Baked goods always make for good presents when you have no idea what to get for friends. Nothing says “Happy Birthday“, “Congratulations“, “Get well soon!” more than a batch of cookies, cupcakes, brownies etc. I had left it to the last minute to figure out what to make for a friend so I had to look for something quick and easy to whip up. The only thing I had on my mind was cookies. Some of the recipes that I had found online and in cookbooks required chilling the dough.. Skip!
So instead of trying to find out a new recipe to bake, I turned to my trusty cookie recipe which I can not remember where I got it from. Initially this recipe was for white chocolate and macadamia cookies but I’ve use it so many times as a base for quick and easy cookies, adding different ingredients to it each time. I’ve added crushed up Maltesers and Mars Bar to the basic dough before but let me tell you, whilst the addition of Mars Bar chunks make for delicious cookies due to the chewy caramel, melted nougat and chocolate, it certainly makes for ugly, crater-looking cookies.
Recently I have had a hankering for chocolate chip cookies because nothing beats the classics and having cookies with a glass of milk. I decided to add some roasted almond slivers to the mix to provide an additional crunch to the cookies. These cookies are slightly on the crunchy side only because I had them in the oven for a little longer but feel free to bake them for a shorter time for soft cookies.
Recipe
Makes roughly 20 cookies
125g butter, softened
1/2 cup caster sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 egg
1 1/4 cups plain flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
50g almond slivers, roasted
75g milk chocolate chips
- Preheat oven to 180C (350F). Line baking trays with baking paper.
- Beat butter, sugar and vanilla until light and fluffy. Add eggs, beating well.
- Sift flour and baking powder over butter mixture and mix.
- Add nuts and chocolate, stir mixture until well combined.
- Drop heaped teaspoonfuls of the mixture onto the baking trays, leaving about a 5cm (2 inch) space around each ball of dough and flatten slightly.
- Bake, 1 tray at a time, for 12-15mins or until lightly golden and firm to the touch. (For soft cookies, bake for 12mins and for slightly crunchy cookies, bake for 15mins)
- Repeat with remaining trays.
- Cool cookies on trays for 5mins before transferring to a wire rack to completely cool.
These cookies look pretty delicious and certainly a pressie with a personal touch!
You’re totally welcome to bake me cookies anytime…
Me too! I’d love a batch of these. I love baking in winter and these are really cheery!
I have confess i suck a making cookies though the recipe in Nigella kitchen has been working for me, the best part is you can freeze the balls of dough and then put them straight in the oven when you need some in a hurry!
The simple things in life are often the best. Me, these cookies and a glass of milk. Happiness
Nice recipe! Very similar to the peanut butter and chocolate chip cookies I made last week. It was the first time I had baked in six years so the results weren’t great but they were still good with a glass of milk! 🙂
Love those ribbons! And yeah, there’s such comfort to enjoying cookies with a glass of cold milk. Sluuuurps. Throw in a good episode of Glee or Sex & The City and that’s a perfect afternoon right there.
Chopinandmysaucepan: Thank you!
Karen: We should do a bake off trade 🙂 Like how people do clothes swap, we do baked goods swap mmmm…
Peter: I find I’ve been baking more during Winter too, I love how the warmth and inviting aromas from the oven can just comfort me.
Muppy: I’ve never tried freezing cookie dough before and but freezing them as balls of dough is an excellent idea!
John: I hear you! I’ve baked up another batch of cookies over the weekend and can’t wait to scoff more of it down with a glass of milk, all snuggled up in bed.
Joey: Mmmm peanut butter and choc chip cookies!
Chi Anh: Ahhh the simple pleasures in life!
Cookies are totally my weakness! I love that you put Mars Bars!! Iv never thought of that. I have my grandmothers basic recipe that I tweak depending on my mood (and what I have in the pantry) so will have to give the Mars a god. Genuis!
these look totally delicious yum i love biscuit’s and this is totally why i stay away from them!! hehehe
This is wonderful. I love getting presents that’s more than just something bought from somewhere. Personal touch takes thoughts and effort, and I appreciate them to bits. 🙂 I love this recipe and I can only hope that I get something of similar like this one day. 🙂
Purty ribbon 🙂 Warm milk and cookies this weekend, methinks!
Mmmmm yum cookies. I love the ribbon too! I want to get some in red, pink and purple.
Almonds and chocolate go so well together. Your biscuits look delicious. I could go for one with a cup of tea right now.
Nic: Thanks! It is pretty damn good but just ugly but who cares?!
Betty: Everything in moderation I’d say 😉
Jenn Brigole: Totally agree with you there! There is a sense of thought and effort that goes nto making things and giving them as gifts. Most of the time I just struggle thinking of what to get people and tend to be too lazy to go out searching.. The recipe is pretty easy and everything is mixed in one bowl (extra bonus), so give it a go! You can do it 🙂
Tina: I love my cookies with cold milk, even if the weather is freezing cold!
Anita: HAHA you’re the third person to comment on the ribbon now :p
Sara: Thanks! I’ve run out of cookies in this household.. Time to bake up another batch..