Jane Lawson 6/20/26 Jane Lawson 6/20/26

DArk chocolate, tahini & pumpkin seed cookies

These dark chocolate, pumpkin seed and tahini cookies are the perfect example of how small changes can make everyday foods more nutritious, without compromising on taste.

Inspired by Tim Spector’s almond biscuits, I’ve swapped pecans for pumpkin seeds and replaced olive oil with tahini, giving them a lovely rich, nutty flavour. They’re still cookies and do contain some sugar and chocolate, but they’re also packed with ingredients that bring a little bit more to the table.

Ground almonds, flaxseed, pumpkin seeds and tahini provide protein, fibre and healthy fats, helping to slow digestion and support steadier blood sugar levels. Pumpkin seeds add magnesium and zinc, while dark chocolate provides cocoa polyphenols - plant compounds that interact with our gut microbes to support a healthy balanced microbiome.

They’re also incredibly simple to make: just mix everything together in one bowl, shape and bake. A delicious option when you fancy something sweet with a little extra nutritional value.

Ingredients

Makes 12-14 cookies

2 tbsp ground flaxseed
4 tbsp water
200g ground almonds
3 tbsp light brown sugar
2 tbsp tahini
50g pumpkin seeds
80g dark chocolate (at least 70% cocoa solids), roughly chopped
Pinch of sea salt

Method

Preheat the oven to 180°C and line a baking tray with parchment paper.
Mix the ground flaxseed with the water, set aside for 5 minutes while you measure out the other ingredients, and stir once or twice to mix properly
Put the ground almonds, sugar, pumpkin seeds, dark chocolate, and a pinch of salt in a large mixing bowl and mix well.
Add the tahini and flaxseed mixture, stirring well to combine thoroughly and form a dough.
Use an ice cream scoop or a tablespoon to divide into 12-14 balls, then gently flatten them onto the baking tray.
Bake for 12–14 minutes, until lightly golden around the edges.
Leave to cool on the tray and transfer to a wire rack.

Approx per cookie (based on making 14):
🌱 Fibre: ~3.5g
💪 Protein: ~5.5g
⚡ Energy: ~175 kcal

Jane Lawson 5/10/21 Jane Lawson 5/10/21

The best chocolate chip cookies

A wet Saturday called for a bit of baking, so my daughter and I set about making some cookies. I searched around online, but ended up on Nigella’s site as I think she is the queen of baking and always shares reliable recipes. I think her cookies are particularly good, however I didn’t think they would be THIS good! They’re literally my favourite cookie EVER! No exaggeration.

I adapted Nigella’s recipe slightly by using dark brown sugar instead of light and left out the extra egg yolk and vanilla essence. They’re super easy to make and a good one to do with kids; my 11 year old pretty much made these by herself, which she loved. I’m just her sous chef! In fact probably more kitchen porter / dishwasher to be honest.

Ingredients

Makes 16 large cookies

150g unsalted butter, soft
100g soft dark brown sugar
125g golden caster sugar
1 egg (fridge-cold)
300 g plain flour
½ teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
320g dark chocolate chips

Method

Preheat the oven to 170°C/150°C Fan/325°F.
Line a baking sheet with parchment.
Melt the butter in the microwave for 1-2 minutes, depending on how cold it is and then let it cool a bit.
Put the both the sugars into a bowl and pour in the melted butter, beat together.
Next beat in the egg until the mixture is light and creamy.
Mix the bicarbonate of soda into the flour and slowly add to the bowl, beating as little as possible - I add one large serving spoon of flour at a time. Then fold in the chocolate chips.
Use a tablespoon and scales to divide up the dough into 60g portions, rolling each one into a rough ball and then placing on the lined tray 8cm apart. We made two batches and kept the dough in the fridge while the first one cooked.
Bake for 15–17 minutes, allow to cool for 5 minutes and then transfer to a wire rack.