Wheat Hide n Seek Style Biscuits

The thirst and greed to make different kinds of cookies, never ends. The more varieties I try, I feel like making more and more newer versions, each time I plan to bake and distribute my cookies. And chocolate based cookies are always a hit with kids, right? So, here is a simple maida free chocolate biscuits with lots of choco chips and which looks like Parle Hide n Seek biscuits.

Ingredients:

• Wheat flour 125 gm
• Cocoa powder 25 gm
• Salt a pinch
• Brown sugar 75-80 gm
• Butter 75 gm
• Baking powder a pinch
• Baking soda a pinch
• Choco chips 1/4 cup or more
• Vanilla extract 1/2 tsp
• Milk 1 tbsp (optional)

Method:

• Sieve the flour, cocoa powder, salt, baking powder and baking soda 2-3 times.
• Beat the butter and brown sugar till the butter is soft and fluffy.
• Add the vanilla extract and mix.
• Slowly add the dry ingredients into the butter mixture and mix.
• Fold in half of the choco chips and assemble to form a dough. Do not knead hard.
• If the dough appears too dry, sprinkle a tablespoon of milk.
• Refrigerate the dough for at-least half an hour.
• Line a baking tray with parchment paper and keep it ready.
• Place a sheet of parchment paper on a clean kitchen counter and place a handful of dough on the sheet. If weather is too hot, refrigerate the remaining dough.
• Place another sheet of parchment paper over the dough and roll it into a disc of approximate 1/4 inch thickness.
• Cut it into square pieces using a sharp knife or a cookie cutter. Place them carefully on the parchment paper.
• Take a toothpick and press diagonal indentations on the square pieces and sprinkle some more choco chips on top.
• Repeat with the remaining dough. While you roll the second batch of dough, pop the tray with the shaped cookies into the refrigerator.
• When the entire dough is shaped and cooled sufficiently, preheat the oven at 150-160 degree Celsius for 10 minutes.
• Bake the cookies for 15-18 minutes of more till it looks done. It will be soft when you take it out of the oven, but will become crisp once cooled well.
• Let the cookies remain in the tray for 4-5 minutes.
• Transfer them onto a cooling rack and cool it well.
• Store in airtight containers and enjoy with a cup of cold milk.

Notes:

• You can replace the whole wheat flour with all purpose flour.
• Each oven behaves differently, so keep a watch on these biscuits after 12-13 minutes. you might require more time too.
• If it looks soggy after cooling down, keep the cookies tray again for few more minutes in a moderate hot oven.
• You can replace vanilla extract with chocolate essence or butter essence.
• Do not be tempted to add more milk, if dough is very dry, add little but more butter.
• To make the diagonal markings on the biscuits, make the toothpick lie on the cut cookies and press gently.