Like a moth to a flame, like a mosquito drawn to your favourite black outfit, like the earth going around the sun, sometimes you must succumb to forces beyond your control. One of these forces is the siren call of the perfect chocolate chip cookie, and who among us has any power to resist?

If there is anything in a kitchen more alluring than a batch of chocolate chip cookies coming fresh out of the oven, I’ve yet to find it. Chocolate chip cookies loaded with dark chocolate chips (minimum 70 percent, unless you prefer milk chocolate) and packed with crushed walnuts – or hazelnuts, or almonds, or even no nuts – is the ultimate kitchen goal. If a chore-hater like me can have cookie dough ready in 20 minutes, so can you. 

Step 1

Preheat your oven to 350F/180C.  Line a baking tray with baking paper and set aside. Take 4oz unsalted butter out of the fridge so it is slightly softened – alternatively, heat it in the microwave in 10-second increments. Take 2 eggs out onto the counter so they are not fridge-cold. As with most decent baking projects, it will help if you have an electric mixer to cream together the butter and sugars (yes, we are going to be using both white and brown sugar here).

However, if you find yourself in a bind, you could put this together with a wooden spoon and a really strong mixing arm. Unlike a cake, a cookie is very forgiving. I once left the butter in the microwave for too long and made this with melted butter. No one noticed anything different. 

Step 2    

If you are using an electric beater, mix together 4oz softened unsalted butter, ¾ cup white sugar and ¾ cup soft brown sugar. Beat well. Add 1 cup vegetable oil. The combination of oil, butter and brown sugar will give your cookie a next-level soft texture, and the butter brings a delectable flavour. If you have no mixer, put the butter, sugars and oil in a large bowl and mix well with a wooden spoon. 

Step 3    

Add 2 eggs with 1 tbsp vanilla extract. Beat well. Then (at low speed, if you are using a mixer) add 4 cups flour with 2 tsp baking powder. Mix in 2 cups chocolate chips and 1 cup nuts of your choice (or omit them if you are not a fan) by hand. Scoop out balls of dough and place them wide apart on your baking tray, flattening slightly. (They will spread, so watch out.) I use my hands, but you can also use an ice cream scoop.

This recipe yields between 20 and 30 cookies, depending on how big you make them. Bake for 12 – 15 minutes, depending on how whether you want soft cookies or crunchy. The longer you leave them, the crunchier they will be. These will keep well in an air-tight box for a week. 

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