After Eight Cookies

Unsalted butter - Use softened butter so it creams easily with the sugar. If you only have salted butter, you can use it instead and leave out the extra salt. However, they will still be saltier than usual.
Dark brown sugar - This adds sweetness, a lovely caramel-like flavour and helps keep the cookies soft and chewy. You can use light brown sugar if that's what you have, although the flavour and colour will be slightly different.
A large egg - The egg binds the ingredients together and helps give the cookies their soft texture. I recommend using a large egg at room temperature.
Vanilla essence - A little vanilla adds warmth and complements the chocolate flavour. Vanilla extract works just as well.
Self-raising flour - This gives the cookies their structure and helps them rise slightly. I haven't tested it - but if you only have plain flour, using 190g plain flour with a teaspoon of baking powder should be fine.
Cocoa powder - Use unsweetened cocoa powder to give the cookies their rich chocolate flavour. This is different from drinking chocolate, which usually contains added sugar and other ingredients.
Salt - A large pinch helps balance the sweetness and brings out the chocolate flavour. You can leave it out if you prefer.
After Eight chocolates - You'll need 11-12 After Eight mints, one for each cookie. These provide the lovely mint chocolate topping. You could experiment with another mint fondant chocolate, but the flavour and texture may vary.

Chilling the dough for 30 minutes helps firm up the butter, making the dough easier to handle and helping the cookies hold their shape as they bake. Otherwise your cookies will bake pretty flat. It also gives the flour time to absorb some of the moisture, which can improve the texture.

For cookies with the thickest middle as possible, it's better to chill the dough once you've scooped it onto the trays - but this will be dependant on whether you have the space to do so in your fridge. If you aren't able to do this, stick to chilling the dough in the bowl as per the recipe.

I know it's tempting to skip this step when you want cookies quickly, but I recommend chilling the dough for a thicker cookie.

The cookies should take around 8-9 minutes in a preheated oven at 180°C/160°C fan/350°F/gas mark 4. They're ready when the tops have just set, and no longer look wet.

They may still feel very soft when you remove them from the oven, but that's exactly what you want for a lovely gooey centre. They'll continue to firm up as they cool.

Adding the After Eight chocolates straight after baking allows them to melt gently on the hot cookies without spending too long in the oven. This gives you that lovely chocolate topping with the mint fondant layer melted into the cookie. It's also much easier than trying to bake the chocolates into the dough.

Yes! An electric whisk makes creaming the butter and sugar easier, but you can use a wooden spoon instead. Make sure your butter is properly softened so you can beat it together with the sugar until creamy.

You can then mix in the egg and vanilla before adding the dry ingredients. Just take care not to overwork the dough once you add the flour.

Yes, you can prepare the cookie dough ahead of time. After mixing the ingredients, cover the bowl and keep it in the fridge until you're ready to bake.

The dough may become quite firm after chilling for longer than 30 minutes, so leave it at room temperature briefly until it's softer to scoop. I recommend baking the cookies when you want to serve them for the best warm, gooey texture.

If you're eating them warm, this is completely normal! These cookies are meant to be soft and doughy in the middle, and so when warm and with melted chocolate on top, they won't hold their shape. They'll be firm when cooled, but honestly, we think they're at their best when they're warm, gooey and falling apart. So embrace the mess, grab a napkin and enjoy!

Yes, these cookies are freezable, making them great for preparing ahead of Christmas or keeping a batch ready for whenever a chocolate craving strikes.

Allow the baked cookies to cool completely, then freeze them in a suitable airtight container, separating the layers with baking paper if needed. Defrost them before reheating, then microwave briefly (use 15-20 seconds for one cookie as a basis) until the chocolate is melty again.

You can also freeze portions of the unbaked cookie dough. Shape the dough into balls and freeze them in a suitable container. Defrost in the fridge before baking, then follow the recipe as usual.

Once the cookies have cooled completely, transfer them to an airtight tin or container. Keep them at room temperature in a cool, dry place for up to a week.

If you stack the cookies, place baking paper between the layers to help prevent the chocolate topping from sticking to the cookies above.
For the best texture, I recommend warming them briefly in the microwave before serving, until the chocolate has melted, especially if you love that freshly baked, gooey centre.

Read more information on food storage and safety >

That may happen to the chocolate on top of the cookies after the first day or two. It's just where you've melted the chocolate then it's re-hardened and set. They are still good to eat, and will disappear once you reheat them in the microwave.

These cookies are at their best when soft, warm and melty, so reheating leftovers in the microwave is well worth doing.

How long to microwave them for will depend on your microwave and how many cookies you are reheating at once. I reheat single cookies for 15-20 seconds, so you can use that as a starting point. Once the After Eight mint looks melted, it should be fine, but you can check the cookie texture (you want it to be soft) and heat for a few more seconds if needed.

Microwaves vary, so start with a shorter time if yours is particularly powerful. The chocolate can get very hot, so allow the cookie to stand briefly before eating.

You don't HAVE to but I definitely recommend you do! The joy of these cookies is the soft and gooey dough, and the melty After Eight chocolate topping. Enjoy them straight from the oven - after allowing them to firm up for around 15-20 minutes or give a cooled set cookie a quick blast in the microwave.

It should be fine to very it a little, but this is untested and you will need to adjust the baking time.

I make 11-12 cookies using walnut-sized balls of dough, I actually use a small ice cream scoop for consistency. If you make smaller cookies, check them a little earlier. Larger cookies may need extra minutes in the oven.

Try to keep the cookies a similar size so they bake evenly.

These cookies are vegetarian-friendly when made with suitable ingredients, but they aren't suitable for every diet or allergy.
Vegetarian - Generally suitable, but check the ingredient labels on your After Eight chocolates and other ingredients to confirm.
Nut-free - The recipe doesn't call for nuts, but check the packaging of all ingredients for allergen information and possible cross-contamination warnings, particularly if baking for someone with a nut allergy.

These After Eight Cookies are NOT suitable for vegans, those on a dairy, egg or gluten-free diets.

Always check the packaging for the latest allergen information, particularly if you're baking for someone with an allergy or intolerance.