Chocolate, fruit and nut cookies
By Simon Holst
These cookies are quite simply too good. They’re tasty, crunchy and everyone loves them. You can combine just about any dried fruit and nuts to come up with your own flavours.
Here are some that work: raisins and pecan nuts; cherries and almonds; sultanas, dates and walnuts; dates, crystallised ginger and cashews. Similarly all varieties of chocolate chips milk, dark and white chocolate – all taste great.
Ingredients
Makes 25 cookies:
- 200g butter, softened
- ½ cup sugar
- 3 Tbsp sweetened condensed milk
- 1 3/4 cups of flour
- 2 tsp baking powder
- ½ cup chocolate chips
- ½ cup sultanas or raisins
- ½ -¾ cup roughly chopped unsalted nuts – peanuts, walnuts, pecans or cashews
Method
1. Turn oven on to 180°C
2. Put the butter and sugar in a large bowl, then beat till pale and creamy. Add the condensed milk and beat again until well mixed
3. Sift in the flour and baking powder, then sprinkle in the chocolate chips, raisins and nut pieces. Stir to combine.
4. Cover the oven tray(s) with baking paper or a non-stick liner. Divide the mixture in half then roll each half into 12-15 balls. Arrange the balls on the oven trays leaving 6cm-8cm between each for spreading. Then flatten them with the heel of your hand to about 1cm thick.
5. Bake for 15-20 mins, or until they are browned around the edges. Leave to cool on the tray for 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.
6. Store in an airtight container on a very high shelf!