There are two things we know about life for sure. (1) It is often difficult and challenging, with nobody really knowing what will happen next. (2) Any stress from (1) can generally be prevented with delicious cookies.
Is there anything more satisfying than a warm, chewy cookie straight out of the oven? This quick and easy recipe gets soft, homemade cookies into eagerly waiting hands in no time at all.
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Ingredients
150g unsalted butter, softened
150g soft brown sugar, golden caster sugar — or if you’ve got them, 75g of each
1 free range egg
1 tsp vanilla extract
180-200g plain flour*
½ tsp baking powder
¼ tsp salt
200g chocolate chips or broken chocolate
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Before you get started, a couple of tips:
- Using less flour creates a more pliable dough and softer cookies. Don’t use any more than 200g though.
- Support local by buying NZ-made chocolate. Donovans Milk Chocolate Drops or 200g chipped off your favourite Whittakers block.
Warm the butter to room temperature. Add sugar and beat using an electric mixer or a hand whisk until very light and fluffy, then beat in the egg and vanilla.
Fold in the flour, baking powder and salt quickly and gently. Avoid overworking the dough: less mixing means softer cookies.
To improve the flavour, leave the dough overnight in the fridge. If you’re in a hurry, roll the dough into small golf ball-sized spheres and chill them in the fridge while the oven heats up.
Heat the oven to 180? on fan bake and line two flat trays with baking paper. Space the chilled balls out evenly, allowing room for them to spread. Push each one down slightly with three fingers.
Bake in the oven for 10 – 12 minutes. The result you’re aiming for is a nicely browned cookie with slightly crisp edges but still soft in the middle. Leave to cool on the tray until they’re a comfortable scoffing temperature.
These cookies store well in an airtight container for three days.
