JUST A COOKIE

Y'know, I'm not sure the internet has been great for the world of food and baking.

I mean, of course it's allowed for inspiring and aspiring cooks to gain some kudos, and I for one have learnt a lot from various foody blogs and sites.

But it's also made things a whole lot more complicated.

Biscuits can't just be biscuits, they have to have some incredible flourish, iced to within an inch of their life and photographed stunningly. Brownies are nothing if not infused with a multitude of flavours and swirled with cheesecake. Whole blogs dedicate themselves to finding the 'best' cupcakes around, topped and filled to bust, wrapped in lacy casings and looking far too good to be edible.

I'm the first to admit that I revel in all of this. I think it's both astounding and incredible that such things can be done with food. And, my particular favourite, sugar.

But honestly, there are some times when all I (and I'm sure plenty of you) want is a cookie.

Do I want it stuffed with rainbows and flavoured with essence of unicorn?

No, no I do not. Ew.

Nor do I want to do what most recipes state is 'essential' and buy about three types of sugar and top-quality chocolate.

I want to mix together some bog-standard butter, flour and sugar, whack in some chocolate and EAT.

So, for anyone who just wants a cookie, fail-safe and faff free, read on.

INGREDIENTS

Pre-heat the oven to 190 C // 375 F // GM 5 and line a baking tray with greaseproof paper/liner.

In a large mixing bowl, lightly beat the butter to soften it well and add the sugar. Beat them together to form a grainy paste.

Sift in the flour gradually and mix  until combined. 

Pour in the milk and continue to mix until incorporated.

Now simply chop up the chocolate (I used all the cupboard remnants we had) and add to the dough. Mix through to ensure the chips are well spread (unless of course you're planning to make one particularly chocolatey one....I salute you)

Lot's of things work in this recipe instead of chocolate. We've tried Peanut M&Ms (nom), Minstrels (delish, but turn green when cooked) and Reisen (the one). Experiment!

Split into 16 evenly sized pieces (simply quarter, and quarter again) and roll into balls. Place these onto the pre-lined baking tray and pop into the oven.

If you're a crisp-cookie fan (see bottom left), and want something with a biscuit-like texture, bake for 12-15 minutes.

If, like me, you prefer a chewy cookie (see bottom right), bake for 10-12 minutes. And remember, along with rainbows this recipe lacks any eggs, so you shouldn't be afraid to slightly under-bake. 

Simplicity at it's best.

x

*No unicorns were harmed in the making of these cookies.

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