Little chocolate chip shortbread cookies

Oh God, how did that happen? One week of the summer holidays left?! Ah, but it’s been a great summer! Holidays to the Lakes, then Pembrokeshire. Loads of memory making went on. But now there is a one week countdown until my precious first born boy starts school. I know I’m a massive cliche, but I feel quite emotional about it. Also my daughter is starting childcare outside of the family (my mum has helped two days per week until now). She’s going to a local preschool, then a childminder too on one day. Sorry, I just need to do this: waaaaaaaaaaaaaa-haaaaaaaaaaaaaa!

OK, I’m all good now. Just needed to get that off my chest.

These biscuits aren’t ‘healthy’. They haven’t got coconut oil in place of butter, or maple syrup instead of sugar, or spelt flour… but they are SO GOOD! The kids, particularly Arthur, went a little bit mental for them. I made two ‘dough snakes’ and baked a batch last Friday, then another batch on Sunday. It’s very pleasing have cookie dough ready made in the fridge – all you have to do is slice and then bake for 10 minutes, et voila, freshly baked treats!

The only saving grace of these tasty bad boys is that they are very small, very wee, very petite. So much so, that you tell yourself eating 5 of them is fine, as that only really equates to eating one normal sized cookie.

Enjoy! And good luck to all you mums whose babies are starting school this week! (These biccies would make a lovely treat for a lunchbox or to come home too after a long first day in reception)

This is a very adaptable recipe. For an extra chocolate hit, and add 2 tablespoons of cocoa powder. Or for lemon cookies, leave out choc chips, add zest of lemon and replace vanilla with a little lemon juice.

Makes: about 40 biscuits
Prep time: 5 minutes (excluding chilling time or at least an hour)
Cook time: 10 minutes 
Total time: 15 minutes

Ingredients:
200g plain flour
80g granulated sugar
175g butter, salted
3-4 tablespoons of chocolate chips
1 teaspoon of vanilla extract

Instructions:

1. Line a baking tray with baking parchment. You’ll need two trays if you’re baking the whole lot now. I saved one dough roll and baked a few days later. 
2. Mix, with an electric whisk if you have one (a hand whisk or wooden spoon is fine if not) the butter and sugar, until pale and fluffy. 
3. Add the flour, gradually, and vanilla. 
4. Fold in chocolate chips. Bring together to make a dough – you may need to dust your hands with a little flour. 
5. Roll into 2 long sausage / snake shapes, diameter of about 4cm. Then wrap in cling film and chill for at east an hour. 
6. Preheat oven to 180C. 
7. Slice into rounds about 1-2cm thick. Place on tray and bake for 10 minutes or until golden. Leave to cool on baking tray for a few minutes, then remove to a wire rack to cool completely.