Basic cookie recipe

By: Rachel Allen From: Rachel Allen: Christmas Bake!

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This recipe is classed as easy

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4.80/5 (5 votes cast)

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Prep time:
15 mins
Cook time:
15 mins
Serves:
makes 35 cookies

Rachel Allen’s recipe is a great basis for many flavour combinations – dried fruits, nuts, spices and even lavender are worth experimenting with

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Ingredients

  • 225g Butter, at room temperature
  • 110g caster sugar
  • 275g plain flour
  • ground spices, or finely grated zest (optional)
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Method

1. Preheat the oven to 170C/gas 3.

2. Cream the butter in a large bowl or in a food mixer until soft and creamy. Add the sugar and beat until the mixture is pale and fluffy.

3. Sift in the flour and spices or grated zest (if using) and bring the mixture together to form a firm dough.

4. Using your hands, roll the dough into walnut-sized balls and place them slightly apart on a baking tray (no need to grease or line). Flatten them slightly with the back of a damp fork and bake in the oven for 13–15 minutes, or until they are light golden brown and slightly firm on top.

5. Carefully transfer the cookies to a wire rack to cool.

Adapted from Rachel Allen, Bake (Collins)

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Latest Comment

View all comments (27)

really simple and easy to clean up after. I put some cocoa powder in with the flour to make them chocolate, they were devine!

alexL25851 alexL25851 Posted 12 Nov 2009 10:45 AM
 

great recipe even for a rubbish cook like me. I added chopped up terrys chocolate orange. they are lush.

natashaJ69576 natashaJ69576 Posted 26 Sep 2009 5:08 PM
 

fab recipe i added lemon and apricot

josh96 josh96 Posted 24 Aug 2009 1:15 PM
 

I did citrus biscuits and hazelnut biscuits at the weekend using this recipe and they turned out great - as always! I posted a step by step guide with pics on my blog at http://fed-and-watered.blogspot.com/

LouiseM55093 LouiseM55093 Posted 22 Jul 2009 9:50 AM
 

this was so easy to follow my 3 yr old loved helping, we added fresh cherries and some cadbury's milk chocolate cut into small chunks! YUMYUM!!

JohnN657 JohnN657 Posted 14 Jul 2009 3:44 PM
 

this was so easy to follow my 3 yr old loved helping, we added fresh cherries and some cadbury's milk chocolate cut into small chunks! YUMYUM!!

JohnN657 JohnN657 Posted 14 Jul 2009 3:43 PM
 

Lovely easy cookie recipe. I made lemon ones and they came out tasting delicious!

ChantalS2289 ChantalS2289 Posted 11 Jul 2009 1:13 PM
 

i love these cookies so much they are so tasty!!!

Anonymous Anonymous Posted 04 Jul 2009 7:26 PM
 

5 STAR AND REAL EASY TO FOLLOW

Anonymous Anonymous Posted 04 Jul 2009 12:25 PM
 

An excellent basic recipe, for me it resulted in a light, crumbly cookie with a texture not unlike that of shortbread (i did skimp a little on the butter thanks to a lack of ingerdients) I flavoured mine with lemon and ginger and they were all gone in no time.

Anonymous Anonymous Posted 27 Jun 2009 11:51 AM
 

Wow these cookies are wonderful!! i have done so many different variations and they have turned out great everytime

Anonymous Anonymous Posted 24 Jun 2009 2:41 PM
 

These are absolutely amazing, try adding maltesers or raisins... :) xxx Btw im onlt 13, and i found these sooo easy to make. This recipe is, simply, easy, fun and creative, try it with your children, i enjoyed it, they will to :) xxx

Anonymous Anonymous Posted 24 Jun 2009 1:33 PM
 

okay dokey, i will comment when i have tried them :)

Anonymous Anonymous Posted 24 Jun 2009 12:08 PM
 

Great recipie for kids. My children loved making these cookies. A real quick and easy way to introduce them to cooking. Thankyou

Anonymous Anonymous Posted 23 Jun 2009 3:09 PM
 

if you use plain flour wont it mean that the cookies wont rise?

Anonymous Anonymous Posted 21 Jun 2009 11:47 AM
 

This was a really easy and lovely recipe. I added some raisins and some cinammon. Will definately make these again. Thank you

NickiC47342 NickiC47342 Posted 17 May 2009 8:23 PM
 

Brilliant cookies and have tried loads of different flavourings, so tasty

traceyT10301 traceyT10301 Posted 14 Mar 2009 3:49 PM
 

such fatastic cookies and so easy to make.

MariaD29709 MariaD29709 Posted 08 Mar 2009 9:07 AM
 

ur cookies r peng

jamesM12526 jamesM12526 Posted 13 Feb 2009 3:57 PM
 

great cookies, I used semi-sweet morsels from americansoda.co.uk, and used about 100g with a single batch

daveH76395 daveH76395 Posted 20 Nov 2008 8:49 PM
 

Could not believe that such an easy recipe produced such a delicious batch of cookies.

CatherineY31607 CatherineY31607 Posted 26 Oct 2008 3:24 PM
 

I made a batch of cookies with this reciepe and my grandchildren cleared them in no time I added some nuts and choc chips yum !!!!

PatriciaF98910 PatriciaF98910 Posted 25 Oct 2008 2:17 PM
 

first time at making cookies they were wonderful

janiceS61734 janiceS61734 Posted 18 Oct 2008 5:32 PM
 

A bit messy and fidley for me

ANDYP7180 ANDYP7180 Posted 15 Oct 2008 2:03 PM
 

This cookie Recipe is FAB I made orange poppy seed and cinnamon, making more today with choc chips don't expect them to last long!!!

KarenM55637 KarenM55637 Posted 12 Oct 2008 1:02 PM
 

Best cookie recipe I've ever used.I'll never buy cookies from the supermarket again.The recipe is quick,easy and delicious.I added choc n nuts to half the mix and smarties to the rest.Thankyou Rachel.

AnnO26815 AnnO26815 Posted 10 Oct 2008 1:20 PM
 

I made these cookies for work with chocolate chips and they disappeared very quickly!!! Very easy and quick to do.

hannahP24694 hannahP24694 Posted 10 Oct 2008 12:22 PM