Coffee Chocolate Chip Cookies with Cardamom
Chocolate has been an abiding passion ever since I can remember. Sometimes I’m lucky enough to try bars produced by some truly excellent brands. Pacari premium organic chocolate is one such. The chocolate is so good, it’s really best enjoyed on its own, but I have to say it also works wonderfully well in this recipe for chewy and delicious coffee chocolate chip cookies with cardamom. I just couldn’t help myself.
Pacari Chocolate
Pacari Chocolate is one of the most ethical chocolate brands I’ve come across. Their chocolate bars are not only organic, but also fair trade, tree to bar and made in Ecuador, the country where the cacao beans are actually grown.
Good quality is key; they are all dark chocolate with at least 60% cacao, contain no refined sugars or other nasties and are suitable for vegans, chocolate connoisseurs and the health conscious. They have won several International Chocolate Awards since they began business in 2012.
Reasons to Love Pacari Chocolate Bars
Pacari reckon there are seven good reasons why you will love their chocolate. Here are a few of them:
- All chocolate is made with 100% certified organic and natural ingredients. They’re also certified kosher.
- The company use the best Ecuadorian cacao beans; Arriba Nacional are known for their richness, full taste and fruity floral notes.
- Environmental concerns are key. Pacari are working to protect priceless Ecuadorian genetic stock and work exclusively with traditional cacao growers, not plantations. They’ve also partnered up with WWF Ecuador to protect the jaguar, dolphin and tapir.
- The company is owned by an Ecuadorian family who believe business has a duty to support local people, their livelihoods and the environment. They support 3,500 families by working directly with small scale farmers rather than middle men. They also pay a significant premium over market prices.
- Unlike most chocolate bars consumed in the UK (less than 1%), Pacari chocolate is both produced and packaged in its country of origin. This helps to create a range of work opportunities in a developing nation and builds wealth where it’s needed most.
Follow Pacari
If you want to follow Pacari chocolate on social media, here’s how:
- Twitter – @PacariUK
- Facebook – Pacarichocolates.uk
- Instagram – PacariUK
The Chocolate Bars
I have tried Pacari chocolate before, I find it to be smooth, flavoursome and with a nice balance of sweet and bitter. It melts beautifully on the tongue, when I can bring myself to exercise some restraint. I was sent three 50g bars and several super cute 10g mini bars to try. Do head over to the Pacari website to find out what other flavours are on offer. There are lots of them.
Goldenberry
Smooth dark chocolate with chewy flakes of tart and flavoursome golden berries, otherwise known as cape gooseberries. CT reckoned it had a hint of rum and raisin about it.
Cardamom
I adore cardamom as a flavour, but it I can be difficult to get the balance right. Too little and you can’t really identify it, too much and it can taste a bit soapy. This was the bar I was most looking forward to trying. But it was the one I found most disappointing.
The cardamom was rather overwhelming. Sometimes less is definitely more. However, it works beautifully chunked up into these coffee cardamom chocolate chip cookies.
Coffee
This was real wake up; the bar contains actual coffee beans. It has a powerful coffee flavour and chewing on the crunchy beans is a real pleasure. One for coffee lovers. It was almost a shame to use some in my coffee chocolate chip cookies, but I’m glad I did.
Lemon Verbena
We used to grow lemon verbena and hope to do so again one day. It smells wonderful and makes the most fabulous tea. I was really keen to try this bar, but although I liked it, it was a bit too subtle for me.
Andean Rose
Rose is a firm favourite with me and it pairs beautifully with chocolate. Andean rose is probably my favourite bar. It has beautiful floral notes which combine well with the rich dark chocolate. As with the coffee and cardamom combination, as used in my recipe for coffee chocolate chip cookies, it makes me think of the Middle East.
I was slightly concerned that it would have bits of dried rose petal in the chocolate. I’ve had this experience before and find it quite off-putting. Luckily this bar is smooth and sumptuous. Step aside Turkish Delight.
