bruno's parents dropped in for afternoon tea on sunday, so max and i took the opportunity to whip up a quick batch of chocolate chip cookies, from bill granger's 'sydney food' - quick, simple and delicious, especially eaten warm straight from the oven.
the recipe is perfect for cooking with kids. it is so basic that nothing can really go wrong. max (4 years) was very happy weighing, sifting, breaking eggs, and using the mezzaluna to chop up the chocolate (i didn't have any chocolate chips). just make sure to keep an eye on them in the oven as they only need the merest hint of golden colour to indicate their readiness. the chewier the better, i say.
in his book, bill suggests making a double batch and freezing half for another day. good idea!!! will definitely do that next time. they were a big hit with the kiddies and grandparents. and me and bruno. needless to say, there were none left the following day.
chocolate chip cookies (via bill granger's 'sydney food')
125g unsalted butter, softened
1 1/4 cups tightly packed brown sugar (*sniff* not having any brown sugar, i used raw sugar)
1 tsp vanilla essence
1 lightly beaten egg
1 1/2 cups plain flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
pinch of salt
1 1/2 cups of chocolate bits ( i only had a few half bars of lindt 70% dark chocolate leftover from a flourless choccy cake a while back. i, or rather max, chopped those up into haphazard chunks and it was perfect. the dark bitter chocolate is a good foil for the sweetness of the cookie)
how
- preheat oven to 180°c (350°F)
- beat butter and sugar in a bowl until light and creamy.
- add vanilla and egg and stir to combine (hmmm, i beat mine in with electric beaters. seemed to work out ok though)
- stir in sifted flour , baking powder and salt until just combined. it will be quite a stiff dough.
- fold through chocolate bits.
- place spoonsfuls (i used teasoonsful, slightly flattened with a fork) of cookie mix onto a lined baking tray. be sure to leave room for spreading.
- cook for 15 - 20 mins until PALE golden. don't be tempted to brown them too much. they are much nicer when still chewy on the inside. remember, they will harden upon cooling.
- cool on the tray for 5 mins, then remove to a wire rack to cool completely. store in an air-tight container, if they last that long!
rating: mmmm, ****
This is *exactly* what I've been looking for as the perfect lunchbox treat/after school snack. I'll be trying these with the girls over Easter. Thanks!
Posted by: lucinda | March 23, 2005 at 10:48 AM
Oh and the fact that they freeze well is wonderful!
Posted by: lucinda | March 23, 2005 at 10:49 AM
Have you found brown sugar or molasses at all in Switzerland? A few years ago I found something close but I'd love the have the real thing. I can't wait to try these.
Posted by: Elli | March 24, 2005 at 01:28 PM
elli, sadly i haven't found any brown sugar or satsifactory substitute here in switzerland. i have searched EVERYWHERE, to no avail. i have to get friends from o/s t bring it in for me. i have a brown sugar package arriving with friends this very friday - yay!
however, i have seen a jar of something called 'melasse ' or was it 'molasse' at coop. i didn't get a chance to have a close look at it to see if it was molasses or something else.
for these cookies i used 'rohzucker' or 'cannezucker'. worked fine, but i imagine soft brown sugar would add just that touch of extra caramelly goodness.
Posted by: kitschenette | March 24, 2005 at 02:10 PM
Elliot and I tried this recipe this weekend and your right it is good for a child, he really enjoyed creating the cookies. I wish I had reread your post, I just printed the recipe off and away we went, so our first batch were overdone. Although I rectified that for subsequent batches, I couldn't get them as chewy as I wanted so we may try tomorrow morning again before we head off to the brother-in-laws for an early dinner.
Posted by: Lushlife | March 26, 2005 at 10:18 AM
I tried this last night with a couple of changes and it worked well but the cookies were definitely crispy/crunchy rather than chewy, even when I started taking them out of the oven after 12 minutes. How do I get chewy cookies?
The changes were I used some orange zest and pure orange oil, and half of the chocolat was "Maya Gold" from Green and Blacks which is flavoured with orange. They taste good, but not mad on the texture
Posted by: Thalia | March 30, 2005 at 09:13 PM
thalia, the addition of orange flavourings sounds very good!
for chewy cookies, well, i would suggest dispensing with the notion of '15 - 20 minutes' and rather just go by the colour of the cookies. the moment they start to colour take them out. they will harden as they cool, so don't panic if they seem very soft. also, perhaps you could try making the cookies thicker or bigger?
hope this helps!
Posted by: kitschenette | March 30, 2005 at 10:26 PM
I made these again using the dough I'd kept from last time and frozen, and they turned out perfectly. Making them out of thick discs cut from the frozen dough was the key, I think. Thanks again for the recipe!
Posted by: Thalia | April 17, 2005 at 11:57 AM
Thanks for this great recipe.
I made them again and again.
Chanit from Israel :-)
Posted by: Chanit | June 18, 2005 at 09:05 PM
pleased you liked them, chanit and thalia!
Posted by: kitschenette | June 22, 2005 at 02:59 PM
I am a private chef, and let me tell you, people go nuts for these cookies. I have made these cookies so many times, I know the recipe by heart. I double the recipe, because I am an american, so measuring the butter is easier. 250 grams turns out to be about 2.5 sticks of butter!! I have gotten a free bar tab because of these cookies!! Thank you, thank you, thank you, from the bottom of my heart!!
Posted by: shenae | January 06, 2006 at 10:30 PM
wow, shenae, I'm glad to have been of so much use! bring on the free bar tabs!
I agree, whenever I make chippers, people beat a path to our door for their share. there is just something about them...
Posted by: kitschenette | January 06, 2006 at 11:49 PM
Since ages, chocolate is loved by all people due to its special taste. Many experts have noted that chocolates are
unhealthy and continuous eating often results in tooth decay. Some medical experts have stated that chocolates contain
sugar substances and thus add calories to the body and increase the sugar levels in the blood. But, it has been recently
found that chocolates are good for our health as they have a lot of advantages. Chocolates contain antioxidants.
Therefore they kill the free radicals and obstruct the oxidization of lipids into our body. The antioxidants are a
concentrated form of flavonoids.
Posted by: godiva chocolate | March 02, 2007 at 11:31 AM
Here's how to make delicious chocolate covered strawberries. First of all ensure that the strawberries you are intending to use are dry, then allow them to be room temperature warm prior to making them. After the strawberries have been covered in chocolate, put them in your refrigerator to cool, but do not store them in the fridge. Consume within 1-2 days.
Posted by: chocolate strawberries | March 27, 2007 at 06:52 PM
great chocolate chip cookies
Posted by: June White | August 27, 2008 at 12:40 PM