Nigella's Chocolate Chip Cookies

I don’t remember the very first time I ever made cookies, but I do remember licking bowls and beaters completely clean. Why is cookie dough so good!?! 

I do have a somewhat dream-like vague memory of sitting in my sister’s (IN Baker) room and smelling something burning. Then when I stated the fact I could smell something burning my sister jumping up and running to the oven. 

We must have forgot to set a timer, funny though I don’t remember anything else. Except that it was chocolate chip cookies that we were baking. I don’t remember making the cookie dough, nor what we were doing prior to the burnt smell, not even what happened afterwards. Were the cookies beyond help? Was there dough left over? I’ll never know, as my sister doesn’t recall that particular cookie baking experience.

Nigella's Chocolate Chip Cookies
adapted from Kitchen by Nigella

150g soft unsalted butter

125g soft light brown sugar

100g caster sugar

2 tsp vanilla extract

1 egg, fridge cold

1 egg yolk, fridge cold

300g flour

½ tsp bicarb of soda

326g milk chocolate chips or morsels (I only had bittersweet chocolate morsels so that’s what I used. I think milk chocolate or semi-sweet would have been better, but saying that these were still really really good!! Because of the bittersweet morsels they were extra tasty dipped in milk!!)

-         Pre-heat 170*C/gas mark 3 and line your baking sheet

-         Melt butter and let cool a little bit, put both sugars in a bowl and then beat in melted butter.

-         Beat in vanilla, the cold egg and cold egg yolk until light and creamy

-         Slowly mix in the flour and bicarb until just blended (I mixed it in a couple of batches) fold in chips/morsels

-         Clever tip for those of you who don’t have ice cream scoops use a ¼ measuring cup to make all your cookies the same size! Keep batter in fridge between baking.

-         Bake for 15-17 minutes. Cool on baking tray for 5 minutes. I only have one baking tray so I never wait the whole 5 minutes.

Another clever tip from Nigella, unbaked cookie dough can be scooped into cookies and frozen until solid. You can then cook from frozen adding an extra 2-3 minutes on to the baking time.

My dad loves home baked cookies. That was random, but it’s one of those things I think about when I see or make home made chocolate chip cookies. Like when I tell people I like penguins and then end up with an endless supply of penguin covered stuff I don’t need. I dare you now to look at penguins and not think of me!!

soooo cute!!