Written by Annalisa

* 175g self raising flour
* pinch salt
* 75g butter, softened
* 75g soft brown sugar
* 75g granulated sugar (must be granulated)
* half a teaspoon of vanilla essence
* half a teaspoon of water (I can’t see this makes much difference but have never dared leave it out!)
* 1 large egg
* 100g walnuts (or whatever nuts you like, I alse use almonds)
* 100g plain or milk chocolate according to taste, chopped

This recipe comes from a little book I was given when I was 12 and I’ve been making these cookies ever since. You can leave out the nuts if you don’t like them/can’t have them and I think they also make nice treats for children. Not health food but at least you know there’s no hydrogenated vegetable crap in them.

This is what you do:

Preheat oven to 180C/gas mark 4/350F

Grease two baking trays. Cream together the butter, sugars, vanilla nd water and blend well. Beat in the egg, then the flour and salt. Add the nuts and the chocolate chips last. Drop by teaspoonfuls on the baking trays. They will spread so live a bit of room in between each one. If you run out of trays don’t worry you can cook in batches (parchment paper is a good idea in this case).

Cook for ten minutes. Make sure you don’t overcook or they won’t be lovely and chewy. I check after about eight minutes, they should be very lightly golden.