Chocolate Chip Cookies

The Edmond’s Sure To Rise cookbook is a kiwi institution. Every New Zealand household must have one, and I am certain no kid leaves home without getting their very own copy. I have had three or four copies over the years – they are always stolen by people in share houses I’ve lived in around the world.

The book covers everything, baking included, and the best of all baking recipes are the Chocolate Chip or Sante biscuits. The secret ingredient is Edmond’s Sure to Rise baking powder, but really any old baking powder will do.  These are so easy to make, just watch the time in the oven because the bottoms can caramelise (read burn) very quickly.

Ingredients

125g butter, softened
1/4 cup sugar
3 tbsp sweetened condensed milk
few drops of vanilla essence

1 1/2 cups plain flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 cup chocolate chips

Preheat the oven to 180 degrees C. Cream butter, sugar, condensed milk and vanilla essence until light and fluffy. Sift flour and baking powder together and mix into creamed mixture. Add chocolate chips. Roll tablespoons of the mix into balls and place on a greased oven tray. Use a a fork dipped in flour to flatten each ball. Bake for 20 minutes, but keep an eye on them and pull them out as soon as the bottoms go golden.

Makes about 25 cookies.