I love a cookie. I’m assuming you do too, otherwise you probably won’t be reading this!!

These cookies, I thought I’d use some rhubarb as they are in season right now and it is just so delicious. When cooked right, it is such a versatile vegetable and has a vibrant pink colour which looks so beautiful in many bakes and desserts! Make sure to chop the rhubarb into small pieces, too big and it won’t cook properly. The vegetable works well in this cookie as it really complements the sweet dough with the small bursts of tangy rhubarb throughout.

Here are a few tips and tricks to get the perfectly chewy cookie:

• Make sure to use butter, not margarine. Butter is essential for cookies, if you use margarine, they will be too soft and will spread way too much in the oven. Plus you won’t get that rich buttery flavour you obviously get from butter.
• Chill your cookie dough! It can be so tempting to chuck them in the oven straight away and eat them! But trust me, they will be so much better if you chill the dough for a couple hours or overnight. The flavours have time to develop and will make the cookie much chewier and will spread less.
• Straight out of the oven, tap the tray onto a stable worktop to flatten the cookie. This will ensure they are lovely and and chewy in the middle and a crispy edge! So delicious!
• No oven time! Look at the cookie to judge when it’s ready. Primarily because all ovens are different, all cookies are different sizes and thicknesses. I always bake until the edges are browning but the middle is still soft. It is better to under bake, as they will continue to cook for a couple minutes after they are out of the oven.

Makes about 16 medium cookies

 

Ingredients:

125g Butter

125g Light Brown Sugar

100g Caster Sugar

1 tsp. Vanilla

1 tsp. Salt

225g Self-Raising Flour

1 egg

100g Diced Fresh Rhubarb

 

Method:

1. In a free standing mixer, cream the butter, sugar, vanilla and salt until pale and fluffy.
2. Add the egg to the mix, and continue mixing.
3. Add the Flour and Rhubarb. Mix on a low speed just until it has combined, make sure not to over mix otherwise the cookies will become tough.
4. Roll into 16 balls. Place on a tray lined with baking paper, then chill for a couple hours or overnight.
5. Preheat the oven to 170 degrees. Flatten the balls slightly and place on a tray, making sure they are spaced out enough as they do spread a lot!
6. Bake for about 8-10 mins. The key is to not over bake them, it is better to be slightly under as you want them to be soft and chewy. They should have hardened on the outside, but still lovely and soft on the inside.
7. Once they are out of the oven, tap the tray on a hard surface to make them lovely and flat.
8. Store in an airtight container. They are best eaten on the day but will be ok for another two days.

 

Enjoy!