It's no secret that like many of us, we have been baking our way through lockdown. There's something about the methodical steps of working through a recipe that I am finding very calming. Baking really makes us slow down and focus and the here and now.
We are not making anything too tricky. Nothing that requires lots of ingredients or brain power, because lets face it, chances are we're not going to find everything in the shops right now and are brains aren't always working in the way they once did. Just take your time and enjoy the process.
One recipe we keep going back to, is a firm favourite in our family at anytime. Our deliciously chewy choc chip cookies. I promised on instagram I would share it, so here it is.
Before I start, the number one best thing about the recipe is that as long as you have the basic ingredients you can add in whatever you like if you can't find chocolate chips. Here are some examples:
• Broken up easter eggs
• Left over mini eggs (just given them a bash up first)
• Raisins
• Sultanas
• Chopped White Chocolate & dried apricots
• or even some chopped nuts like pecans would be tasty too
This is a really simple recipe and Eva, who is now 11, enjoys making them on her own. So if you have children let them have a go and enjoy a bit of you time. Younger children may need a hand with the weighing out and obviously need supervision with the hot oven.
Makes: 12
Bakes: 8 - 10 minutes
Ingredients
125g butter - room temperature
75g sugar
75g soft light brown sugar
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla extract
200g self-raising flour
100g choc chips (or whatever you are using as substitute)
Method
- Preheat oven to 190 oC / 375oF / Gas 5 and prepare two baking sheets (we use silicon sheets, they're so much easier and less wasteful).
- Mix together the butter and both sugars, until light and fluffy. Best done with a food mixer, but a wooden spoon and elbow grease works just as well!
- Stir in the egg and vanilla extract.
- Sift the flour and stir into the batter.
- Add the choc chips and stir until fairly distributed throughout the mix.
- Roll small balls of the mix (about 1 tablespoon per ball) and place on the baking sheets. Making sure to space well apart as these cookies will GROW!
- Bake in the oven. The should be golden after 8 minutes, but if not given them a minute or two more.
- Remove from the oven and allow to cool for a couple of minutes before placing each on a wire rack to cool.
- These are best eaten on the day they are made, preferably still warm with milk or icecream. But will keep for a few days in an air tight container. They probably won't last that long though!
What are you waiting for, pop the kettle on and get dunking!
The wooden board used is our solid oak, personalised recipe board, available now click here.