SWEET THINGS

Soft and Chewy Chocolate Chip Biscuits

Golden-edged chocolate chip biscuits with soft centres and milk chocolate puddles.

EASY

25 MINS + CHILL

MAKES 12

ABOUT THE RECIPE

Chocolate chip biscuits are only worth making if the edges are golden, the centres stay soft, and the chocolate goes a little molten. Brown sugar, an extra yolk and flaky salt do the quiet work here. Simple, reliable, and very much a permanent-rotation biscuit.

THE RECIPE

Ingredients

170g unsalted butter, softened (¾ cup)

110g brown sugar (½ cup, lightly packed)

100g white sugar (½ cup)

1 large free-range egg

1 large free-range egg yolk

1 tsp vanilla extract

250g plain flour (2 cups)

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp fine sea salt

180g milk chocolate chips (1 cup)

Flaky sea salt, for finishing

Method

1.

Beat the butter and sugars together until pale and fluffy. This is where you build that beautiful texture, so give it a proper minute or two.

2.

Add the egg and egg yolk and mix until smooth and slightly aerated, then stir through the vanilla.

3.

In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda and salt. Fold the dry ingredients into the butter mixture until just combined. Don’t overwork it. Stir through the chocolate chips. The dough will be soft and a little sticky.

4.

Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes. This helps the biscuits hold their shape and keeps the centres soft.

5.

Preheat your oven to 175°C fan-forced and line your tray with baking paper.

6.

Roll the dough into 12 even balls. If you’re using a square tray like mine, you’ll comfortably fit four biscuits per batch, so bake them in rounds to give them space to spread properly. Place the dough balls well apart and finish each with a light sprinkle of flaky sea salt.

7.

Bake for 10 minutes, until the edges are golden but the centres still look slightly soft. They’ll continue to set as they cool.

8.

Let them rest on the tray for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack.

SAMANTHA'S NOTES

Chill the dough

Do not overbake

Freeze the dough

Even 30 minutes in the fridge helps control spread and gives you thicker biscuits with soft centres. If your kitchen is warm, chill them a little longer.

Pull the biscuits out while the centres still look slightly soft. They will keep setting on the tray, which is what gives you that chewy middle.

Roll the dough into balls and freeze on a tray, then transfer to a container. Bake from frozen, adding 1 to 2 minutes when you want fresh biscuits.

KEEP COOKING