I stole the base of these cookies from a recipe in Olive magazine (April 2018) but have changed some of the ingredients to boost the nutrients. These are easy but require a 3-4 hour wait while the dough cools in the fridge half way through.

I manage to sneak chia seeds into so many things – I challenge any teenager to guess that they’re even in here. They are an excellent source of omega-3 fatty acids, rich in antioxidants and iron. Dark chocolate is also a source of anti-oxidants and there is much talk of it helping with concentration which will come in handy now at exam time.

Chocolate Chia Cookies – Makes 20

200g 74% + dark organic chocolate

100g unsalted butter

2 eggs

250g organic coconut sugar

130g wholemeal rye flour

2 tbsp chia seeds

50g cocoa powder

1 tsp bicarbonate of soda

1/4 tsp salt

100g icing sugar

Put the coconut sugar and eggs into a mixer and beat until pale and doubled in volume.

Gently microwave the butter and dark chocolate together until melted – go easy with this bit, you don’t want to scorch either ingredient. Stir to combine.

Pour the chocolate mix into the egg mixture and combine. Add all the other dry ingredients bar the icing sugar and mix until it forms a stiff dough. Cover and chill in the fridge for 3/4 hours.

When you’re ready to bake, heat the oven to Gas 4/fan 160dg/180 dg. Line two baking sheets with greaseproof paper and set aside.

Divide the mixture into 20 – I use a pastry cutter or a sharp knife for this. roll each bit into a ball and roll in icing sugar before placing them well spaced on the baking tray.

Bake for 11-15 minutes (depending on how enthusiastic you oven is). Err on the side of caution – ‘better to under bake than over.

Cool on the tray for a minute or two before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely. Store in an airtight container – if they last that long.

Have a great weekend!

Karen