Is there anything more comforting than chocolate chip cookies? They’re the perfect pick-me-up for when you need a sugar boost or would just like to indulge in a little treat.

Chocolate chip cookies have a place in our hearts and bellies, and what better way than to give it a Malaysian twist than to incorporate gula Melaka into the mix!

All natural with a caramel-sweet flavour, gula Melaka is a great replacement for brown sugar in cookie recipes. Done right, these cookies will turn out chewy with a bit of crunch – perfect for dunking into some warm milk or enjoyed on their own.

Ingredients (for about 18 large cookies)

• 200g all-purpose flour
• 100g granulated sugar (or adjust to taste)
• 100g gula Melaka, finely grated; plus some extra chunks for sprinkling
• 125g butter, softened
• 1 egg
• 1 tsp vanilla essence
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp sea salt, plus extra for sprinkling
• 170g semi-sweet chocolate chips

Method

• In a large mixing bowl, add the white sugar, gula Melaka, softened butter, egg and vanilla essence. Beat with a mixer until smooth and thoroughly combined, though it’s OK if small chunks of gula Melaka are visible.
• Add the flour, baking powder and salt. Stir and fold to mix well.
• Stir in the chocolate chips until they are evenly spread throughout the batter.
• Refrigerate the batter for about 20 minutes.
• Heat your oven to 190°C and line your baking tray with baking paper.
• Once chilled, use two regular tablespoons to scoop some batter and form balls of dough roughly 1 tablespoon in size. Feel free to use smaller spoons if you prefer your cookies bite-sized.

• Place the balls of cookie dough roughly 5cm apart on your baking sheet to allow for spreading.
• Sprinkle a pinch of salt and gula Melaka over each ball of cookie dough. You can also use sea-salt flakes.
• Bake for 18-20 minutes. If you’re making smaller cookies, adjust the timing accordingly.
• Once baked, allow the cookies to rest for a few minutes before removing and transferring to a rack to cool.
• Enjoy the cookies warm or completely cooled, on its own or with a glass of milk!

Tips

• These cookies should be stored in an air-tight container, though make sure they have cooled completely before doing so.
• The cookies taste good at room temperature, but warm cookies are extra comforting! Heat your cookies in a toaster oven or microwave oven for about 20-30 seconds.

This article first appeared in butterkicap.com, a food and culture platform and community that enables anyone to experience Malaysia through stories of her people, food and places.