So here's the deal. We all know that white chocolate isn't really chocolate, that it's just cocoa butter with added ingredients which turn it into white chocolate and blah, blah, blah. Although, I'm no chocolate connoisseur, I'm also not a 'Milky Bar Kid!' not that Milky Bars ever purported to being chocolate.  

When my boys were younger, they often tried to convince me to buy them a bar of white chocolate as an after-school treat, claiming that it wasn't even chocolate! How do children even find these facts out at such tender ages? There were days where I would relent under pressure, three against one and all that, so my compromise would be a bar of Lindt white chocolate to share, and the negotiation would be concluded with me being included in the division!

Now we all know that every cook's repertoire has to have a chocolate chip cookie recipe. Everyone claims that theirs is the best cookie recipe, so I'm also going to jump on the bandwagon. Yes I think once you've had my cookies, 'you ain't goin' nowhere.' That's for all you Bob Dylan fans.

White Chocolate Chip & Pistachio cookies

Makes 18 Cookies

• 200g Plain Flour, sifted

• 1 tsp Baking Powder

• 100g Butter, softened

• 100g Light Brown Muscovado Sugar

• 1 tsp Pure Vanilla Extract 

• 1 Egg

• 100g White Chocolate Chips, good quality (I use a bar of Lindt White Chocolate)

• 85g Pistachio Nuts, shelled and unsalted

method

• Pre heat the oven to 165 degrees C. (My oven is fan assisted, so a moderate oven).

• Break up the bar of white chocolate into the smallest pieces you can, (I use a rolling pin), and place them into a large mixing bowl.

• Chop the pistachio nuts finely and add them to the chocolate in the bowl.

• Place all the remaining ingredients into the bowl and beat until they are all thoroughly combined. (I use a hand held electric beater).

• Use two baking trays and cover each with baking parchment.

• Place 9 mounds of the mixture onto each tray, so 18 in all. Make sure that they are spaced well apart to allow for spreading during cooking. 

• Bake in the oven for 10-12 minutes until the cookies are slightly golden. (They may look underdone, but don't be tempted to leave them in. This is why they have the soft gooey centre).

• Allow the cookies to cool on a wire rack before serving.

tips

• You can make any variation of cookie, milk chocolate, dark chocolate, cranberry and pecan, chopped apricot and almond and so on.

• I often place the cookies in batches of 9 into a cellophane bag and tie up with ribbon to give to my friends. Enjoy the whoops of joy!