Chocolate chip & hazelnut cookies

In the fight to avoid buying over-sweet biscuits for special occasions or when people are coming for the weekend, these cookies hit the jackpot. They are light, full of flavour and packed with goodness from those delicious hazelnuts (my favourite nut). To keep the cookies light and fluffy, leave until completely cold, then store in airtight plastic boxes: this prevents them from becoming brittle. The unbaked dough also freezes beautifully. Simply bake from frozen at the temperature below for 20 minutes. MAKES ABOUT 27 170g plain flour 1 tsp baking powder 110g unsalted butter, softened 50g granulated sugar 100g light brown soft sugar ½ tsp salt 1 tsp vanilla extract 1 large egg 150g Belgian dark chocolate chips 50g shelled hazelnuts, toasted and roughly chopped

Preheat the oven to 180C/fan 160C/gas 4. Line 3 large baking sheets with baking parchment. (You will have to bake in batches if you don’t have this number of sheets or oven shelves.)

Sift the flour and baking powder into a large bowl, then put to one side. Put the butter and both sugars into another bowl and beat with an electric whisk until light and fluffy. Add the salt, vanilla and egg and beat for about 1 minute, until well mixed.

Tip the flour mixure into the butter mixture, along with the chocolate chips and hazelnuts, and beat until combined.

Using 2 teaspoons (one for scooping and the other for pushing), place rough balls of the dough on the lined baking sheet, spacing them well apart as they spread during baking. You should be able to get 9 on a square baking sheet and about 12 on a rectangular one. Bake for 11-13 minutes, rotating the sheets halfway through, until the cookies are golden around the edges but still soft in the centre.

Set aside to cool on the baking sheets for a couple of minutes. Transfer to a wire rack until completely cold. The cookies will keep in an airtight container for up to 5 days.