Lorraine Pascale's "Big yummy double Choc Chip Cookies"

My sister has been working overtime these past few days and so I thought I'd bake her one of her favorite treats....cookies!

This recipe comes from Lorraine's "Baking Made Easy" book that was released to coincide with her TV series. My sister actually brought me this for Christmas last year and I'm a little ashamed to admit I've only used it once, and that was a good few months ago now. I must say, it's not my favorite book to flick through when looking for something to bake. Only a small handful of photos are of the actual food items, there are more pictures of Lorraine filling the book. (But that might just be me being picky? I like to see what I'm attempting to make when following a recipe)

I left these beauties sitting on the kitchen side with a tall glass of milk for when she got home, and they got a a big thumbs up! Cookies can be very much hit or miss, either you can manage them easily or overcook them till they're rock solid (not so nice!). I'm not a big cookie fan to be honest, but I think everybody in the house enjoyed these as a treat.

The recipe states this makes eight large American-style cookies, but as you can see I got near seventeen reasonably sized ones out of my mix. As always with these types of things I always know that they will make more than it says anyway! The only change I made was to use only milk chocolate chips as that was all I had to hand, I chucked in the last of a leftover open bag I had, I think there was around 150g of chips in there which I mixed in.

Big yummy double choc chip cookies
By Lorraine Pascale

110g butter
200g soft light brown sugar
1 egg
seeds of 1 vanilla pod or 2 drops of vanilla extract
165g plain flour
pinch of salt
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
30g cocoa powder
100g milk chocolate chips
100g dark chocolate chips

Preheat oven to Gas Mark 5/190°C and line your baking trays.

Put the butter and sugar in a bowl and cream together until combined. Add in the egg and vanilla and mix well. It might look like the mixture has curdled but just give it a good mix and it will come good.

Add the flour, salt, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda and cocoa powder and mix until the dough comes together. (It will be quite stiff)

Add the chocolate chips and mash everything together with a wooden spoon.

Divide the mixture into balls and space evenly on your trays. Bake in the oven for between 10-12 minutes.

Remove from the oven and leave to cool on the tray, they will be very soft but will harden up.

I had my oven set to Gas Mark 4 as it can be a little temperamental sometimes, and this way I know I won't overcook them too quickly. I found my cookies needed between 9-10 minutes and came out with a great crispy edge and soft center.

After a mere 24 hours in the kitchen there were hardly any left! I think I can safely say they were very much enjoyed by my family!

XOXO