Chocolate Chunk Cookies

Everything has a story when I start baking :) and I don't just say it.. there really is a story. I worked very hard today went for walks, given my fitness levels they were quite a bit for me to take in today. I came home knackered and snuggled up on the sofa watching my favourite movies. Just then I had this sudden craving for chocolate chip cookies and there were none in the cupboard.. I tried to ignore it but I really wanted to eat cookies.. hence there was no choice but bake them.. no gains without pains you see :) The problem was, I have never baked cookies, but I had an idea how to bake them. I like my cookies really soft and squidgy where as my husband likes them crunchy.. so I, armed with my little knowledge of them, marched to the kitchen, had a nose around in the larder to see what I could find.. as I feared I had no chocolate chips left, but a bar of milk chocolate hanging around and some pecans. So I decided to make Chocolate chunk cookies rather than chocolate chip cookies :) I pulled them out and I was on my way. Result a batch of nice soft cookies and a batch of really crunchy cookies, both of us tucked in and gleaming with happiness :) As for me, by the end of it I had no craving left but a lot of satisfaction that I had nailed them and got them just the way I like 'em :)
Give these a try, they don't take long and really put a smile on your face, these are very honest old style cookies with no fuss, you make them once and you will fall in love with them. The only tip I will give is watch them like a hawk when they are baking, cookies can dry out very quickly. I squatted in front of the oven till the last batch came out!
So here is what you need, basically anything you have in your larder as far as you can get the dough right. Here is what I used:

Ingredients:

1. 1 bar of Milk Chocolate (150gms)
2. handful of Pecans - roasted.
3. 100 gms Soft brown Sugar
4. 100 gms Granulated sugar, use caster if you had it at hand, its easier to beat in the butter.
5. 210 gms Pain Flour
6. 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
7. a healthy pinch of salt
8. 150 gms unsalted butter - You can replace this with salted butter and skip the salt if you are out of unsalted butter.
9. 1 large egg
10. 1 tsp Vanilla paste, but you can use any form of vanilla you have at home. If you are using the extract use about 2 tsp.

Prep work:

1. Pre heat the oven to 175 degrees Celsius (fan)
2. Prepare a baking tray with parchment paper / baking sheet
3. Break up the chocolate into small chunks or if you are shopping shop for 150 gms Chocolate chips will save you from chopping chocolate.
4. Roast the pecans and try and get the skin off when they cool off, if you like the skin leave it as is. Roughly crush or chop the pecans.

Lets get baking:

1. Beat Butter and Sugar until creamy. Whisk the egg and add it to the Sugar and Butter mix. Beat it in. Lose the whisk now and switch to a wooden spoon. 
2. Add Vanilla and mix it in thoroughly.
3. Add the Choco chips / chunks and pecan pieces and mix thoroughly.
4. Add the flour, baking soda and salt and mix it well. Please note, this mix will be quite dry, not like a cake mix where its fairly runny. So don't be alarmed if you see the mix is quite dry and thick, that is how it should be.
5. Now start making little balls of the mix and place them on the try. There are various ways you can make this, if you want even cookies get a table spoon and spoon them or if you are like me with a general judgement just roll them in your hand and place them apart.
6. Cookies will spread when they get in the oven so give them enough room to spread out.
7. Make them in batches if you have to, but don't crowd them.
8. Transfer them to a preheated oven - 175 degrees fan for about 10 mins if you like them crunchy and about 8 mins if you like them soft
9. Please don't over bake the cookies they will dry out and not taste great.
10. When you pull the cookies out of the oven they continue to cook and firm up until they cool off so keep checking you cookies after 5 mins. 

Tip - 

1. I would never open the oven door if I was baking a cake before its time, but with the cookies after about 5 mins I start checking them. Once they are soft to touch in the centre and fairly firm on the sides, they are ready to come out. The longer you keep them the harder and drier they will get.
2. So please take time and monitor the cookies when they are baking.
3. Use any nuts you have hanging about, hazel nuts taste just as nice or walnuts.

You get through these 10 mins and you have a batch of delicious cookies, dunk them in milk or tea and enjoy them on a cold winter's night or just parcel them off to your loved ones, nothing like a smile on your loved ones face, when they enjoy your bake, it all feels worth it :)