Chocolate chip cookies are one of my favourite thinks to bake. They are so easy to make, and result in very minimal amounts of washing up to do afterwards – which is fantastic if you don’t even have a dishwasher. They are better than other types of biscuits, because you don’t need to mess around with rolling pins and cookie cutters. Just roll the dough into little balls, and bake away.
There are tonnes of chocolate chip recipes out there, so what’s so great about this one? I’ve spent some time thinking about what I really want from a cookie. I want loads of sweet chocolate chips. I want the middle of the cookie to be chewy, but it not to fall apart in my hands. I want it to have that molasses taste that comes from using oodles of dark brown sugar. And I want to not have to wait 30 minutes for the cookie dough to chill in the fridge.
These cookies have it all. The chewiness comes from the brown and white sugar combination. Please make sure you use dark brown sugar as well as white, otherwise the chew-factor will be massively reduced. And who wants that?
The tough thing when baking cookies is to not leave them in the oven for too long. If your oven is at the right temperature, these chocolate chip cookies will be ready after 10 minutes. I absolutely guarantee it. Don’t be tempted to leave them in for any longer, or they will become too dry.
They won’t look ready after 10 minutes. They will feel undercooked and incredibly soft. The edges will feel a little hard, but you will be 100% sure that there is no way they are done. But they are. If you remove the baking tray from the oven, and leave the cookies to cool for ten minutes on the tray, they will harden up. It’s baking magic.
- 225g (1 cup) unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 100g (½ cup) white caster sugar (US granulated sugar)
- 100g (½ cup) dark brown sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 300g (2½ cups) plain or all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda (baking soda)
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 300g (1 cup) dark chocolate chips (bittersweet)
- Preheat the oven to 180°C / 375°F (160°C fan), and line a baking sheet with baking parchment.
- Using a stand or hand mixer, beat the butter until smooth. Add both types of sugar, and beat until the sugars have been fully combined, and the mixture is smooth. Add the egg and vanilla extract to the bowl and mix well.
- Add the flour, bicarbonate of soda, and salt, and mix until just combined on a low setting. Avoid over-mixing. Add the chocolate chips and mix on the lowest setting until they are evenly distributed.
- Scoop heaped teaspoons of the dough into your hand, and shape into balls. Place these on the pre-lined baking sheet, and flatten a bit with your hand or the bottom of a floured glass. Bake for 8-10 minutes, until the edges feel slightly firm and have turned a very light brown colour. The cookies will not look like they are baked, and will feel VERY soft in the centre. However, remove from the oven and leave to cool on the baking sheet for 10 minutes. Then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
- These cookies will keep for up to a week if stored in an airtight container in a cool place. The baked cookies can be frozen for up to 3 months, and the unbaked dough balls can be frozen for up to six weeks. Cook straight from frozen, but may need a few minutes longer in the oven.
I think that you are baking magic. Those cookies were delicious!
I’m just regular.
But thanks 🙂