Clove, cinnamon and chocolate cookies

Clove is a great spice to use, but it’s rather underrated. Pairing it with cinnamon – as in Christmas mince pies and mulled wine, or a festive biryani – gives a touch of magic to these lovely cookies. Chocolate and pistachio nuts add creaminess. I think you’ll find everything comes together beautifully.

Preheat the oven to 180°C (350ºF), gas 4. Line 2 baking trays with nonstick baking paper.

Cream the butter, sugars and spices together with an electric whisk or in a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment until light and creamy. Mix in the whole egg and yolk. Now add the flour, chocolate chips and all but a handful of the chopped pistachios and mix to bring the dough together.

Roughly shape a big tablespoonful of the mixture into a ball and put a few of the reserved chopped pistachios on top. Place this ball on a lined baking tray and repeat with the remaining dough, leaving enough space between them for the cookies to spread during cooking. Bake for 12-15 minutes or until the cookies start to colour but are still chewy in the middle. Transfer to a wire rack to cool. These cookies will keep in an airtight container for up to seven days.