Amanda Laird: Chocolate chip spice biscuits

Chocolate chip spice biscuits. Photo / Babiche Martens

Makes 15-20 sandwiched biscuits

120gm butter, softened
50g caster sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 Tbs condensed milk
180g plain flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp ground allspice
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
150g bitter chocolate, plus 200g extra
200 ml cream
Cocoa for dusting

1 Preheat oven to 190C. Cream the butter, sugar, vanilla and condensed milk until pale.

2 Sift together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, ginger and cayenne. Add to the creamed mixture. Roughly chop the first measure of chocolate and stir through. Roll into balls, place on greased trays, press and bake for approximately 15 minutes or until golden. Transfer to a cooling rack.

3 Melt the second measure of chocolate with the cream in a small bowl over a saucepan of simmering water. Stir until smooth. Remove the bowl and let the chocolate cool. Spread on to half of the biscuits then place another on top and dust lightly with cocoa.