Felicity Cloake Chocolate Chip Cookies Food

CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES

Steps:

• Evenly position 2 racks in the middle of the oven and preheat to 375 degrees F. (on convection setting if you have it.) Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone sheets. (If you only have 1 baking sheet, let it cool completely between batches.)
• Put the butter in a microwave safe bowl, cover and microwave on medium power until melted. (Alternatively melt in a small saucepan.) Cool slightly. Whisk the sugars, eggs, butter and vanilla in a large bowl until smooth.
• Whisk the flour, baking soda and salt in another bowl. Stir the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients with a wooden spoon; take care not to over mix. Stir in the chocolate chips or chunks.
• Scoop heaping tablespoons of the dough onto the prepared pans. Wet hands slightly and roll the dough into balls. Space the cookies about 2-inches apart on the pans. Bake, until golden, but still soft in the center, 12 to 16 minutes, depending on how chewy or crunchy you like your cookies. Transfer hot cookies with a spatula to a rack to cool. Serve.
• Store cookies in a tightly sealed container for up to 5 days.
• For a Rocky Road Bar:
• Lightly butter a 9 by 13-inch baking pan. Make the batter as per cookie recipe and fold in 1 cup chopped walnuts along with the chocolate chips. Spread batter in prepared pan. Bake until the edges are light brown and the batter sets, about 45 minutes. Cool slightly and cover surface with 4 cups marshmallows and 1 cup chocolate chips. Broil at least 8 inches from the heat until marshmallows turn golden brown, about 2 minutes. (Keep an eye on the marshmallows, and turn the pan frequently--they go from golden to char in a wink.) Cool, cut and serve.

THE BEST CHEWY CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES

Steps:

• Sift the flour, salt, baking powder and baking soda into a large bowl.
• Beat the butter and brown sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer on medium-high speed until pale and fluffy, about 4 minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. (Use the paddle attachment for a stand mixer.) Beat in the eggs one at a time, then beat in the vanilla. Reduce the mixer speed to low. Add the dry ingredients and beat until combined. Stir in the chocolate chips by hand.
• Press plastic wrap directly onto the surface of the dough and refrigerate at least 1 hour or preferably overnight.
• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
• Use a 1-ounce ice cream scoop to scoop half the dough onto the prepared baking sheets, spacing about 2 inches apart. Chill the remaining dough while you bake the first batch.
• Bake at 375 degrees until the cookies are golden around the edges but still soft in the middle, 12 to 15 minutes. Let the cookies cool for 10 minutes on the baking sheets, then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely. Cool the baking sheets completely, then line with parchment paper and repeat the scooping and baking process with the remaining dough.

CHEWY CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES

Steps:

• Mix the butter and sugar together using an electric whisk or hand whisk until very light and fluffy, then beat in the egg and vanilla. Fold in the flour, baking powder, chocolate and ¼ tsp salt as quickly as you can. Don't overwork the dough as this will toughen the cookies.
• For the best flavour, leave the mixture overnight: either cover the bowl and chill, or roll the mixture into balls and chill.
• Heat the oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4 and line two baking sheets with parchment. Divide the mixture into balls, the craggier the balls, the rougher the cookies will look. If you want to give the dough more texture, tear the balls in half and squidge them lightly back together. Space out evenly on the baking sheets, leaving enough space between each to allow for spreading.
• Bake the fresh cookies for 8-10 mins and the chilled ones for 10-12 mins, or until browned and a little crisp at the edges but still very soft in the middle - they will harden a little as they cool. Leave to cool on the tray for a few minutes before eating warm, or transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Will keep for three days in an airtight container.