This post was originally published at Novelicious.com and is now at WritingTipsOasis.com. WritingTipsOasis.com acquired Novelicious.com in June 2022.
Everyone remembers Scruples, right? Originally published in 1978, it was the first juicy book I ever read (not, however, in 1978). I remember reading about the young Wilhelmina Hunnenwell Winthrop (Honey for short) from an old Bostonian family. I felt sorry for this young girl, motherless and ignored by her father, avoided by her peers. Doted on by Hannah the nursemaid/cook/housekeeper.
This Hannah would spoil her the only way she knew. Through feeding her. Honey realised, as she got older, she didn't have the same sort of family as her local friends. She didn't have the mother and the father – her father was, after all, always working. She just had Hannah. And Hannah would cook her cookies, pies, cakes, a vast array of dishes every single day.
To make up for her lack of mother and siblings, Honey would boast about her monied cousins and relatives. It did not bring her friends. And her cousins never seemed to take to her either. Perhaps sensing this, Hannah just baked for her all the more. She baked for love.
Until, that is, Honey went to Paris. And it all changed.
In Paris, Honey emerged as Billy. She returned to America after one year and went to the Katharine Gibbs School to learn shorthand and typing and found herself a job working for The Ikehorn Enterprises. Where she ended up marrying the billionaire owner himself. And that is where the story really starts…
Equipment
Baking trays covered in baking parchment, mixing bowl, saucepan.
Ingredients
200g dark or light brown soft sugar
100g caster sugar
175g butter
1 whole egg
1 egg yolk
300g plain flour
1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp salt
300g chocolate chunks or chips
Method
1. In a saucepan measure out the sugars and butter. Melt over a low heat.
2. Once melted, allow to cool then add the egg and egg yolk. Add the vanilla and beat well to ensure egg is well combined.
3. In a separate bowl combine the flour, salt, bicarbonate of soda.
4. Pour over the runny mixture into the flour mixture and mix well.
5. Add the chocolate chunks.
6. Form into a ball and cover in cling film or place in a food bag and refrigerate for at least half an hour.
7. Pre-heat oven to 170 regular or 150 fan.
8. Remove cookie dough from the fridge. Break off a size you'd like. I use the equivalent size of two thirds of an egg.
9. Form into a ball and place on the baking parchment on the baking trays.
10. Place in oven for about fifteen minutes. If making bigger adjust timing upwards by a couple of minutes. If making smaller reduce time by a couple of minutes.
11. Remove from oven. Then will be soft and squishy, but will firm up as they cool.