To eat the dough, or make the cookie...

I think I'm the odd one out- the person who doesn't eat cookie dough. 

Ok, so I admit that I'm a little bit strange, but something about the 'rawness' of the flour and butter just ain't my thing. 

My other half? Patience? He just loves the stuff- cake batter to pasta dough- raw is good and licking the bowl is better.

But I've found a happy medium. Something that completes my baking desires, yet still provides the 'doughyness' that all the cookie-dough eaters of the world could wish for.

Vanilla sugar cookies they might be, but they stay soft and a little gooey in the centre. Better yet, I get to fill the whole house with that fluffy, cushiony warm smell of baking cookies that smells just like a bear hug would (if it had a smell)- without depriving the dough-eaters of their bliss. 

It's a win-win. Without the raw edge.

They take all of 15mins from go to woe (unless you are lacking baking trays like me and need to do a couple of rounds in the oven).

Ingredients:

• 225g butter (one whole block, cubed and at room temperature- salted is fine)
  
• 200g white sugar
  
• 2 eggs (room temp is best)
  
• 1 dash vanilla extract
  
• 370g plain flour (sifted)
  
• 1/2 tsp baking powder

Method: 

Preheat oven to 190 degC. Line 4 x baking trays with greaseproof paper.

 If you don't have 4 baking trays, you can do 2 x batches in the oven like I did. Cream butter, sugar and eggs in the blender until very light and fluffy.

Add vanilla, flour and baking powder and blend to combine. The dough will be very light and fluffy.

Place six tablespoons of dough onto each tray with ample room f

or them to spread. There is no need to pat them down as they spread when the butter melts. 

Put them in the oven for 8mins- then check them. If they look like they could use a little longer, leave them in for another 2mins, but then remove them so the middle stays nice and soft.

Let them cool before you move them (or they will be too floppy), dust them with icing sugar and then crack them open for the doughy centre inside.

Perfect if you have unexpected friends and full of squeezable buttery goodness. Comfort food at its best.

And now you can please all of the dough-eaters, all of the time.

Note: this recipe was is a modified version of one found at allrecipes.com, and the original can be found here.