Cookies – TOP SECRET!

Part of the Polar Express Train Ride at South Devon’s show involves a hot, hot, hot hot chocolate and a tasty cookie. But Mrs Claus keeps her cookie recipes under lock and key so us elves can’t get anywhere near them. That might be because last time she left us in the kitchen unsupervised more flour ended up on the floor than in the cookies!

She left this one on the side after experimenting with the perfect mix for South Devon railway… so we are sharing it with you! That way you can taste The Polar Express all year round.

Ingredients 

227g salted butter softened 

201g white (granulated) sugar 

220g light brown sugar  

2 tsp pure vanilla extract 

2 large eggs 

384g all-purpose flour 

1 tsp baking soda 

½ tsp baking powder 

1 tsp sea salt 

256g chocolate chips (or chunks, or chopped chocolate) 

Instructions 

• Preheat oven to 190C. Line a baking tray with baking parchment and put to one side. 
• In a separate bowl, mix flour, baking soda, salt, baking powder. Set aside. 
• Mix butter and sugars til the mix is pale, light and fluffy. 
• Beat in eggs and vanilla. 
• Mix in the dry ingredients. 

• Add chocolate chips and mix well. 
• Roll 2-3 tablespoons of dough into neat balls and place them evenly spaced on your prepared baking trays. (alternately, use an ice cream scoop to make your cookies). 
• Bake in pre-heated oven for approximately 8-10 minutes. Take them out when they are JUST starting to turn brown. They won’t look done – that’s okay! They are. 
• Let them sit on the baking tray for 2 minutes before removing to cooling rack. 

Make sure that after you’ve eaten all of your Polar Express cookies, you whip up another batch of them – that way, you’ll always have a tasty snack while you’re watching the film. You could even whip up a batch of cookie dough, by following the recipe and not baking it! Wrap it up in cling film and stick it in the freezer.