Chocolate Chip Cookies

What better way to kickstart the blog than with the humble chocolate chip cookie. This recipe is from Donna Hay's Basics to Brilliance cookbook, and it is my 'go to' recipe for cookies. You will learn that Donna Hay is an absolute goddess in my eyes, and her recipes are a great place to start if you're just learning your way around the kitchen.

Anyway... these cookies are crispy on the outside and gooey in the middle. Perfection.

The recipe calls for chopped dark chocolate (like Lindt 70% chocolate block) which in my opinion, gives a much better chocolate melt than chocolate chips. However, use whatever chocolate you have on hand, chips or block will do just fine.

Ingredients:

• 200g cold unsalted butter, chopped

• 1 cup (175g) brown sugar

• 3/4 cup (165g) white sugar (or raw caster sugar will do just fine)

• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

• 1 egg

• 2 tbsp milk

• 2 cups (300g) plain all purpose flour

• 1/4 teaspoon baking powder

• 1/4 teaspoon bicarbonate of (baking) soda

• 1/4 teaspoon table salt

• 300g of dark chocolate chopped (my recommendation is 70% Lindt chocolate block)

• Any other optional add ins: pecans, walnuts.... up to you!

Method:

Preheat oven to 180 degrees celsius/ 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

Place the butter and both the sugars in the bowl of an electric mixer and beat on low speed until just combined.

Increase the speed to medium and beat for 8 minutes or until pale and creamy, scraping down the sides of the bowl.

Add the vanilla, milk and egg and beat for 2 minutes until light and fluffy.

Sift in the flour, baking powder and bicarbonate of soda and salt and beat until combined.

Add the chocolate (or other optional goodies you want to add) and stir to combine.

Roll heaped tablespoons of the mixture onto balls and place on baking trays lined with baking paper. Bake for 12-14 minutes or until golden brown.

Allow to cool on the trays (almost impossible when the cookies are this divine) for 5 minutes before transferring to wire racks to cool.

Makes 22 cookies. Simply double the amount of ingredients if you would like a double batch.

Some handy hints:

• Make sure you leave some room in between the cookies when they bake, to allow for spreading. Unless, that is if you want one extra large Siamese twin cookie.

• Cookies should be golden brown around the edges, with even colouring on the base.

• If you have more than one tray of cookies in the oven at one time, swap the trays top to bottom at halfway. The heat in most ovens isn't distributed evenly, so doing this helps for an evenly baked cookie.