This cookie recipe is very much like the standard slightly chewy, slightly gooey, a tad heavy, but everything you need with a glass of milk. The recipe takes a bit of time, although not laborious, which is fine by me. The butter is to be browned beforehand which gives it this nutty aroma and darkened hue. I always opt for dark chocolate chunks and bits of hazelnuts or pecans. The ratio is personal, so go ahead and up or lessen the quantities of choco and nuts!

This giant chocolate chip cookie for one is what you need on call for all moments of despair. Heck, even for celebrations! This simple easy, 5 minutes of work, 10 minutes of patience provides you a decadent reward of gooey, fudgy chocolate chip cookie. Add a dollop of ice cream if need be!

Cookies. There is something just so comforting about dilly-dallying in the kitchen with the aroma of baked goodies enveloping you to bliss, knowing that little drops of heaven are baking away to glory in the oven. And, for most of you who ask me about eggless versions – this will soon become your NUMBER ONE recipe. This is a genius recipe adapted from food52.com for an eggless version that is just so, so, so do-able. This recipe uses a mixture of vegetable oil and water in replacement of eggs – and this means no hassle of chia seeds, grinding flaxseeds, or looking for thick yoghurt. These bake with a chewy texture inside and a crispy edge. This is pure and simple genius. Perhaps, the only hindrance is resting the dough for a good period of time, which in itself entails a bit of misery, but I promise it’s worth the wait. Remember, if I wait, it must be necessary. Also, this can be vegan, if you choose vegan brown sugar and vegan chocolate chips. I know, genius right? The Recipe Serves Ingredients 2 cups flour 1 tsp baking powder 3/4 tsp baking soda 1/2 tsp salt 1/2 cup brown sugar 1/2 cup castor sugar 1/2 cup + 1 tbsp vegetable oil 1/4 cup + 1 tbsp water, room temperature 2 tsp vanilla essence 1 + 1/3 cups chocolate chips sea salt to sprinkle Instructions Whisk the flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda and chocolate chips in a bowl and set aside In a larger mixing bowl, whisk the sugars with vanilla essence, oil and water until well combined for at least 2-3 minutes Add the remaining dry ingredients with a wooden spoon and mix to just combine The dough may feel to be on the wet side, which is good. Gently transfer the dough onto cling film and gently pat into a disc Cover tightly and refrigerate for at least 12 hours, if not 24 hours When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 180C and prepare a dish with baking paper Use a mini scoop to make equal sized cookie balls and sprinkle some sea salt on top of each Freeze for 10 minutes before baking – this helps maintain the shape Bake for 8-12 minutes - keep an eye on them Once done, remove from oven, allow to cool for 10 minutes before eating

“If I had any choice in the matter, I’d stay in my comfy bed and eat warm chocolate chip cookies all day.” Simone Elkelis Many claim bare necessities to be milk, bread and eggs in a kitchen. In India, the list includes the trusted steel masala box filled to the brim, along with potatoes, onions and rice. I am sure by now you know, that very few of the above items are considered essential to me. My list runs more along the lines of chocolate, berries, Maggi, and a variety of cheeses! Cookies are a lot of fun to make, and particularly if you have children in the house, it’s a great interactive session while keeping them busy for a good amount of time! This cookie has a slight twist: luscious Malta orange zest rubbed into the sugars, and a vanilla bean pod infused into the melted butter, along with a ton of chocolate chips! These fragrant chocolate chip cookies lend a very adult feel, and even if you have them with a glass of milk, you’ll still feel like a grown up. Enjoy  [yumprint-recipe id=’78’] The RecipeServes Yields: 24 cookies | Prep Time: 30 mins | Cook Time: 15 mins Ingredients 1 cup flour ½ tsp baking soda ½ tsp salt ½ cup butter ½ vanilla pod ½ cup light brown sugar ½ cup sugar 3 tbsp orange zest 1 egg ¾ cup chocolate chips Instructions Melt the butter in a saucepan with a split open vanilla pod. Whisk the egg in a separate bowl with the infused butter. Rub the orange zest into the combined sugars. Whisk the flour, baking soda, salt and sugars together. Then stir in the wet ingredients with a wooden spoon. Then add the chocolate chips. Bring the mixture to dough. Refrigerate the dough for 30 minutes. Scoop the dough into flat balls of your desired thickness and place on a baking sheet, leaving at least 2-inch space between the cookies, as they spread. Bake for 15 minutes in a preheated oven of 170°C. Remove from the oven and let cool. Store in an airtight container.