Cookies Subway style

I think cookies are probably my favourite things to make. They're always easy to whip up and I invariably have all the ingredients in my pantry or refrigerator, which is always stocked with at least 2 or 3 blocks of butter! Cookies also seem to be universally loved - even if people don't have a sweet tooth or won't be tempted by cake, they will pretty much never turn down a cookie.

As you may know from my earlier posts, last Christmas I gave my best friend a never ending cookie jar (valid for 12 months only!) that I top up with different cookies pretty much every fortnight. As my biggest consumer of cookies, my best friend has a preference for soft chewy Subway style cookies - a preference that I, and my husband and 3 brothers share. I've never been a crunchy biscuit gal, and I always aim to make cookies that are just slightly under done to get the perfect softness.

Cornflake, choc chip + marshmallow

This past weekend I went on a cookie baking rampage, driven solely out of boredom and also research. I wanted to know how to make those big soft Subway style cookies that are all over the US, and I found the perfect recipe for it in my Ben & Jerry's recipe book - this is the same cookie recipe that they use for their cookie dough ice cream! I tried it (using an ice cream scooper to get the perfect sized cookie) and was happy to see that they turned out pretty much like the real thing!

Ingredients - makes 12 big cookies

125g butter, at room temperature, cubed
1/4 cup caster sugar
1/3 cup brown sugar
1 large egg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup + 2 tablespoons of flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup dark chocolate chips
1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Method

1. Preheat oven to 180 degrees Celsius and line two baking trays with baking paper.
2. In a bowl, mix together the flour, baking soda and salt.
3. In a mixing bowl, beat together the sugars and butter until fluffy. Add the salt, vanilla extract and egg and beat for another minute or two more.
4. Add the dry mixture to the wet mixture, bit by bit in thirds, mixing well after each addition. Mix until all well combined.
5. With a wooden spoon, mix in the chocolate chips and walnuts (or variations of toppings - see below).
6. Using an ice cream scoop, scoop out perfect rounds of cookie dough and place onto the sheets, leaving plenty of space around them as they spread out. Flatten the cookie balls with the back of a spoon until about just under 1cm thick.
7. Bake both trays in the oven for 10 minutes, but switch them after 5 minutes to ensure that the bottom layer doesn't get burnt.
8. After 10 minutes (for a soft cookie, about 12-15 for a crunchier one), remove from oven, allow to sit in tray for another few minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool to room temperature. The cookies continue to cook even after you remove them from the oven, so don't leave them in there for too long!

The first batch of cookies turned out so well that I subsequently made variations to it that very same day! Doing a double batch, I split the dough - for one lot I added a cup of cornflakes, 1/2 cup dark chocolate chips and then added mini marshmallows at the very end, pressing onto the top; and for the second batch I added dark choc chips and white choc chips. All three variations came out delicious and they were gobbled up very quickly by my best friend and my brothers!

With what I had left, I was inspired to scoop some vanilla ice-cream in between them and create ice-cream sandwiches. Wrapping them in cling wrap, they're sitting in my freezer calling my name!

thesuzchef x