Chocolate Chip Cookies
This is my original Chocolate chip cookie recipe and it’s still a favourite. Some years ago I was asked to judge the baking at an agricultural show. After several hours dutifully working my way through fruit cakes, sponge cakes, layer cakes and preserves I finally got to the biscuits and picked my winners. Later the winner sidled up to me to confess her 1st prize winning Chocolate Chip Cookies were actually made from my recipe and we both laughed like crazy women. No wonder I thought they were so good.
The recipe makes loads so it’s a good one for bigger households.
Ready in: 40 minutes Makes: around 50 cookies
Preheat oven to 180°C. Grease 2-3 baking trays and set aside.
Into a bowl or food processor put:
250 g of butter or margarine – butter will produce a crisper biscuit than other shortenings
1 cup of brown sugar
1 cup of white sugar
Beat or process till pale and creamy then add:
2 eggs
2 tbsp hot water
2 tsp vanilla essence
Process until fluffy then sift together and add
3¼ cups flour
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
Stir in 1-2 cups of chocolate chips or a combination of choc chips and chopped nuts.
Drop teaspoonfuls onto greased baking sheet and bake for 8-10 minutes or until golden brown. As the cookies bake they will rise. If you prefer a flatter cookie give them a gentle press with a fork during baking.
You can roll the mixture or use a cookie scoop if you prefer.
Cooks tips: Cookie dough freezes well both baked and un-baked. You can roll unbaked mixture into balls and freeze on a tray then bag up the balls and bake as required, from frozen. Allow a couple of minutes extra cooking time.
Note: Yes I do call these cookies, not biscuits since they are much more American than Kiwi – ANZACS though will always be biscuits to me, not cookies.