Baking: Choc-Chip Biscuits

In what turned out to be a long weekend full of "firsts" I discovered this little gem of a recipe. They may not look like all that much, but these little bikkies disappeared so quickly I was quite flattered! Of three dozen baked, none were left... so yes, I'm happy with this recipe! It can also be frozen at the "chill" step for at least a month. I omitted nuts, mainly through laziness, but I can see how they would make a nice addition.

Chocolate Chip Biscuits
(from Stephanie Alexander's "The Cook's Companion", pg 312)

125g plain flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp bicarb soda
120g roasted nuts (walnuts, pecans, hazelnuts, almonds), chopped
170g bittersweet chocolate, chopped (I used 70% dark belgium chocolate, and would recommend chopping it up fairly well)
110g softened unsalted butter
1/3 cup caster sugar
1/3 cup raw or brown sugar
1 egg

Sift flour, salt and bicarb soda into a large bowl. Add nuts and chocolate. In an electric mixer, cream butter, castor sugar and brown sugar until pale and fluffy. Add egg, then fold in chocolate mixture. Form into 2 logs about 4cm in diameter and wrap tightly in plastic film. Chill for 1 hour before baking.

Preheat oven to 175C and line a baking tray with baking paper. Unwrap logs and cut into 1.5cm thick slices. Place on baking tray, allowing room for spreading (LOTS of room for spreading), and bake 12 minutes. Cool on a wire rack.

The recipe lists a handy hint for freezing the mixture - slip each log inside a cardboard tube from a roll of kitchen paper to prevent the log freezing with 1 side flattened. Thaw at room temperature for 30 minutes before slicing.

This mix really does spread. I think the next time I make it I'll make the logs a bit smaller in diameter, which will in turn give me more biscuits. And I think keeping a log's-worth of mix in the freezer is a damn fine idea!