Cuzco Salt & Nibs
Salted chocolate is another favourite, though I’m not so keen on cacao nibs. I find they don’t really taste of very much, though they are said to have several health benefits. As it happened, I was pleasantly surprised. The nibs in this chocolate bar are crushed quite finely. This makes quite a difference and their crunch creates a nice contrast to the smooth chocolate. The salty notes are just right too.
Andean Mint
You can smell the heady scent of mint as soon as you open the packet of this Andean mint bar. Mint is a classic flavour pairing with chocolate and I was pretty sure I was going to like it. I did. I’m particularly impressed with the depth and complexity of flavour; it tastes of fresh mint rather than just mint essence.
Coffee Chocolate Chip Cookies with Cardamom
These coffee chocolate chip cookies are ever so easy to make. The process is also quite a hedonistic one as it involves chopping luscious chocolate and breathing in that heavenly scent.
Middle Eastern Flavours
Those of you who read my blog regularly will know that I have developed a relatively recent penchant for the combined flavours of chocolate, coffee and cardamom. It’s a sophisticated flavour profile with spicy citrusy accents and rich bitter notes. I reckoned the combination would work well in these coffee chocolate chip cookies – and they did.
The combination of coffee and cardamom is redolent of warm evening soirees in my ancestral home of Alexandria. Middle Eastern cuisine is one of my favourites. If you’re a fellow fan, here’s the link to my Flavours of the Middle East recipes.
For those of you who are not so familiar with Tin and Thyme, you might like to take a look at my decadent coffee cardamom chocolate mousse cake and these wholemeal spelt pancakes with coffee cardamom chocolate sauce.
Creaming
Baking in a heatwave probably isn’t the most sensible thing to do, but it has the advantage of butter softening almost instantly. This made creaming the butter and sugar together an absolute breeze.
Grinding
I didn’t have any coffee powder for these biscuits, but I did have coffee granules. It was a quick and easy task to grind them with a pestle & mortar. I killed two birds with one stone and ground the cardamom seeds this way as well.
Flour
Instead of my usual wholemeal spelt flour, I decided to mix it up with some rye flour along with some oats for extra texture. Rye works surprisingly well in cakes and biscuits when mixed with other flours and gives a bit of added body.
Chopping Chocolate
The beauty of using chocolate bars in these coffee chocolate chip cookies, rather than dedicated chocolate chips, is that you get all sorts of sizes when you chop it yourself. A mix of chunks, chips and tiny fragments all go to make the biscuits more interesting.
Coffee Chocolate Chip Cookies: Baking
These coffee chocolate chip cookies would have been beautifully round biscuits if it wasn’t for two things. Firstly, we’re in the middle of a heat wave and the kitchen was way too hot.
I should have cooled the cookie dough in the fridge before rolling it into balls and placing on the rack. This would have meant the cookies wouldn’t have spread so much. My fridge, however, was chock a block and I couldn’t find room.
Secondly, I should have spaced the cookies well apart from each other. In my desperation to turn the oven off as soon as possible, I had to fit the cookies onto my only two trays that will fit into this new-to-me old oven.
The result were two trays of cookies that had virtually merged into each other. Not particularly pretty perhaps, but luckily, the taste and texture are perfect. These coffee chocolate chip cookies with cardamom are delicious and just what I was hoping for.
Other Coffee Recipes You Might Like
- Biscuits sandwiched with whipped coffee ganache
- Chocolate mousse cake flavoured with coffee & cardamom
- Coffee brownies with almond nut butter
- Coffee and walnut cake
- Tiramisu cake
- Wholemeal spelt pancakes with coffee cardamom chocolate sauce
Keep in Touch
Thanks for visiting Tin and Thyme. If you make these coffee chocolate chop cookies, I’d love to hear about it in the comments below. And do please rate the recipe. Have you any top tips? Do share photos on social media too and use the hashtag #tinandthyme, so I can spot them.
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If you’d like more biscuit recipes, follow the link and you’ll find I have quite a lot of them. All delicious and nutritious, of course.
