Chocolate chip cookie

Bake spoonfuls of dough at 175 °C for about 10–12 minutes, until the edges are set but the centres still look slightly underdone. Leave them on the hot tray for a few minutes to finish setting.

Butter that is too soft and warm dough can make cookies spread thinly. Chill the shaped dough for about 30 minutes, and put it on a cool baking tray.

Yes. Freeze scoops of dough on a tray until firm, then transfer them to a sealed container or bag. Bake from frozen at the recipe temperature, adding a couple of minutes to the baking time.

Once completely cool, keep them in an airtight tin or container at room temperature; warm cookies trapped inside will turn soft. Separate crisp and chewy cookies, as moisture can soften the crisp ones.

It is safer not to eat ordinary raw dough: uncooked flour and raw egg can carry harmful germs. For dough meant to be eaten raw, use heat-treated flour and a recipe made without egg.

Chop a chocolate bar into small pieces; dark, milk or white chocolate all work. Keep the pieces roughly chip-sized so they spread through the dough rather than melting into one large pool.

A cookie pairs well with a glass of milk or a cup of coffee or tea. For dessert, sandwich a scoop of ice cream between two cookies and eat it straight away.