UAE, especially Dubai is a foodie’s paradise; you get to taste so many different types of foods from all over the world and you are never done with them. There is always something left that you would be eyeing to try over the next weekend. Isn’t that so?

It’s been a while since we have left the UAE but UAE’s food doesn’t seem to leave us, at all. It always haunts us especially when we are trying to find something to eat late at night here. Among all the things I miss about being in the UAE, food tops the list! No second thoughts about that. Yeah, I am a proud foodie 😀 Haha

Last weekend HI seemed to be missing his all-time favourite Ben’s cookies all of a sudden. He loved Ben’s Cookies so much that he could skip his meals and eat just those. I also used to enjoy consuming those over breakfasts with tea back there in Dubai. They are just ahhhmazingggg!  Those who don’t know what I am raving about; Ben’s cookies are not just regular cookies; they are Big, chunky, chewy and delish… and possess every right to be missed. Lol :p

So, coming back to the topic. HI expressed his desire and asked me to bake some of those. I was a bit baffled about the idea since Ben’s cookies are indeed the best and I did not want to mess with them.

Anyhow, I searched for the recipe and found one which had good reviews. Quickly, I scanned the ingredients and realized that everything is handy in my kitchen (altered some of the ingredients as per availability). And Tadaa, I was now ready to experiment *excited*

I thoroughly enjoyed the whole process of baking the cookies, I did not know baking is so much fun and it can excite me this much. Peeking inside the oven to check the progress, the colour turning golden brown, chocolate melting in the middle, dough taking proper shape of cookies – each stage provides you with a sense of accomplishment and encourages you to do more, especially when the end result is so very tempting, mouthwatering and beautiful 😉

The recipe is so easy and quick yet the cookies it yield turns out scrumptious and looks equally inviting. The effort is wayyyy less than the outcome, try it to believe it! 😉

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About Ben’s Cookies: Ben’s cookies are actually from England and are also available in Japan, Korea, Kuwait, KSA, Singapore, Thailand, UAE and USA (but not here in New Zealand *sigh*). They are big, chunky, chewy and delish, unlike the usual cookies.
It was founded in 1983 by Helge Rubinstein and co-founded by Karen Brooke Barnett. They are available in 20 different flavours but their signature one is Milk Chocolate Chunk.

Rating:   

Cuisine: English

Course:  Breakfast/ Snack/ Side

Makes:	10-11 cookies	Ease Level:
Prep Time:	20 mins	Quickness:
Baking Time:	15 mins	Sweet Level:

 Above ratings are out of 5, with 5 being the ‘most’.

GET:

Big Bowl
Small bowl
Teacup
Spoons
Oven
Baking Tray
Parchment/ Baking Paper

SET:

All-purpose flour 300gms (about 2 cups)
Baking powder 1.5 tsp
Salt 1 tsp
Unsalted butter (cut into small cubes) 170 gms + a little extra for greasing the baking trays
Brown, soft sugar 200gms (about a cup)
Icing sugar 70gms (about half a cup)
Vanilla extract 1 tsp
1 egg + 1 egg yolk
Milk chocolate (cut into big chunks) 200gms

GO:

Place the butter in a large bowl and melt it in the microwave until no solid bits remain.
Now mix in the brown, soft sugar and the icing sugar into the melted butter, followed by the vanilla extract.
Allow the mixture to cool down.
Preheat the oven to 160°C.
Place baking paper on large baking trays and lightly grease them.
Weigh out the flour into a large mixing bowl.
Stir in the salt and baking powder.
Break the eggs into a cup and when you are sure that the melted butter mixture is cool enough not to scramble the eggs, beat the eggs into the mixture.
Now tip the butter mixture into the flour mixture and stir well until everything is fully combined. You will have a fairly stiff dough at this stage.
Add in chocolate chunks.
Roll the dough pieces into balls and place them on the baking trays being sure to leave plenty of space between them (as shown below in pictures).
Now bake in the oven for 15 minutes or until slightly golden. You want the cookies to still feel very soft in the centre.
Allow the cookies to cool for a few minutes on the baking trays before transferring to a wire rack.

MY TWO CENTS:
Baking times may vary depending upon your oven, you may check the progress in between.
The cookies will taste the best on the same day but will keep well in an airtight container.
While melting the butter, cover the bowl with a lid on the top to avoid the butter spurting inside of the microwave.
If you don’t have a microwave, you can melt the butter gently in a pan on the hob.
Stick your finger in to test the temperature of butter before beating in the eggs. 

Hope you’ll enjoy trying it out.
I’d love to get your feedback. Feel free to drop a comment below about your experience.

Happy baking 😀