Choclette x
Coffee Chocolate Chip Cookies. PIN IT.
Coffee Chocolate Chip Cookies – The Recipe
Coffee Chocolate Chip Cookies
Ingredients
- 120 g unsalted butter softened
- 175 g light muscovado sugar
- 1 tbsp instant coffee powder or ground granules
- 4 cardamom pods seeds extracted and ground
- 1 large egg I used a duck egg
- 80 g light rye flour
- 60 g wholemeal flour (whole wheat)
- ½ tsp baking powder
- ¼ tsp bicarbonate of soda (baking soda)
- 85 g rolled oats (porridge oats)
- 40 g dark chocolate chopped (I used Pacari cardamom chocolate 60%)
- 30 g dark chocolate chopped (I used Pacari coffee chocolate 60%)
Instructions
- Cream the butter, sugar, coffee and ground cardamom seeds together until light and fluffy.120 g unsalted butter, 175 g light muscovado sugar, 1 tbsp instant coffee powder, 4 cardamom pods
- Beat in the egg.1 large egg
- Sift in the flours, soda and baking powder, then add the oats. Stir until just combined.80 g light rye flour, 60 g wholemeal flour (whole wheat), ½ tsp baking powder, ¼ tsp bicarbonate of soda (baking soda), 85 g rolled oats (porridge oats)
- Finally add the chocolate chips and stir until just combined.40 g dark chocolate, 30 g dark chocolate
- Take heaped teaspoonfuls of the mixture and place well apart on lined baking sheets.
- Bake in a preheated oven at 180C (Gas 4, 358F) for about 13 minutes until golden. Bake for an extra couple of minutes if you want a crispier biscuit.
- Leave on the trays to cool for a couple of minutes, then remove to a wire rack to cool completely.
Notes
Nutrition Estimate
Sharing Coffee Chocolate Chip Cookies Recipe
I’m sharing this recipe for coffee chocolate chip cookies with my link-up #WeShouldCocoa. They also go to #BakingCrumbs at Only Crumbs Remain, #BakeOfTheWeek, hosted by Casa Costello and #CookBlogShare, hosted this week by Easy Peasy Foodie.
Pacari Chocolate Giveaway
To celebrate Word Chocolate Day on 9 July, Pacari is offering one Tin and Thyme reader some of their premium organic chocolate. That is three 50g bars (coffee, cardamom and golden berry) and ten 10g bars (mix of flavours).
To be in with a chance of winning, please fill in the Gleam widget below. You will need to leave a comment on this post, answering the question, which then gives you additional chances to enter if you so wish. Gleam will pick a winner at random from the entries received. If you are commenting anonymously, please give me some way of identifying you as I will be verifying the validity of entries. Any automated entries will be disqualified.
This giveaway is only open to those with a UK postal address. Winners will need to respond within 5 days of being contacted. Failure to do this may result in another winner being picked.
Prizes are offered and provided by Pacari Chocolate and Tin and Thyme accepts no responsibility for the acts or defaults of said third party. Tin and Thyme reserves the right to cancel or amend the giveaway and these terms and conditions without notice.
Closing date is Saturday 4 August 2018
Do take a look at the Tin and Thyme giveaways page to see if there’s anything else you’d like to enter.
Pacari sent me some Chocolate bars to try. I was not expected to write a positive review and all opinions are, as always, my own. Thank you for your support of the brands and organisations that help to keep Tin and Thyme blithe and blogging.
I absolutely love the chocolate and coffee combination! I think coffee granules can definitely be used for baking in all sorts of fun and interesting ways – and I really like what you did with this recipe. Sounds like it had the perfect balance between sweet and bitterness. Coffee and sweet treats all the way!
Thanks Sophie, I’ve become a bit fan of coffee, chocolate and cardamom as a flavour trio.
Large pieces, addictive taste, smooth texture, quality ingredients and a commitment to their loyal customers.
Good sized chunks like Dairy Milk used to be , I hate the tiny chunks of new
i love quality and taste and if its a good price thats even better
I love dark chocolate
I like smooth milky chocolate. Quality ingredients and great taste.
