Popular UK cafe chain Pret A Manger is getting into the spirit of staying at home by publishing recipes for some of its most popular dishes for people to recreate in their own kitchens.
When the company posted the instructions for its best-selling chocolate chip cookies on Instagram last week, it went viral.
Pret has also revealed the recipe for making banana bread, and even offered tips for making the perfect porridge. However, this week, Pret has raised the bar again by offering budding home bakers the chance to replicate its dark chocolate vegan cookies.
Vegans can sometimes be shortchanged when it comes to desserts, so when a kitchen offers a great recipe, it is quickly snapped up. Replacing animal fats with a dairy-free alternative can sometimes leave the cake tasting, well, disappointing, but when the chef gets the balance right, the results are delicious.
This cookie is one of Pret's successes. Made with intense dark chocolate, it is so rich and indulgent, no one will even realise its vegan.
Here is how to make them at home:
Ingredients:
43g caster sugar
112g soft light brown sugar
4g salt
40g almond pieces (for best results, use flaked almonds lightly smashed up, but whole almonds chopped into small pieces will also work)
112g dark chocolate pieces
205g flour
20g cocoa powder
½ tsp bicarbonate of soda
65g coconut oil
72g almond butter
100g golden syrup
40g water
Method:
Preheat the oven to 180℃.
Pour the caster sugar, soft light brown sugar, flour, bicarbonate of soda, cocoa, almond pieces, salt and chocolate pieces into a large bowl. For best results sieve the cocoa, flour and bicarbonate of soda.
Mix the almond butter, oil and golden syrup together and add to the bowl, along with the water. Mix together with a wooden spoon and then bring the dough together using your hands.
Line a baking tray with greaseproof paper. Split your dough into eight golf ball-sized portions and flatten slightly with the palm of your hand. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes (this will vary depending on thickness – if the edges of the cookie feels firm but centre is still soft, it should be ready to take out).
Leave to cool for 15 minutes. Enjoy.
RESULTS
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The Perfect Couple
Starring: Nicole Kidman, Liev Schreiber, Jack Reynor
Creator: Jenna Lamia
Rating: 3/5
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The specs: 2018 Chevrolet Trailblazer
Price, base / as tested Dh99,000 / Dh132,000
Engine 3.6L V6
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Our legal columnist
Name: Yousef Al Bahar
Advocate at Al Bahar & Associate Advocates and Legal Consultants, established in 1994
Education: Mr Al Bahar was born in 1979 and graduated in 2008 from the Judicial Institute. He took after his father, who was one of the first Emirati lawyers
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
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The drill
Recharge as needed, says Mat Dryden: “We try to make it a rule that every two to three months, even if it’s for four days, we get away, get some time together, recharge, refresh.” The couple take an hour a day to check into their businesses and that’s it.
Stick to the schedule, says Mike Addo: “We have an entire wall known as ‘The Lab,’ covered with colour-coded Post-it notes dedicated to our joint weekly planner, content board, marketing strategy, trends, ideas and upcoming meetings.”
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: Faf du Plessis (captain), Hashim Amla, Temba Bavuma, Quinton de Kock (wkt), Theunis de Bruyn, AB de Villiers, Dean Elgar, Heinrich Klaasen (wkt), Keshav Maharaj, Aiden Markram, Morne Morkel, Chris Morris, Wiaan Mulder, Lungi Ngidi, Duanne Olivier, Vernon Philander and Kagiso Rabada.
