Add Anything Choc Chip Cookies

Baking
Written By Penelope Maguire

These cookies are so good to have in your repertoire — they come together quickly in one bowl (plus one for melting the butter), and you can stir the whole thing with just a spoon. They're a blank canvas for whatever you're craving: chopped nuts, dried fruits like apricots or raisins, cornflakes, any kind of chocolate, spices, citrus zest, even frozen or freeze-dried fruit.

With mixing taking under 5 minutes, a 30-minute chill, and under 20 minutes in the oven, you can have warm, chewy cookies on the table within the hour. Easy enough for the kids to make.

This recipe has been developed over the years through my cafés and restaurants — Kind Grocer, Kind Company (these were vegan versions), Kindred, and Petal Studios — and now it's just for my family. Originally based on a Sally’s Baking Addiction recipe, it’s evolved quite a bit: I swapped in two whole eggs (rather than one egg plus a yolk because i feel sad for the wasted white!) and added a bit more cornflour to compensate, plus dropped the chilling time due to needing to get fresh cookies in the cafe cabinet quick! If you don’t have cornflour, it’s fine to replace it with the same amount of regular flour (so 295g flour, zero cornflour) — you’ll get a softer, slightly ‘cakier’ cookie.

Why You’ll Love It

  • One bowl

  • No mixer required

  • Easy clean-up

  • Ready in under an hour

  • Customisable with whatever you love (or need to use up)

The Recipe

Makes: Around 12 cookies
Prep time: 5 mins
Chill time: 30 mins
Bake time: 15–17 mins

Ingredients

  • 125g white sugar

  • 125g brown sugar

  • 270g plain flour

  • 25g cornflour (or sub regular flour)

  • 1 tsp baking soda, ideally sifted

  • Big pinch of salt

  • 1 C chocolate chips (milk, dark or white)

  • ½–1 C add-ins (see below for ideas)

  • 170g butter, melted

  • 2 eggs, whisked into cooled melted butter

Method

  1. In a large bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients (except chocolate and add-ins).

  2. Stir in melted butter and eggs until just combined — no streaks of flour, but don’t over mix it.

  3. Fold in chocolate chips and your chosen extras.

  4. Chill the dough for 20–30 minutes.

  5. Scoop into balls and place on a lined tray. (Here is where you can add a thumbprint of jam or nut butter)

  6. Bake at 170°C for around 15 minutes, or until the edges are golden but the centres are still a little soft.

Tips

  • Freeze extra cookie dough balls for up to 3 months. Bake from frozen or defrost for 20 minutes first for a flatter cookie.

  • Dough can be portioned and chilled up to 24 hours ahead.

  • If you do have scales here’s a good grams - cups converter

  • Decorate with fresh or dried flowers! Like my home grown - spray free nontoxic flowers for cookies and cakes

Add-In Inspiration for he whole family

  • White chocolate, macadamia & lemon zest

  • Dark chocolate & dried cherries

  • Milk chocolate & freeze-dried strawberries

  • Dark chocolate, crushed pretzels & salted peanuts

  • White chocolate + thumbprint of lemon curd (check out my recipe here)

  • Dark chocolate + thumbprint of plum jam

  • While chocolate filled with a drop of caramel once cooked and cooled

  • White chocolate + frozen raspberries (fold gently)

  • Insant espresso powder folded through dough , frosted with cream cheese icing , dusted with cocoa powder (tiramisu)

Botanically inspired cookie add-ins for he more adventurous

  • Dark chocolate, cinnamon, raisin

  • Chocolate, cardamom + thumbprint of tahini

  • Dark chocolate, rosemary and sea salt

  • Chocolate + chilli flakes & lime zest

  • Lavender + white chocolate

  • Rose petal, raspberry + cardamom

  • Orange zest + rosemary

  • Lemon balm + blueberry

  • Fennel seed + dark chocolate

  • Chamomile + honeycomb

  • Mint + cacao nibs

  • Crystallised ginger + lemon verbena

  • Violet sugar + pistachio

  • Calendula + citrus zest

  • Cinnamon, chopped walnuts + dark chocolate

  • Cardamom, pistachio + white chocolate

  • Ginger, molasses + chunks of crystallised ginger

  • Nutmeg, chopped pecans + brown butter

  • Five spice + dark chocolate + orange zest

  • Allspice + dried figs + dark chocolate

  • Clove + raisins + oats (think spiced oatmeal raisin)

  • Chai spice blend + white chocolate chips

  • Smoked paprika + dark chocolate + flaky sea salt

  • Black pepper + lemon zest + white chocolate

  • Star anise + freeze-dried plum pieces

  • Coriander seed (lightly crushed) + dried cherries + dark chocolate

ENJOY!!

Penelope Maguire
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