Is there anything more comforting than a chocolate chip cookie? It’s perfect for any time of the day, and even though it’s not a Malaysian treat in the purest sense, it still has a place in most Malaysians’ hearts and bellies.
Many variations exist on what is possibly the world’s most favourite baked good. M&Ms, sprinkles, peanut butter, gourmet chocolate, nuts, and fine sea salt have all been included in recipes to give it that extra “oomph”.
And what better (or batter?) way to join in on that action than by incorporating a popular local ingredient in the form of gula Melaka? All-natural with a luscious caramel flavour, it is a terrific replacement for brown sugar in cookie recipes.
These salted gula Melaka chocolate chip cookies will turn out chewy and perfect for dunking into a glass of milk. This recipe makes approximately 18 large cookies.
Ingredients
- 200g all-purpose flour
- 100g granulated sugar
- 100g gula Melaka, finely grated, plus 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 granulated sugar, gula Melaka, softened butter, egg and vanilla essence. Beat with a mixer until smooth and thoroughly combined, though it’s fine if some chunks of gula Melaka remain.
- Add the flour, baking powder and salt into the batter mixture. Stir with a spatula 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. In the meantime, heat your oven to 190°C and line a tray with some baking paper.
- Once the batter has chilled, remove it from the fridge. Using two regular tablespoons, scoop up some batter and form balls of dough that are roughly one tablespoon in size.
- Alternatively, you may use an ice-cream scoop. Feel free to use smaller spoons or scoops if you prefer bite-sized cookies.
- Place your balls of cookie dough roughly 5cm apart on the baking sheet to allow for spreading.
- Using the back of a spoon, lightly press down on the dough so it is slightly flattened.
- Sprinkle a pinch of salt and gula Melaka over each cookie. You can also use sea salt flakes.
- Bake for 18 to 20 minutes. If you’re making smaller cookies, adjust the timing accordingly. The cookies are ready when they are a lovely golden brown in colour.
- Once baked, allow the cookies to rest for a few minutes before removing and transferring to a cooling rack.
- Serve warm or completely cool… best enjoyed with a tall glass of cold milk!
Tips
- Allow the cookies to completely cool before storing in an airtight container.
- Your cookies will taste good at room temperature, but warm cookies are always extra comforting. Heat the salted gula Melaka chocolate chip cookies in an oven or toaster oven, or in the microwave for about 20 seconds.
This article first appeared in butterkicap.com, a food and culture platform and community that enables anyone to experience Malaysia through stories of its people, food and places.