Paul Jobin. Photo / Supplied
With a bit of extra care, you'll be producing biscuits just like mum used to make.
I am about to blow my colleagues' cover. Picture if you will a room scattered with chefs dressed in their whites, eagerly awaiting the chance to be introduced to something inspirational for their menus - the chance to taste something in high demand at the top of the market.
You
may expect it to be, say, a dose of molecular wizardry from Simon Gault's Sous Chef line, or perhaps a new micro-herb or edible flower. But no. Instead it is cookie queen Mrs Higgins, showing off her full range of gourmet cookies.
I've never seen so many chefs so excited at once - all of them treasuring childhood memories of raiding mum's biscuit tin.
We all have a story to tell about our favourite cookie; the adventure of grabbing a few extras to smuggle out in pockets to savour somewhere secret. And we all have an opinion on just which type or flavour of cookie is the best. I remember, when working in the kitchens of luxury lodges, that the home-made cookies always garnered far more feedback from guests than how their beds were made.
In New Zealand, our standout favourite is the chocolate chip cookie - almost every household has a different recipe it claims as its own.
The word cookie comes from the Dutch word koekje, meaning little cake. Biscuit comes from the Latin word biscoctum, which means twice baked. Culinary historians say that cookies were first made as a tester - a spoonful of cake batter was thrown in the hot oven to test the temperature.
So what are the tips for making great cookies? Weigh all your ingredients in advance, as you'll then be able to quickly add in the right amount of the right ingredient at the right time.
Have the butter either at room temperature (except if you're making shortbread when it should be cold) or grate cold butter. Don't be scared to use salt to lift the flavour out of the cookie, especially in chocolate or nut biscuits.
Above all, don't get anybody who loves to eat the uncooked dough to make the cookies - there will be less for everybody else.
