Ways To Feel Happy

Last week I baked cookies. I've become a bit of a regular on the cookie baking scene because I think they are a very special part of baking. For a start, they are one of those foods that you would be hard pushed to find someone in opposition to. Let's face it, everyone loves a cookie. They symbolise all that's good and comforting about life, it's hard to feel unhappy whilst eating one. They're great at any time of day and for any reason.

Top of everyone's list for cookie types seems to be two things: chocolate and chewy. Cookies are best when they're packed with oozing chocolate, still warm through slightly, and served with ice cold milk. So I went in search of a gooey recipe and found one courtesy of the BBC. It wasn't chocolately enough though, so this final draft has been tweaked slightly to better satisfy the chocoholic in all of us. Have a go at making them and, in turn, making someone's day.

There they are, perfect in their imperfection.

Ingredients:

225g margerine or butter (I always prefer butter, but it is harder to work with)
170g soft brown sugar (works fine with caster but is best with brown)
340g plain flour
200g chocolate (I like to do one dark and one milk but it's up to you)
4 tbsp golden syrup
4 tbsp milk

Method:

Preheat that oven of yours to 150 deg celcius or 170 for non-fans (that's non-fan ovens, not people who aren't fans of ovens).

Cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. You can do this by hand or machine, whatever your preference. Add the golden syrup, milk and smashed up chocolate, then mix. This will look like really gross scrambled eggs but have no fear, it's as is should be. Add the flour slowly, mixing gently as you go until you have a smooth cookie batter. If it's looking a bit runny, add a drop more flour, if it's too dry then add a little milk. It should be medium consistency.

Cover a baking tray with greaseproof paper, or if you have none then butter it generously, and spoon the batter on in blobs. The cookies will grow to be about twice the size of your blobs so be careful. If you make them too large, the bottom will burn before the middle cooks and this is not a pleasurable eating experience. Pop in the oven for about 10 minutes, until the cookies are turning golden brown. Do not over cook or you'll lose that gooey experience.

Eat these slightly warm, or pop in microwave if they are completely cooled. This is such a base pleasure, it's wonderful. Set 5 minutes aside to have a glass of milk or dunk them in a cup of tea and try to forget your troubles.

It turns out cookies are as good as prozac ;)

Savour it.

A x

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