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Another Valentine’s Day has thankfully come and gone. From all the gifts I received, only one truly touched my heart. An old friend sent me a kit to make the soft chocolate cookies we both loved since childhood. We used to bake them with my dad and eat them in the back garden with cups of hot, sweet tea. I was touched when I saw his personalised letter on the back of the recipe. I read through the letter and the recipe, with a little tear of queer joy in my eye, and went on with the preparation. (I’m such a soppy fool!)
This recipe can be made without breaking a sweat. To give you an idea, this recipe took less than an hour to make, while playing FoxyBingo of all things! And who said men can’t multi-task?
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup packed light-brown sugar
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 teaspoon salt
2 cups (about 12 ounces) semisweet and/or milk chocolate chips (I used Cadbury’s, but any other brand is fine)
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
2 large eggs
1. To start off, preheat oven to 180 C.
2. Place the flour and baking soda in a small bowl, and whisk together; set aside.
3. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the butter with both granulated and light-brown sugar, and beat them on medium speed until fluffy and light. Reduce speed to low, and then add the vanilla, eggs, and salt. Beat them for about 1 min or until well mixed. Add flour mixture; mix until just combined. After that, stir in the chocolate chips.
4. Line the baking sheets with parchment paper. Drop dough balls on the sheets, about the size of a tablespoon, two inches apart from each other.
5. Bake for about 8 to 10 mins, until cookies are golden around the edges, but still soft at the center. When done, remove from oven, and let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 1 to 2 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack, and let them cool completely.
These cookies can last up to a week, so long as they are stored in an airtight container at room temperature. They can be frozen too, if you like that sort of thing. Enjoy!
