Baking: Revisited (with bonus recipe)

The experimental cookies seemed to go down a treat, so with that in mind, I decided to whip up another batch to take along to a BBQ flat warming last weekend. This time, the intention was to make a rather more traditional batch, however. 


Disaster very nearly struck again, when I managed to have an absolute brain-fail of a moment and forget to buy an vital ingredient, despite going on a trip to the supermarket purely to buy it. After last time, you'd think there was no way I could have stuffed up the condensed milk again, wouldn't you? But no. My mastery of the ancient art of shopping lists clearly needs work. 


K Rd, whilst a lovely place and full of character and entertainment, isn't exactly overflowing with useful shops selling vital baking ingredients and I was already running late. I dashed madly up and down the street, in and out of dairies, manically hunting the shelves for a tin of condensed milk.


As a last resort, I popped into Lim Chhour. Lim Chhour was a staple of my student days, a supplier of tasty noodles and green tea, a place where we went to find something interesting to inspire our weird and wonderful cooking, rather than a place where we went for the basics. If ever we did attempt to find the basics there, in a moment of desperation or folly, we were always destined for disappointment. Not this time. Let it be known that on this occasion, Lim Chhour saved my baking bacon.


Tin of condensed milk in hand and smile on face, I returned to complete recipe. I'm assured they made a delicious post-Costa-Rican-BBQ-hangover-breakfast. Cookies are an anytime food! Side note: If you ever get a chance to attend a Costa Rican BBQ, you should do this. In fact, you should drop everything to do this. The food, oh my, the food. So very delicious.


Of course, the company at this one was outstanding in quality, too. Pretty much an all round perfect Sunday afternoon in my books. Sun, laughter, good conversation, good people, good food, good wine, good rum (OK, good whisky would have been better, but you try arguing that with a Costa Rican!)


I had several people ask for the recipe for the cookies after the last batch, so I may as well post that here, too. Excuse the horrid phone photo. The recipe is pretty standard: Dead easy to make and as demonstrated by my stuff-up last time I made them, incredibly forgiving.


Chocolate Chip Cookies

• 4 oz of butter (softened, but not melted)
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 cup flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 2 tbsp condensed milk
• Approximately half a large block of chocolate, roughly chopped. I prefer Whittakers 72% Dark Ghana

Heat oven to 325°F or 162°C.

In a medium size bowl, cream butter and sugar. Add the condensed milk. Sieve the flour and baking powder into the liquid mix and add the chocolate and combine with a wooden spoon.

Using a teaspoon, take a scoop of cookie dough and roll into a ball. Press flat on a baking tray using either fingers or a fork if you want a pattern on top.

Bake for 10-12 minutes, until the edges just start to go golden brown. Take out from oven to cool and harden.