Chewy Chocolate Cookies

(Amounts can be halved and you'll still get plenty!)

You'll need a large mixing bowl (with a mixing spoon) plus a baking tray (and tea spoon).
A wire cooling rack would also be useful.

Ingredients

1¼ cup 250 g butter or margarine, softened
2 cups 400 g sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp vanilla essence
2 cups 300 g unsifted plain flour
¾ cup cocoa powder
1 tsp baking soda (bicarbonate of soda)
½ tsp salt
1 cup finely chopped nuts (optional)

Method

Preheat the oven to 175°C.

  1. Cream the butter (or margarine) and sugar in a large bowl then blend in the eggs and vanilla.
  2. Add the flour, cocoa, baking soda and stir the mixture together.
  3. Stir in the nuts, if desired.
  4. Drop the mixture, by teaspoon, onto an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake for 8 to 9 minutes.
    Do not over bake. The cookies will be soft. They puff up while baking and flatten while cooling.
  5. Cool on the cookie sheet until completely set (about 10 minutes) then remove to a wire rack to cool completely.
Makes about 4½ dozen.

Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies

Ingredients

1 cup butter, softened
1 cup light brown sugar
½ cup white sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 ¼ cup all-purpose flour
½ tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
3 cups quick-cook oats
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Method

  1. Preheat the oven to 165℃.
  2. In a large bowl, cream together the butter, brown sugar, and white sugar until smooth.
  3. Beat in eggs one at a time, then stir in vanilla.
  4. Combine the flour, baking soda, and salt. Stir into the creamed mixture until just blended.
  5. Mix in the quick oats and chocolate chips.
  6. Drop by heaping spoonfuls onto ungreased baking sheets.
  7. Bake for 12 minutes in the preheated oven.
  8. Allow cookies to cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.