Perfect Cookies in Under an Hour!

Cookies are kind of a sickly dessert. I have to say it. I'm not a sweet-tooth and nor do I actually like desserts very much but the cookie has to be one of the worst if you buy it from the shops. Commercial cookies are often overly sweet, kind of a bit crappy tasting and have very little in the way of nutritional value. Formed out of a huge amount of ultra-processed ingredients, the commercial cookie loses its appeal after a few bites and turns the once joyful consumer into a passive eater of cookies.

In recent times, independent cookie shops have sprung up. Insomnia Cookies in Manchester is a good example. Is the cookie good? Well, it's alright. I am not fond of the big and soft gooey cookie, I find the texture a bit off-putting. I'd like to apologise to Millie's Cookies for that comment but let me be clear: it's not you, it's me.

So I thought to myself: if I wanted to make these at home and simply swap out chocolate chips for, I don't know, raisins or even lemon zest. If I wanted to swap out chocolate chips for chopped and blanched almonds or even cumin seeds. If I wanted to swap out chocolate chips for finely diced apple. What could I do to make it the easiest thing in the world in which I don't even have to change the recipe apart from the chocolate chips?

🍪 In steps my foolproof cookie recipe 🍪

This has been perfected over and over again to the point that I actually make this recipe (with things other than chocolate chips in them) every couple of days and it takes less than an hour.

It makes a good cookie. The cookie remains nice and crunchy, but also doesn't break your teeth (I'm looking at you Maryland Cookies, what happened, you guys used to be cool). It also has a good bite without basically just being overdone shortbread (yes, M&S cookies, I see you). I'm sorry but shortbread grosses me out. I don't know why, but I think it's that buttery texture. It makes me shudder.

From my recipe, with a standard cookie cutter - you should be able to get around 30-35 cookies.

Oh and of course, they are vegan...

❤️ My Perfect Cookie Recipe ❤️

Ingredients:

• 100g Light Brown Sugar
• 250g Vegan Butter
• 2x Tbsp Vanilla Essence
• 300g Vegan Chocolate Chips*
• 380g Plain Flour

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*Swapping out the chocolate chips basically means that you can add anything else in to taste. You might want only one small apple finely diced and that'll work. You may want 100g of fennel seeds and that'll work too. Or, you may want a super chocolate cookie and after putting in the chocolate chips, add in 2 big tablespoons of cocoa powder - that'll work as well. You can even put in mini marshmallows to taste. I would however say not to go over the 300g limit of anything because this is where you get just enough of everything for each cookie.

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How To:

1. Preheat your oven to 200/C, line a few oven trays with some greaseproof paper and set them aside for later
2. Cream together the butter, sugar and vanilla until smooth
3. Add in your chocolate chips or whatever you have substituted them for and mix again until they are nicely separated in the creamed mixture
4. Put in your flour and mix it one more time. What should happen here is that your paddle should pick up all of the dough even from the sides, essentially cleaning the mixing bowl entirely. If this is not happening, add a teaspoon more of flour and turn the setting on your mixer right down
5. Put all of your dough on to a plate and it'll make it easier for you to see how evenly your chips have spread out in the mixture
6. Pop the plate in the fridge as you wash up - only leave it in the fridge for about 8-10 minutes
7. Once out of the fridge roll out the dough and use a cookie cutter to cut your shapes. Your dough should be (and yes, we're back at measuring things with random crap we have lying around because I don't have a ruler) almost the width of your iPhone
8. Place your cookies on the greaseproof paper trays and put the trays in the oven for 15-18 minutes
9. Once out, you'll see the cookies are browned from the top. After 3 minutes transfer the cookies on to a plate and leave to cool. They'll firm up even if they're not in the fridge
10. Enjoy your cookies!

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❤️🍪 Foolproof, under an hour, cookies made! ❤️🍪

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Obligatory cookie photo drop!