CHOCOLATE CHUNK COOKIES

MAKES 13-14 COOKIES

A classic cookie if ever there was one. I promised my kids I’d develop a chocolate chip cookie for this book, although I’ve made the chips more like chunks for maximum gooeyness.

1¼ cups gluten-free plain (all-purpose) flour ½ teaspoon xanthan gum 1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda (baking soda) 150 grams butter, cut into small cubes and at room temperature

⅓ cup brown sugar

⅓ cup raw caster (superfine) sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1 large egg

250 grams dark cooking chocolate, broken into small chunks

Equipment: Line three large baking trays with baking paper.

Sift the flour, xanthan gum and bicarbonate of soda into a bowl and whisk together thoroughly. Add the butter and sugars to the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment fitted and cream together on low-medium speed for 1 minute. (Alternatively, mix the ingredients together in a mixing bowl with a hand mixer.)

Slowly add the vanilla extract and egg and keep mixing, increasing the speed to medium-high, for 2 minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl halfway through. Gradually add the sifted dry ingredients until everything is just mixed in. Fold in the chocolate using a spatula, then transfer the bowl to the refrigerator and leave for 20 minutes for the dough to chill and firm.

Divide the chilled dough into 50-gram portions and shape each into a ball. Arrange the dough balls on the lined trays spread 10cm apart, then transfer to the fridge and leave to chill for 30 minutes. (This will help rest the dough so that when it bakes, it keeps its shape and doesn’t spread too far.)

Preheat the oven to 180°C (160°C fan-forced) with the oven racks positioned in the middle of the oven. Gently press each dough ball to flatten slightly, then bake the cookies for 12-14 minutes, rotating the trays after 8 minutes, until lightly golden.

Remove from the oven and leave to cool for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely. These cookies are also delicious eaten warm while the chocolate is gooey.

To bake, simply defrost slightly, flatten and cook as above.

Storage: These biscuits will stay fresh in an airtight container for 7 days. Once rolled into balls, the dough can be frozen for up to 1 month.

Tips:

• The dark chocolate can be replaced with any chocolate you prefer.

• To make these into double chocolate cookies, add ¼ cup cocoa powder to the dry ingredients and decrease the flour quantity by ¼ cup.