Quality and heritage to me are the most important things a chocolate brand can focus on
I look for the fairtrade symbol but also things like high quality ingredients and flavour (obviously)
The taste is the main thing but the packaging helps too.
I now look for fair trade and dark only as its better for one.
I think its important to use top quality ingredients and that it is fairtrade and ethically oroduced
Obviously quality and delicious flavour, but organic & fair trade ethics are also very important.
Taste, sustainability, ethics and flavour combinations are the main things for me
I look for taste primarily, then cost and flavours. Personally I like anything with caramel or nuts.
i would have to say first and formost the taste is important, then the range of flavours available
I am a huge chocoholic…. Would love to win this fantastic prize count me in
Clearly taste is important, but I also look for far trade and ethics when I purchase chocolate.
Well a few years ago I decided to change my eating habits and spend a lot of time looking at the ingredients in the products I was purchasing. With chocolate I did a u-turn and swapped milk for dark chocolate due to the high cocoa %. So, now I look for chocolate that has a great taste and is flavoursome without having to eat the whole bar in one go 😀
I think a good reputable company that provide good working ethics and fair trade products
I am trying to think more about what I eat and the importance of a company ethics and treating their workers and the environment well. I have recently become vegetarian since jan 1st and slowly making changes to my lifestyle as well. Would love to try these interesting flavours
Good luck Lucy. It’s always a bit of a challenge when changing the way we eat and live.
Fairly traded, high percentge of cacao – and great flavour!
Ethically sourced and all natural ingredients, zero palm oil and it has to be smooth.
Ethically sourced and no animal products in the ingredients
A good reputation for workers, consumers, suppliers alike – chocolate is a nice to have (Very nice) but peoples lives and our planet are more important.
I think it’s great when companies source the ingredients ethically, the ingredients are of great quality with amazing flavours – I have never tried Pacari chocolate before, but the selection of flavours sound fantastic
I love the idea of a really ethical chocolate brand. It’s not something I’ve really thought about before but having read this article I will do in the future.
good quality ingredients is really important to me!! aswel as being healthy/tasty
I love chocolate from a company that is well established and who does not keep trying to ‘improve’ there quality. I believe if they were that good to start, they should not have to.
taste of product and having plenty of different flavours to choose from
Apart from being yummy tasting, I think less sugar is a good way forward for chocolate brands at the moment x
Oh how I wish they would start reducing sugar – in everything, not just chocolate. I find most ‘commercial’ sweet stuff just too sweet these days.
Most important for me is taste, quality of ingredients used, affordability and sustainability.
The most important is Quality and Cocoa percent.I love dark chocolate.xxx
the consistent quality and products with high % of cocoa
High quality and ingredients I love coffee in chocolate
A good chocolate brand should have a range of interesting flavours and have a creamy, rich taste.
I think that a chocolate brand should produce fine quality chocolate and treat its workers fairly – both home and abroad.
Taste, different flavours and price – wish I could afford some of the pricier chocolates – very tempted by unusual flavours x
Such an interesting blog. Fairly new to choosing quality fair trade and ethical ingredients so read this closely and enjoyed the content. Will be sourcing this chocolate recipe and first thing I will be trying is the cardamon cookies. Sure going to buy a mortar and pestle when I am out shopping again to make use of my lemon verbena
Thank you. Buying ethically is so very important. Lemmon verbena is such a beautifully fragrant herb. We’ve not had much luck with it in the past, but we’ve recently moved and now have a conservatory, so we’ll try again.
I think that it is important to have good quality chocolate from an equitable/fair source.
Firstly it would have to be the quality and taste of the product, then if it was ethically sourced of course
Taste and texture. I like to let chocolate slowly melt in my mouth, and while I love flavoured chocolate I hate it if I end up with added “gritty” bits in my mouth once the chocolate has melted away.
A commitment to quality by sourcing and using the best quality ingredients available.
