White Chocolate and Cranberry Cookies

These are possibly the best cookies I have ever tasted (from an incredibly biased source, myself). For years I have been trying to replicate the famous Subway cookies; not so much in flavour, but in the perfect soft texture and ultimate chewiness. This is the closest recipe I've created without needing to chill the dough prior to baking, because my stomach certainly does not account for chilling time when it comes to a cookie craving.

You can absolutely use this base recipe and add whatever extras you like - this particular recipe would be fabulous with some crushed macadamias through it for an extra crunch. You could also change out the white chocolate for dark, and use dried cherries for more of a Cherry Ripe vibe. Whatever you choose, it is crucial to add a tiny pinch of salt to any recipe with chocolate or this much sugar. The salt not only offsets the sweetness, but also seasons the chocolate and gives it a richer, more balanced flavour.

These cookies are incredibly soft, so they need a good 15 - 20 minutes to cool on the baking tray before transferring to a wire rack, otherwise they will very quickly crack down the middle and fall through the gaps in the cooling rack. If you feel your cookies are slightly too soft, you can store them in the fridge overnight or for a few hours before serving to allow the butter to harden.

Ingredients:

• 125g Butter, Softened

• 1/2 Cup Brown Sugar

• 1/2 Cup Caster Sugar

• 1 Egg

• 1 Tsp Vanilla Extract

• 1 1/4 Cup Plain Flour

• 1 Tsp Baking Powder

• 1 Cup White Chocolate Chips

• 1/2 Cup Dried Cranberries

• Pinch of Salt

Let's Make These Cookies:

1. Pre heat oven to 170 degrees Celsius, fan forced, and line a tray with baking paper.

2. In a large mixing bowl, beat butter and both sugars until light and fluffy. I prefer to use a whisk at this stage, and switch to a wooden spoon when it's time to add the flour.

3. Add the egg, vanilla, and salt, and mix until combined.

4. Sift in the flour and baking powder, and mix until incorporated. Be sure not to over mix the flour at this stage. Toss in the chocolate chips and dried cranberries and fold through.

5. Scoop the dough using a tablespoon, and with another of the same size, quenelle the dough into a smooth ball. Place on tray and allow around 20cm between each ball to allow room for spreading. Lightly press down on dough to give it a flat top.

6. Bake in oven for 8 minutes at 170 degrees, then crank up the oven to 190 and allow the cookies to cook for a further minute.

7. Allow cookies to cool slightly on the baking tray before transferring to a wire rack to cook completely. The cookies will be too soft fresh out of the oven, so resist the urge to cool them quickly for a cheeky taste test.

Store cookies in an airtight container for up to 5 days.

Makes a dozen Subway size cookies