Ingredients
- 250g plain flour
- ½ tbsp baking powder
- ½ tbsp bicarbonate powder
- 110g unsalted butter, softened
- 110g light brown sugar
- 110g caster sugar
- 1 large egg
- ½ tbsp vanilla extract
- 250g chocolate/chocolate chips
Serves 12-16
Baking time: 10-30 minutes
Prep time: A few hours, for best results overnight
Method
- To make the cookie dough, whisk together the flour, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda and salt in a large bowl. Place the butter and sugars in a separate large bowl and, using an electric hand-held mixer, beat together for about 4–5 minutes until light. Add the egg, beating until fully combined, then briefly mix in the vanilla.
- Add the flour mixture and mix just until a dough is formed. Add the chocolate and mix until evenly distributed.
- Chill the dough for overnight before baking. This process helps the flour to hydrate and makes for a better tasting cookie that is more likely to caramelise as it bakes. You can skip this process, but the dough will still need refrigerating for a few hours so that it can be rolled into balls and will bake without spreading too much.
- Preheat the oven to 180C/160C Fan/Gas 4 and line two baking trays with baking paper. Use your hands or an ice cream scoop to form balls of dough (about 60–70g per cookie). Sprinkle with a little sea salt and place onto the prepared baking trays, leaving 2.5–5cm/1–2in between each cookie.
- Bake, in batches of six, for about 16–18 minutes or until golden around the edges but still slightly pale in the middle. Leave to cool for a few minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely. Serve immediately or keep in a sealed container for up to 4 days.
