Days of the year: It’s National Bake Cookies Day!

It’s exactly one week until Christmas, and what better way to celebrate than by baking cookies? 18 December is National Bake Cookies Day!

The history behind cookies

Cookies arrived in America in the 17th century, though the word “koekje,” which means “little cake,” arrived much later with the Dutch.

This was quickly shortened to “cooky” or “cookie,” though cookies themselves appear to date back to 7th century Persia! Since then, they’ve grown into a global phenomenon with more varieties, flavors, and styles than you can imagine.

These “little cakes,” from fruit-filled cookies to the simple but delectable sugar cookie, are simply the most amazing thing to come out of an oven since bread.

Every year, people gather to celebrate Bake Cookies Day by baking dozens of these treats for charity drives, orphanages, and bringing joy to family and friends all over the world.

Celebrate this day by baking some choc-chip cookies

Grab those baking supplies and make these vintage chocolate chip cookies today:

Ingredients

• 150g salted butter, softened
• 80g light brown muscovado sugar
• 80g granulated sugar
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 large egg
• 225g plain flour
• ½ tsp bicarbonate of soda
• ¼ tsp salt
• 200g plain chocolate chips or chunks

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 190 degrees Celsius/fan 170 degrees Celsius/gas 5 and line two baking sheets with nonstick baking paper.
2. In a mixing bowl, combine 150g softened salted butter, 80g light brown muscovado sugar, and 80g granulated sugar and beat until creamy.
3. Mix in 2 tsp vanilla extract and 1 large egg.
4. Sift 225g plain flour, ½ tsp bicarbonate of soda and ¼ tsp salt into the bowl and mix it in with a wooden spoon.
5. Stir in 200g plain chocolate chips or chunks.
6. Make small scoops of the mixture with a teaspoon, spacing them well apart on the baking sheets. This mixture should yield approximately 30 cookies.
7. Bake for 8-10 minutes, or until the edges are light brown and the center is still slightly soft when pressed.
8. Allow to set on the tray for a few minutes before transferring to a cooling rack.

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