Priya’s Big Lunch Tea & Biscuits
(Chocolate Chip Cookies & Chai)
These chocolate chip cookies are a real favourite of ours – the kids and I have made countless batches together!
Ingredients
For the Cookies:
- 125g unsalted butter
- 80g granulated sugar
- 140g soft brown sugar
- 1 large egg
- 220g self raising flour
- Pinch of salt
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 200g chocolate chips
- 50g chopped pecans (optional)
Ingredients
For the Chai:
Chai is Indian tea, brewed in a saucepan and full of warm sweet spices. It was the only tea I drank until I was in my late teens and I quite enjoy the ritual of making it. It’s the first thing I reach for when I’m feeling a little under the weather or just want a little home comfort. You can also use the spice blend in bakes in the same way you would any ground spices – I’ve used it in breads/cakes/cookies and even in buttercream. You can also adjust the spices to your own tastes. This recipe makes enough for a small batch that can be kept for months in an airtight container.
- 1.5 tsp ground cardamom
- ½ tsp ground ginger
- ½ tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/8 tsp ground cloves (a pinch!)
- ¼ tsp ground white pepper (black is fine you can’t find white)
- ¼ tsp nutmeg
- 2 tsp loose black tea/2 black teabags
- 2-3 tsp sugar
- 300ml water
- 130ml milk (I use whole)
Method
Step 1
For the cookies, preheat the oven to 180°C fan and line two baking trays with greaseproof or baking paper.
Step 2
Using an electric whisk, cream together the butter and sugars. Add the egg and vanilla (you may need to scrape the butter off the sides), then add the flour, salt and chocolate chips. Bring together just until the mixture resembles wet sand.
Step 3
Roll into balls about the size of a walnut and space out on a baking tray leaving about 3 inches between the balls.
Step 4
Bake for 8-10 minutes then leave to cool on the baking tray (the cookies will wrinkle and flatten as they cool).
Top tips!
- These cookies spread a lot so need to be made in batches, have a second tray lined and ready to put into the oven to speed things up (otherwise just make sure your baking tray has cooled before popping the next batch on).
- You can substitute the chocolate chips for Smarties or crushed Mini Eggs which kids really enjoy!
Step 5
For the Chai, add 300ml water to a small saucepan, 2 tsp sugar, ¼ of the Chai blend and 2 tsp loose tea (or rip open the 2 teabags)
Step 6
Bring to the boil then add the milk and bring to the boil again (be careful not to let it boil over – this happens easily) Simmer for 3-5 minutes until the tea is a deep golden brown.
Step 7
Strain through a fine sieve and serve!
Top tips!
- If you’re using teabags you’ll need to give the pan a little stir to help infuse the tea in Step 5.
- Love ginger? You can add a little fresh ginger in Step 6.
- If you’d rather use a plant-based milk Oat would be a good sub as it’s quite thick (any would be fine though), you wouldn’t need to brew it as long in Step 6.
- Soak the pan straight after pouring out your tea – it makes the washing up much easier!
Thanks to Priya O’Shea for this recipe!