It’s definitely got to be the Quality and taste, plus i love high cocoa contents
Ethics are important, but I also look for unusual flavours, something a little bit different
First of all I look for an ethical company. Then quality and of course taste. These sound perfect.
I look for great taste and high quality ingredients
I like chocolate to be Fairtrade, to have as few ingredients as possible, to be a high cocoa content and have clear wording on the wrapper which indicates any allergens used in the factory.
Taste is obviously the most important thing, high cocoa content and fair trade.
would love to try these, not the sort of thing i usually eat but look really good
certified as Fairtrade. and is of a high quality of chocolate, and tastes yummy
I look for a high cocoa content and a fair trade logo.
I like a quality chocolate with many varieties of flavours.
How good the quality of the chocolate is!
The quality and the taste, and that it is ethically sourced
I look for a company that has a good fair trade policy in place.
I’d love to try baking with these, all the pictures look delicious.
The creamy texture, delightful taste and leaving you wanting more
That is is vegetarian, not too much sugar, organic, pays fairly to staff.
The most important part of buying chocolate products is to check the cocoa content and try to choose those with the highest number reading – always the best and most tasty!
It should be ethically and sustainably produced with natural flavours, not overly processed and of course absolutely delicious.
Fairtrade, quality products are all important. Must taste great as well.
Myself personally i think one thing that is good in a chocolate bar that it tastes good with different flavours like dark chocolate,milk chocolate ect and i think it is also good to have it being fairtrade too
As a treat I look for a chocolate bar that as lots of different flavours.
Primarily – that it tastes good! I also think it’s important that they source ethically, use a good percentage of cocoa and not use a load of additives
Fairtrade is always good I also like a good flavour with a high cocoa percentage
Taste – obviously! – but I also like to support ethical and fairtrade brands, especially if they do nice sets and stuff to give as gifts.
it has to be high end chocolate with lots of sweet flavour and i love a bit of fruiit or nut in mine!¬
High quality ingredients which bring out the flavor of the cocoa beans
For me it has to be creamy and good quality more than anything
I like a chocolate brand to be fairtrade and ethical.
I look for fairtrade symbol and high quality of ingredients.
The highest quality of ingredients and superior taste are most important to me !
Brilliant giveaway! Everyone loves cookies and chocolate 😀 Fingers crossed!
What gorgeous biscuits Chocolatte. I must admit that I’ve not tried cardamom and coffee together in a bake but I can imagine that it’s pretty darn good (and clearly must be given that you’re revisiting it). Thankyou so much for sharing withb #BakingCrumbs,
Angela x
Thanks Angela. The flavours are quite distinctive, so the key is not to make them too prominent, but they work marvellously well together.
it hasto be the taste with the use of high quality products
I think its important that brands offer variety, and also lots of information regarding dietary ingrediants
I think that it is important that the farmers who produce the chocolate get a fair deal and that the chocolate does not contain palm oil that causes deforestation. It has to taste good too!
Good point on palm oil. No decent chocolate should contain any sort of oil other than cocoa butter, but definitely not palm oil.
Oh I love the sound of the Lemon Verbena in the bars. Subtle flavours in chocolate are just my bag. These cookies sound wonderful – I love pairing chocolate and coffee flavours too. Thanks so much once again for joining in with #BakeoftheWeek
Always a pleasure Helen. The lemon verbena bar is delicious, although my favourite has to be the rather less subtle rose.
Got to be taste first, and fair trade if possible. If high cocoa percentage then I can also convince myself its good for me.
Haha, good point Sam. I try to convince myself of that one too.
High Cocoa content and ethics in the business.
I really like the sound of all the different flavours and using them to make your cookies seems like a great idea!
Thanks Caroline. I really like those flavours together and the cookies were particularly scrumptious.
I look for a chocolate company to have ethically sourced cocoa beans and it has to taste good too x
Incredible taste, a variety of products, and not too melty!
