Chocolate Chip Cookies

Chocolate Chip Cookies

To celebrate World Chocolate Day, we wanted to share this delicious recipe for chocolate chip cookies by the brilliant Lorraine Pascal. It is simply one of the best chocolate recipes out there. I made some with my girls the other week, we all loved them, Enjoy. Ingredients: 

• 110g (4oz) butter, softened
• 200g (7oz) soft light brown sugar
• 1 egg
• Seeds of 1 vanilla od or 2 drops of vanilla extract
• 165g (5 1/2 oz) plain flour
• Pinch of salt
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
• 30g (1 1/4 oz) cocoa powder
• 100g (3 1/2 oz) milk chocolate drops
• 10g (3 1/2 oz) dark chocolate chips

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 190c (375f), Gas Mark 5. Line 2 large baking trays with baking paper.
2. Put the butter and sugar in a large bowl and cream together until comined. It does not need to be light and fluffy. I do this with my mixer but a hand whisk will do the job too. Stir in the egg and vanilla and mix well. It may look like it has curdled at this stage but not to worry. Give it a good whisk and it will come good. Add the flour, salt, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda and cocoa powder and mix until the dough looks uniform. The dough will be very stiff. Add the chocolate chips and mash everythin gin with a wooden spoon.
3. Divide the mixture into 9 balls and space about 10cm (4in) apart on the prepared baking tray. Bake in the oven for 10-12 minutes. The cookies will have a cracked top and will be very soft. Remove the cookies from the oven and leave to cool on the baking trays. They will quickly harden up as they cool.
4. Serve with the obligatory glass of ice-cold milk.