Upcycle left over pantry ingredients to make these deliciously chewy cookies full of yum. Pantry raiding has never tasted so good!
This recipe is inspired by a bit of spring cleaning in my cupboards and it combines two of my favourite things – baking and decluttering so this recipe is a win-win if you ask me.
The beauty of this recipe is how versatile it is. You can throw in any seeds, oats, nuts and dried fruits you have lurking in the pantry. Every batch might have slightly different ingredients but the end result will always be delicious. You can even use leftover chocolate if you have any… although there’s no such thing in our house so I use chocolate chips instead.
Talking of decluttering, I’ve been going mad for it this year. We’ve had a massive clear-out and I’ve become borderline obsessed with Vinted which for my non-UK friends is an online marketplace where you can sell second hand clothes and accessories. I find decluttering so therapeutic whether it’s in a bedroom wardrobe or a messy kitchen cupboard! And yes, I’m sad to say all my kitchen cupboards are messy!
Anyway, back to the cookies… One of my favourite things about them is that they’re so make-ahead friendly. Once the dough is prepped and rolled, you can pop the cookies in the fridge for a few hours or even overnight, and then bake them whenever you’re ready. Fresh cookies on demand? Yes please!
They’re super easy to make with a mixer or the Thermomix, but whatever you do, make sure you brown the butter on the stove. I know it’s an extra step (and an extra item of washing up), but it’s so worth it. It adds the most incredible rich, caramel flavour – think minimum effort for maximum yum!
These cookies are the perfect excuse to clear out your pantry and feel smug about not letting anything go to waste. A little spring clean… but let’s make it delicious.
Have you been on a decluttering kick lately – pantry, wardrobe, or both? What random ingredients would you throw into these cookies if you were raiding your cupboards?
Makes 18 large cookies
Ingredients
150g butter
150g brown sugar
100g caster sugar
1 large egg, beaten
255g plain flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
3/4 teaspoon sea salt flakes
100g chocolate chips (milk, dark or white or a combo)
50g seeds, oats or nuts, roughly chopped
50g dried fruit
How to – Traditional
- First brown the butter. Melt the butter in a small pan over a medium high heat, stirring occasionally until it starts to foam, turn golden and smell nutty. Tip into a large bowl and set aside to cool for 20 minutes.
- In a separate bowl, use a fork to mix the flour, baking powder, bicarb and salt and set aside.
- When the butter has cooled, add the sugars to it and beat with an electric mixer for about 2 minutes. The mixture should be nice and smooth.
- Add the egg and mix for another 2 minutes until well combined.
- Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture and mix until just combined.
- Add the chocolate, nuts and dried fruit and fold in until evenly distributed.
- Line a baking tray with baking paper and scoop heaped tablespoons of dough on to it. Pop the tray in the fridge for at least 2 hours or even overnight.
- When you’re ready to bake, preheat oven to 180C, line 2 large baking trays with baking paper and arrange the dough balls on the trays leaving space between each to allow for spreading. Bake for 12-15 minutes – swapping the trays around in the oven halfway through – until golden and just set.
- Cool the cookies on the trays for 10 minutes and then transfer to a rack to cool completely.
How to – Thermomix
- Add the flour, baking powder, bicarb and salt to the TM bowl. Mix for 5 seconds on speed 5. Transfer to a medium sized bowl and set aside. Don’t worry about washing the TM bowl.
- Now brown the butter. Melt the butter in a small pan over a medium high heat, stirring occasionally until it starts to foam, turn golden and smell nutty. Tip into the thermomix bowl and set aside to cool for 20 minutes.
- When the butter has cooled, add the sugars and mix for 20 seconds on speed 4. The mixture should be nice and smooth.
- Add the egg and mix for another 20 seconds on speed 4.
- Add the flour mixture to the TM bowl and mix for another 20 seconds on speed 4. Scrape down sides of bowl and mix for another 10 seconds on speed 4 until just combined.
- Add the chocolate, nuts and dried fruit and mix for 15 seconds on reverse speed 3 or until evenly distributed.
- Line a baking tray with baking paper and scoop heaped tablespoons of dough on to it. Pop the tray in the fridge for at least 2 hours or even overnight.
- When you’re ready to bake, preheat oven to 180C, line 2 large baking trays with baking paper and arrange the dough balls on the trays leaving space between each to allow for spreading. Bake for 12-15 minutes – swapping the trays around in the oven halfway through – until golden and just set.
- Cool the cookies on the trays for 10 minutes and then transfer to a rack to cool completely.
