Best Chocolate Chip Cookies

When your toddler has run you ragged for the last 3 hours (it was only 9am!) and Grandad has now taken her to the park and to feed the ducks...what do you do? Bake some chocolate chip cookies of course. This is my 'go to' recipe for such an occasions.

You know how good those bags of fresh large chocolate chip cookies can be from the supermarket? Well, these are better, and can be frozen so you can whip some out, pop them in the oven, and wham - chocolate cookies whenever there is desperate need.

 

125g dark chocolate 
150g plain flour 
30g cocoa powder (sieved) 
1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda 
½ teaspoon salt 
125g soft unsalted butter 
75g soft light brown sugar 
50g white sugar 
1 teaspoon vanilla extract 
1 large egg (cold from the fridge) 
200g chocolate chips/chopped chocolate (your choice of dark, milk white - ive used all three in these pictures)

1. Preheat the oven to 170°C/gas mark 3/325ºF. Melt the 125g / 4oz dark chocolate either in the microwave or in a heatproof dish over a pan of simmering water.

2. Put the flour, cocoa, bicarbonate of soda and salt into a bowl.

3. Cream the butter and sugars in another bowl (mixer is handy here). Add the melted chocolate and mix together.

4. Beat in the vanilla extract and cold egg, and then mix in the dry ingredients.

5. Finally stir in the chocolate chips/chunks.

6. Original recipe used an ice cream scoop to  make 12 large biscuits (the size of the supermarket ones) on two lined baking trays. In the pictures I have used dessert spoons and make approximately 22 biscuits. Do not flatten them.

7. Cook for 18 minutes if doing large biscuits, or 15 minutes if doing smaller ones, testing with a cake tester to make sure it comes out semi-clean and not wet with cake batter. If you pierce a chocolate chip, try again.

8. Leave to cool slightly on the baking sheet for 4-5 minutes, then transfer them to a cooling rack to harden as they cool

Notes:
1. These can be frozen  if you put the baking tray of cookie mix in the freezer. Leave to harden and then you can put the blobs of cookie dough in freezer bags for 'emergencies'. Cooking times may be a few minute slonger for frozen ones.

2. Original recipe had 350g of chocolate chips/chunks in the mixture but I find a bit less works just fine.
3. Recipe adapted from Nigella Lawson recipe

Picnic Slice

This recipe is my Nans and I loved going over there when I was little as she ALWAYS had a tin with some of these in. She would save me a corner piece as she knew I liked the edges wher ethey went a bit chewy. Plus, she seemed to cut them into bigger squares than when my mum would make them at home.

I have absolutely no idea where the name came from for these, but I guess they would be good for a picnic providing its not so hot that the chocolate base melts. There isnt loads of chocolate in these, but they are one of my favourites and still have a choclate element so I thought they warranted being on here. I also get asked a lot for this recipe when I make them, so here it is...

350g/12oz Chocolate (Dark choc contrasts well with the sweet coconut)
100g/3oz Butter
200g/6oz Caster sugar
2 Beaten eggs
200g/6oz Dessicated coconut
100g/3oz Sultanas
100g/3oz Glace cherries, quartered


1. Break chocolate into pieces and melt using your preferred method for doing this.

2. Line a standard sized (12"x 9" or 31cm x 23cm)  baking tray with greaseproof paper and pour in chocolate. Make sure the chocolate is relatively evenly spread and comes slightly up the sides as this will help when getting the whole thing out later. Leave to set in fridge while you make the filling.

3. Cream butter and sugar together then add beaten egg.

4. Add all dry ingredients (coconut, sultanas and cherries) and mix well.

5. Spread the mix over the set chocolate and bake for 20-25 minutes at 350F, 180C or Gas 4.

6. Once it no longer wobbles and the top is browned slightly, leave to cool completely before cutting into squares (as big or as small as you like - see notes below).

Notes - 
1 - These are dangerously addictive. I try to get the balance of square size right and contemplate the following: 
      a. cut big squares and you get a satisfying sized portion.
      b. cut smaller squares or rectangles and you can sneak one out of your cake tin without it being noticed.
      c. If they are cut small, you can possibly sneak a second and still no one would be none the wiser!!!
2 - These keep quite well for a week or so, but any longer and they can start to dry out a little.

Spotty Praline Squares

This has to be one of my favourite traybakes. It's a bit fiddly to make as it has a few different stages but the results are worth it: gooey, chocolately, caramel loveliness!!

140g butter

80g light muscovado sugar

200g pain flour

25g cocoa powder

40g chopped roasted hazelnuts

250g nutella

2 medium eggs

50g ground almonds

300g caramel sauce or dulce du lech (ready boiled condensed milk)

100g plain chocolate

white chocolate buttons to decorate

1. Heat oven to gas mark 4 or 180 C. Whisk the butter and sugar until pale and creamy. Sift in the flour and cocoa powder and fold in with the hazelnuts. Put in a buttered 22x31cm swiss roll tin and smooth with a spoon. Prick liberally with a fork and bake for 30 ins until firm to the touch.

2. Whisk together the nutella, eggs and almonds; spread onto the shortbread and smooth. Return to the oven until just set. Remove from the oven and leave to cool.

3. Once cooled, spread with caramel sauce and put in the freezer for 30mins to harden.

4. Melt together the cream and chocolate in a bowl set over a pan of barely simmering water. Spread onto the caramel layer and decorate with chocolate buttons. Leave until hardened before cutting into 24 squares

Notes: Recipe originally from Essentials Magazine. You may note in the magazine in the picture they manage to get 4 buttons per square. If you can calculate that type of spacing prior to cutting it up then you are a better person that me...or perhaps they cut larger squares...now there's an idea!!!!