Read. Set. BAKE!
Anyone else absolutely love the Great British Bake off? Who knew watching a group of people’s baking fails and triumphs would be so entertaining?!
I love baking. My mom is a fantastic baker and we have always grown up with apple pies, banana bread, muffins and all sorts up upside down cakes. But I only started baking myself in the last couple of years (why would you when your mother is providing the baked goods all the time?!).
So, to start the Wild Atlantic Bake Off we are gonna do something quick and relatively easy – cookies! Now, as with all these challenges, you can go off script and do what every you like (my friend as already made Red, White and Blue sugar cookies in celebration of the US election results). So if you have a different recipe or what to try some different flavours – go for it!
But for those new to baking – this is an easy way to get started.
The Shopping List
- 150g butter , softened
- 150g (cup and half)nbrown sugar , caster sugar, or half of each for extra chew!
- 1 egg
- 1 tsp vanilla essence
- 180-200g (1 cup) plain flour
- ½ tsp baking powder
- 200g chocolate chips or chopped dark chocolate
Mix it up
- STEP 1 Mix the butter and sugar together using an electric whisk or hand whisk until very light and fluffy, then beat in the egg and vanilla.
- Have the flour and baking powder sifted in another bowl and fold in to the mixture, adding the chocolate and a pinch of salt as quickly as you can. Don’t overwork the dough as this will toughen the cookies.
- STEP 2 Heat the oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4 and line two baking sheets with parchment – or you can do them in batches if you have time. Divide the mixture into balls. Space out evenly on the baking sheets, leaving enough space between each to allow for spreading. I like to squish them down a little bit to make sure I’ve left enough space between each ball.
- STEP 4 Bake for 8-10 mins or until browned and a little crisp at the edges but still very soft in the middle – they will harden a little as they cool. Leave to cool on the tray for a few minutes before eating warm, or transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Now, if you follow along on Instagram you’ll have seen that I had a major baking fail – on my own challenge! But we managed to pull it back for the “second round.” But this was all captured on the video above as I attempted to record a “how (not) to” bake cookies video.
The recipe is easy – just don’t make the same mistake I did – and takes less than an hour from start to finish if you’re organised…. not like me!
As always, if you give it a go, let me know! Now, ready, set BAKE!
Wild Atlantic Rider 