Everyone’s had those days when they just want to curl up in
bed in their pyjamas, stuff their faces with chocolate and watch a sappy film,
like Reese Witherspoon in ‘Legally Blonde’. My day started a little in that
vein (minus chucking chocolates at the television, but drenched with the same
sort of self pity!). This afternoon I was going to take Teddie for a walk, but
the rain outside, as gloomy as I felt, rather dampened my enthusiasm for this
plan. Spending the rest of my day in a similar way to my morning was an
appealing prospect, but rather a pathetic one. So I decided to bake something.
And simultaneously provide myself with something to blog about!
As I have already mentioned my culinary skills are nothing
to boast of. My repertoire is very unimpressive; my ‘go to’ recipes being
flapjacks and a Swedish ‘hasty cake’. So instead of sharing with you my favourite
recipe, I thought I’d try out a new one and let you know how it goes. As I was contemplating
what to do, taking into account my limited skills, I realised that I had never
baked cookies before. Biscuits, yes, but proper homemade cookies with chocolate
chips…never.
Thinking about it now, having made said cookies, I should
have consulted my cousin, as he is a bit of an expert at the chocolate chip
cookie. But I decided to find a recipe book and, to quote ‘Parent Trap’, ‘have
a whack at it’.
The tome to which I retreated is rather unimpressive one, a
‘Twenty Five recipes that Kids can cook’. It was given to one of my sisters as
a birthday present when we were younger. There were some very pleasant weeks
when I was served all manner of treats due to their enthusiasm for making
treats. One of the perks of having
siblings! But the book has been long out use. And feeling benevolent towards my
sisters who still have to battle with the woes of schools and exams, thought it
would be nice to return the favour! And despite being bookmarked, I don’t
remember the chocolate chip cookie recipe ever being attempted.
So if you are an equally inexperienced baker of treats (I
doubt there are many)read on! I hope this post may help. If not then by all
means feel free to laugh at my ineptitude!
So, armed with a hot chocolate and Greg James on the radio I began. This probably wasn’t the best idea, as I soon felt a little queasy (because of the chocolate overload rather than Greg James!) when I’m cooking I can’t help but have a nibble!
Firstly the Utensils you will need:
Pour the flour and baking powder into your medium mixing
bowl (the one I used was a tad overly large).
The recipe says to do this after melting the chocolate, but you might as
well do it now. The recipe also suggests using a whisk, but any stirring
utensil will suffice.
The Sugar and eggs go into the large mixing bowl. Similarly, the recipe suggests doing this at a later stage, but it makes more sense to do this now. Using your wooden spoon, mix the eggs and the sugar together.
Then cut the butter into chunks. Although if you are using spreadable
butter like I did, this step is not just pointless, but rather impossible!
Anyway, stir the mixture with your ‘heatproof spatula’ until you have a smooth mixture.
Then pour it into your large mixing bowl along with the eggs
and flour and Stir!
Once this is all mixed together add half the flour mixture.
Stir until blended. Then add the remainder of the flour mixture, and repeat!
The reason behind he multiple stages is really only to make mixing the flour in
easier.
Lastly add in the chocolate chips. Or like me, if you have
no ready made chips, just chop up some chocolate bars. This results in larger
chips any way, which is far more satisfying.
Then leave your dough mixture for an hour. By then it should be ‘firm enough to be scooped’. And naturally one has to taste the mixture. I always think that cakey things should be left uncooked anyway.
The hour to wait is rather convenient for setting the kitchen to
rights, line the baking trays with paper and lay out the cooling trays.
I set the oven timer for half an hour. When it went off I started to pre-heat the oven. (180c) Then I set the timer for another half hour.
I set the oven timer for half an hour. When it went off I started to pre-heat the oven. (180c) Then I set the timer for another half hour.
Now your cookie dough should be ready to put on the baking trays. Scoop rounded balls of dough. You are instructed to place them 5cm apart, which I did, but they joined together any way. Apparently pressing each cookie gently in its middle with slightly wet fingers helps them bake more evenly.
After taking them out of the oven separate
any joined cookies gently using the end of your spatula. Wait for about ten
minutes after taking the trays out of the oven before loading the contents on
to the cooling rack.
And once cool enjoy!
Conclusion of Cookie baking experiment:
- I could never be a cook; I have no self restraint!
- Recipe books are very unhelpful; they tell you to do things, but not why! If you knew, you would change your behaviour accordingly.
- The cookies, whilst a little on the side of being undercooked, were very edible, and favourably received!
- But my culinary ineptitude is rather embarrassing!
As ever Teddie wanted to get involved, and waited patiently on the kitchen step, hoping some cookie would come her way. She was a bit disappointed!
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