Chocolate cookies
Quick and easy with a short baking time to keep the cookies chewy.
Ingredients:
6oz/170g butter, softened
7oz/200g caster or soft brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract or paste
2eggs, one whole and the yolk only of the other, beaten
9oz/250g plain flour
½ teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
½ teaspoon salt
7oz/200g chocolate nibs
Method:
Cream butter and sugar and then add eggs and vanilla.
Pour flour in to bowl and sprinkle over bicarbonate of soda and salt.
Add chocolate and mix all thoroughly to form firm dough.
Form dough in to small balls (walnut size) and place well-spaced on a parchment lined tray.
Bake at Gas 4 (350f/180c) for 8 minutes.
My Tips:
A useful basic cookie dough that will take all sorts of different dried fruits, chocolate, nuts and other flavourings.
For example, replace 70g of the flour with cocoa powder , use three – four handfuls of chocolate chips and add a couple of handfuls of chopped hazelnuts or the zest of an orange or two. I used 70% cocoa solids dark chocolate.
Assume that each ball of the dough will spread to around double its size on the tray so leave enough space.
Take the cookies out of the oven as soon as the edges are starting to firm (even though the centres still feel very soft)–they will continue to firm up on the baking tray as they cool.
Perfect for your comic relief (or any other) bake sale!