Raw cocoa and pecan nut cookies - because who doesn't love chocolate?

I'm a huge cacao fan, I won't lie. It's one of the things that sets my mouth watering just by thinking of it, let alone indulge in anything chocolate. It's not something I can say comforts me, something I go back to because it soothes me when I'm weary, or calms me when I'm worried. It's just something that plays around with my tastebuds in ways not many things manage to do - certain wines will be guilty of this too.

I am also a huge fan of nuts. Be it walnuts, hazelnuts, pecan nuts, cashew nuts, whatever you name it I'm in. I love them all, I think. I usually keep a pack of them in my pantry so I can nibble when I get peckish and it's not yet dinner time. A small handful will set me for a few more hours, and I can appease my growling stomach with them.

So when my husband decided to pair raw cocoa powder and pecan nuts in a dough that would later become a full jar of cookies... I knew we had a winner there. A winner that I was gonna gobble down and not let anyone else touch. Or so I wished. Truth is, we all ate the cookies, and we all went nuts at them. These are without doubt the best cookies in the world.

The adition of a tiny spoon of instant coffee powder makes all the difference, I think. It adds such depth to the chocolate flavour, making the cookies so intense and rich, and the pecan nuts seem to open up the aromas even more, so when you open the jar you keep them in, the house is unfused by this dark, deep, mindblowing chocolate scent. You serioulsy cannot have just the one, you'll be diving in for more. And they make the perfect gift, be it for Christmas (what? It's not even Halloween and we're talking Christmas already?) or any other special occasion you might wish to spoil your loved ones. They will love you all the more...

So without further delay, here you go, you can thank me later!

• 350 gr flour
• 200 gr chopped pecan nuts
• 250 gr cold butter
• 175 gr dark muscovado sugar
• 50 ml milk
• 1 egg
• 150 gr raw cocoa powder
• 1 coffee spoon of instant coffee powder
• 1 tsp baking pwder

Mix the baking powder, flour, cocoa and coffee together. Pour over a clean, cold surface and make a circular hole in the middle. Add the sugar, butter, milk and egg. Combine the ingredients into a dough. Add the walnuts and knead very softly, to bring it all together. Wrap in cling film and refrigerate for half an hour. After that time, bring the dough out and roll it over a floured surface. Cut into the shapes you prefer. Transfer the cut cookies into a baking tray lined with baking parchement and bake in the oven for about 12 minutes at 170º. Allow to rest before diving into a bite, unless you're ok with burning your tongue!