The chocolate chip cookie - it's an American invention. Well, it's one of their best inventions ever in my opinion.
I think everybody has their own cookie tastes. Some like them plain with just chocolate chips (me). Some like fruit added to them and others like oats etc in them. There are so many variations out there so there is something for everyone.
I tried a recipe from this book yesterday. It's the Womens Weekly Cupcakes and Baking book. It is just their basic cookie recipe. I looked around online and there were loads of different ones. But I'm a simple girl at heart so it was the simple recipe I went for.
If you like your cookies crisp and crunchy and perfectly round in shape then this is the recipe for you.
Here is the recipe from their book with a few slight variations from me:
Chocolate Chip Cookies
- 8oz butter or margerine, softened
- 1 tsp vanilla flavouring
- 6oz caster sugar
- 6oz dark brown sugar
- 1 egg
- 12oz plain flour
- 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
- 8oz milk chocolate chips (two bags)
- 1/2 block dark chocolate, chopped
- Beat the butter, vanilla, sugars and egg in a standing mixer or in a bowl with an electric whisk or even by hand with a whisk, until it's light and fluffy.
- Sift the flour and soda and add to the butter mixture, and fold into the butter mixture, so that the flour is coompletely mixed in.
- Add the chocolate chips and chopped chocolate.
- Cover the mixture and put it into the fridge to chill for 1 hour. This is really important.
- Preheat oven to Gas Mark 4. Grease two flat oven trays and put on baking parchment.
- Using a teaspoon or an ice cream scoop, roll out golf ball size balls onto the baking trays and flatten to form round circles. Do not put the circles too close together otherwise they will spread in the oven and you'll end up with a cookie sheet instead of perfect cookies.
- Bake them in the oven for about 15 minutes until golden brown.
- Cool on a wire rack and store them in an airtight container.
I say store them, but they won't last long. No one can resist a freshly baked cookie from the oven. They beat shop bought any day.
But remember, the most important thing is to chill the cookie dough before shaping because this allows them to get that perfect cookie shape.
Enjoy!
