Ready, steady… cookies.

Fancy getting busy with baking? Heidi Selwood is here to tell you how…

Whether the autumn term workload is already creeping back on or, if you’re a fresher trying to find something to do halfway through your afternoon Netflix binge, this recipe will be your knight in shining armour. Bake it with your new flatmates, or use it to nurse you to happiness as you sob over your pile of unread summer books!

Serves 8 (or 10 if you are on a diet (which you shouldn’t be)). Don’t be afraid to get creative with your toppings!

Ingredients:
2 sandwich cake tins between 17cm and 20cm wide (head to Wilko in Cannon Park- super cheap),
400g milk chocolate cut into large chunks or cubes (use Tesco’s 30p version – I’ve added a bit extra for nibbling along the way. I also added a few smarties as they were lurking nearby)
170g unsalted butter (buy a basic block for 80p)
200g soft light brown sugar (you can substitute for 200g caster sugar but the cookie will not go golden when baked, so be careful not to overcook)
100g caster sugar
1 egg
1 egg yolk
Vanilla essence (this may seem expensive but it lasts for years and it is used in almost every baking recipe),
1/2 tsp bicarb of soda (same concept as the vanilla essence),
275g plain flour (or slightly more if the batter is still too soft),
5 tbsp of Nutella or the supermarkets own brand chocolate spread (or peanut butter if you prefer),
And a pinch of salt!

Cooking method:
1. Preheat the oven to 180°C/Gas 4
2. Melt the butter slightly in the microwave, but do not boil.
3. Beat the melted butter with the
sugars until creamy.
4. Add the egg, the egg yolk and vanilla essence and beat until fluffy.
5. Slowly stir in the flour, bicarb and salt bit by bit until you have formed a thick dough that is not too wet or sticky. Add a bit more flour if still too wet. You should be able to mould a bit into a ball in your hand without it being gloopy and sticking too much.
6. Stir in the chocolate chunks.
7. Grease the cake tins with a bit of butter to stop the cake from sticking.
8. Place half of the batter in each tin and flatten with the back of a spoon until spread evenly.
9. Place in the oven for 12-15 minutes until slightly golden but still soft. Be careful not to overcook it, the cookie should not be rock solid, it should be slightly springy when touched and still soft in the middle (this is how you get the chewy/gooey texture when cooled)
10. Leave the cookie bases to cool completely, this will allow them to firm up. If you are in a rush then pop them in the fridge for a bit.
11. Remove the cakes from the tins.
12. Top one half with the Nutella/peanut butter and spread evenly.

13. Place the other cookie on top and decorate it as you please.
14. Take a picture and send it over to the Lifestyle Instagram – you might even be re-posted!