Chocolicious Cookies

Hi! I'm Hazel the Makergirl. I love making all sorts of things, this time I wanted to bake something that was quite quick and easy so my mum would agree to it!

150g butter, softened

80g granulated sugar

80g light brown sugar

2tsp vanilla essence

1 large egg

225g plain flour

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda

200g chocolate chips or chunks. (Milk, plain or white or a mixture)

Preheat the oven to 190 degrees centigrade.

Line 2 large baking trays with greaseproof paper

Cream together the butter and sugar in an electric mixer. (You could also use a wooden spoon or handheld mixer)

Keep beating the mixture.

And beat some more, until it lightens up in colour

If your electric mixer is doing the work for you (as my mums is) then you can sort out the dry ingredients. Otherwise you'll have to do this step once you've finished beating the butter and sugar.

Weigh out the flour, along with the bicarb and salt.

Get a sieve ready.

Mum LOVES the smell of vanilla essence so this is her best bit. I would disagree, I like the step with the chocolate in, but we'll get to that.

Add the egg and vanilla essence to the mixer and beat.

Don't worry if it starts to split or curdle a little, the flour is going in straight after so it will be fine.

No matter how many times I do this, I always make a mess.

Sieve the flour (and salt and bicarb) into the mixer and mix gently until all the flour is incorporated.

(I tend to turn the mixer up too high and cover myself, my mum and the kitchen in a cloud of flour)

Scrape the sides with a spatula

Chocolate time...

Add the chocolate chips and stir with a spoon or spatula until all mixed in.

This is the part where I try to find a stray bit of chocolate while mums not looking.

Using 2 spoons, dollop small amounts of cookie dough onto the prepared baking trays. It's about a heaped teaspoonful.

Leave plenty of room between each cookie as they will spread out.

This recipe makes about 30. I've always managed to get 15 per tray with no problem but this time around, they did spread out a little too much and I had some odd shapes.

If in any doubt, use more trays. Cook for about 8-10 minutes.

You can do larger cookies but these will take longer so keep an eye on them.

Leave on the tray for a few minutes to cool slightly, then transfer to a wire rack