Blueberry and white chocolate cookies

Blueberry and white chocolate cookies are packed with the flavours of tangy dried blueberries and creamy white chocolate.

They are perfect for lunchboxes, picnics or simply to enjoy with a cup of tea or coffee.

The things I like about this cookie recipe are:

• The cookie dough is quick and easy to prepare with very little that can go wrong.
• You will only need one large bowl which keeps washing up to a minimum.
• The cookies don't need to be chilled before baking which saves on preparation time.
• The cookie dough can be prepared ahead of time and stored in the fridge or frozen.
• But most importantly they are packed with flavour and are hard to resist.

Similar to chocolate chip cookies these homemade cookies are perfect for making in bulk and freezing to keep you in supply for the days or weeks ahead.

Or you may wish to try chocolate and ginger cookies or sweet potato cookies. If you can't decide which to make why not try a batch of each?

The quantities in this cookie recipe are sufficient to make around 25 biscuits.

Cookie ingredients

• 125 grams butter - use either salted or unsalted butter depending on your preference. Take the butter out of the fridge before starting this recipe to let it soften so that it is easier to mix with the sugar.

• 125 grams caster sugar - if you don't have caster sugar you can blitz granulated sugar in a food processor to reduce e the size of the sugar granules.

• 1 egg - medium or large.

• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract or essence - if you are using vanilla essence use a good quality brand.

• 125 grams oats - you can use either small rolled oats or jumbo oats for this cookie recipe.

• 100 grams dried blueberries - use dried blueberries for this recipe. Fresh or frozen blueberries contain more water than dried blueberries and are not suitable for this blueberry cookie recipe.

• 100 grams white chocolate chunks - you can cut squares of white chocolate into chunks or use a packet of white chocolate chips.

• 150 grams plain flour (all purpose flour) - alternatively you can use self-raising flour but omit the baking powder.

• 2 teaspoons baking powder - use this only if you are using plain flour. If you are using self-raising flour you will not need baking powder.

How to make blueberry and white chocolate cookies

Cream together the butter and sugar.

Add the egg and vanilla essence and mix. Add the oats and mix again.

Add the flour, baking powder, blueberries and white chocolate chunks or chips and mix together. I find it easier to mix using a wooden spoon rather than an electric mixer because the cookie mixture will be dry and stiff at this stage. Finish by forming the cookie dough into a ball using your hands.

Form biscuit shapes by hand, about 3 cm in diameter. Place on non-stick baking sheets on baking trays, leaving a space between each cookie to allow room for expansion.

Your blueberry and white chocolate cookies are now ready to be baked.

How to bake

Cook one tray at a time in the centre of the oven at 180^oC, 350^oF, gas mark 4 until the edges just start to turn golden. This will take around 10 minutes but check regularly, say after 5 minutes, to avoid overcooking as they will cook quickly. It is likely that you will need to bake the cookies in two or three batches depending on the size of your oven and the size of baking sheet.

The cookies will still be soft when they are ready to be taken out of the oven and will set as they cool down. Don't be tempted to leave in the oven any longer as they will overcook and become hard.

If you have an Aga, cook each tray of biscuits on the grid shelf on the floor of the roasting oven with the cold plain shelf on the second set of runners.

How to store the unbaked cookie dough

• The unbaked cookie dough can be covered and stored in the fridge for 1 to 2 days before baking. Remove from the fridge to bring to room temperature before forming cookie shapes and baking.
• The dough can also be frozen in balls. Defrost at room temperature, form cookie shapes and bake.

How to store the baked cookies

• You can store the baked cookies in an airtight tin for 2 to 3 days. After this time they will start to go soft and will not be at their best.
• The baked cookies can be frozen in an airtight container. Defrost either at room temperature on in a microwave on half powder or defrost setting.

Tips

1. If you don't have dried blueberries then other dried fruit could be substituted. Similarly, you could use dark chocolate chunks in place of white chocolate if preferred.
2. If you are using a block of white chocolate instead of chocolate chips, cut into small chunks using a sharp knife.
3. Remember to leave a space between the cookies to allow room for expansion while baking.
4. The biscuits will be ready to be taken out of the oven when they have a pale golden colour at the edge. They will still be soft at this stage and it is easy to think they need to be cooked a little longer. Don't be tempted to leave the cookies in the oven for too long as they will easily become overcooked.
5. The homemade cookies can be stored in an airtight container for a couple of days. I find that it is better to freeze them if they are to be kept any longer than two days so they can be enjoyed at their best. The frozen cookies can be defrosted at room temperature or in a microwave. This recipe is ideal for bulk baking and freezing to give you a good supply of homemade cookies.
6. The unbaked cookie dough can be covered and stored in the fridge for 1 to 2 days before baking. Remove from the fridge to b ring to room temperature before forming cookie shapes and baking. It can also be frozen in balls. Defrost at room temperature, form cookie shapes and bake.

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