you're watching out for his good health by creating such wonderful cookies.

Peter

Friday 19th of December 2008

Glad you found fresh ginger (you can freeze the leftover root for future use). Ginger is a wonderful pairing in ingredients and I hope your husband gives you a free hand with the shopping.

Susan from Food Blogga

Friday 19th of December 2008

I'm so happy you discovered fresh ginger, Ivy. I love to bake with it. Hopefully your kids will come around. If not, then more for you! :) Happy Holidays, my friend.

Bellini Valli

Friday 19th of December 2008

These cookies sound delicious sis. Did you know that you can peel and grate your gingerroot and then freeze it in small amounts to use later?It does last quite some time in the fridge as well though.

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