I think today it is important for a chocolate company to have ethically sourced cocoa beans and fair payment for the farmers
I like different flavoured chocolate, the taste is absolutely everything to me xxx
i think the most important part of chocolate is the taste, everyone knows what their favourite chocolate bar is so you remember it most
what an amazing selection of flavours offered by this brand of chocolate.
Your cookies look so tempting and I love the star you have used to present them in:)
Thank you for linking up with #Bakeoftheweek x
I just love chocolate.
I like a chocolate brand to have a wide variety of flavours/types… My favourite type of chocolate is milk like truffles
I look for taste and quality ingredients. Made by people that care is always good, but very har$ to check! I came across this brand in South America a few years ago and am so very pleased to hear they have expanded so much since then. I can definitely vouch for their taste and credibility. I hope I get to taste this delicious choc again. They are worth every penny!
Good to hear you know the brand from whence it came.
I think it’s important that a chocolate brand uses all natural ingredients in its products
Good flavour, good texture, good branding and a good price!
Heritage, when its got a long good history you know its a tried and tested paroduct that most people love.
I think it’s important for chocolate to have a good texture to it
This is the way forward. Fairtrade chocolate is something to be savioured, wonderful
def fairtrade but a well known reliable brand like this is good
Taste has to be the most important aspect but cost and fair trade are close seconds.
The quality of the chocolate has to be superb and the taste and flavour really good.
A high quality sustainable product with excellent taste and aroma
I think quality. I like dark chocolate so a nice quality and percentage,
I look for a creamy but a definite chocolate taste that melts luxuriously in my mouth.
I think that the taste and the price being fair compared to the work gone into it and those working for them. Ideally it should have good cocoa content too and be good enough that it hits the spot and is not just a “shove it down” thing.
Ethically sourced and made with the right intensity of flavour
I love a brand that has a lot of choice of different types, like milk and dark chocolate
Flavour for sure, have tried some expensive bars in the past, and have had no taste whatsoever
I prefer dark chocolate, but the most important factor is that any added flavourings come through strongly. In too many bars the add-ins are barely discernible.
I like a creamy chocolate, full of flavour but not bitter.
high quality products as well as being certified as Fairtrade
Love chocolate cake, and golden syrup is important to give it a special something!
I’d love to try the goldenberry flavour but they all sound delicious!
A fair price is paid to the producer and that it is sustainable – must taste great as well
For me it has to be dairy free but apart from that anything goes
I just want what I consider to be the nicest tasting chocolate. I don’t like it “messed around with” though, like the addition of too many flavours or too strong a flavour…
Great taste but fair trade is also important. This looks good due to its uniqueness
I look for Fairtrade and the ingredients (eg the amount of cocoa).
Can never get enough of chocolate cookies 🙂 They look so inviting and that cookie stand looks pretty cute too.
Thanks Angie. The cookie stand is our toast rack, but I thought I’d give it a chance with cookies for a change 😀
It’s great to support small ethical growers and manufacturers. Love roasted cocoa nibs in anything.
I look for high quality products as well as being certified as Fairtrade.
Has to be the taste – you know excactly what you are getting – no hidden nasties
What I think is important in a chocolate brand is sustainability, a fair deal for everyone in the production chain, and good-quality ingredients.
Flavour and texture and how creamy i tis.
most important is flavour followed by texture and it`s ingredients
How sweet it is and that it’s got a high quantity of Cocoa.
High quality ingredients and high ethical standards when sourcing them
I really love anything with coffee in it and as an added bonus incorporating chocolate as well. I nearly always buy bean-to-bar chocolate and cacao nibs because the flavour is so good and one can choose the level of cacao that is preferred.
I shall be making these and also I have fallen in love with cardamom spice – a nice change from cinnamon.
I think you offered this recipe just for me!!!
But of course I did Mary 🙂 I fell in love with cardamom a few years ago and now wonder how I managed without it for so long – although I have always added it to curries.
I look for a creamy chocolate which has lots of different varieties that I can try.
I look for integrity/ fair trade certification, organic, non gmo in chocolate brands.
CADMIUM should be avoided.