Cookies Augustin

Sometimes we meet people for a reason, a season, or a lifetime. And sometimes we meet people simply because they really, really love our cookies. Augustin is one of those people I’ve been lucky enough to meet, and he happens to be very, very passionate about these cookies of mine.

So every time I go to Paris, I try to bring some for him and his family. And, you know, it’s just that tiny bit of happiness you get from sharing food — especially when you know that someone genuinely loves what you make. It makes you happy to share. So yes, Augustin, these are for you. I know you’re most probably never going to bake them yourself. I’ll continue baking them for you — and everyone else. But I simply couldn’t name them anything else.


250 g unsalted butter, melted
190 g golden caster sugar
60 g muscovado sugar
1 medium egg, room temperature
vanilla powder or seeds from 1 vanilla pod
280 g all-purpose flour
1.5 tsp bicarbonate of soda
1 tsp baking powder
a generous pinch of sea salt
150 g walnuts
150 g dark chocolate


Place the butter and sugars in a bowl and mix with a hand whisk until smooth.  Add the egg and vanilla, and mix again for a minute until smooth and creamy.

In a separate bowl, combine the flour, bicarbonate of soda, baking powder and salt. Add this mixture to the butter mixture and stir with a spatula or mixer (using low speed). Add the nuts and chocolate, mix in just to incorporate and make cookie balls. Cover with cling film and refrigerate for at least 12 hours, or up to 24 hours.

Preheat the oven 180° C hot. Line a baking tray with parchment paper.

Remove the cookie dough from the fridge. Using an ice cream scoop, form balls of dough and place them on the baking tray, spacing them far apart (I usually put 5 per tray).

Place the tray in the middle of the oven and bake for 10-12 minutes, until the edges are golden but the centre is still soft. Remove from the oven. Sprinkle some sea salt on chocolate parts. Allow the cookies to cool on the tray for 7 minutes, then transfer them to a cooling rack. Continue baking the rest of the cookies and let them cool to your liking.

I love to eat them warm, topped with peanut butter, but they are just perfect as they are.