Stunning Choc Chip Cookie Sticks

Every now and again I discover a culinary concept so simple, yet so stunningly effective, that I wonder how I've managed without this in my life. That's how I feel about these amazingly impactful Chocolate Chip Cookie Sticks. The concept is incredibly easy to grasp. Make up your favorite chocolate chip cookie dough - or mix up a bag of as-good-as homemade Betty Crocker Choc Chip Cookie Mix at Meatland - and press into a rectangular foil baking tray. Bake as directed to make a single cookie slab, slice into thin sticks, and bake again briefly to firm up the edges. The result is these incredibly stylish Chocolate Chip Cookie Sticks which look wonderful tied together with ribbon as gifts, can be dipped into melted chocolate and decorated with nuts or sprinkles, used in fondue, served with ice-cream, dunked into a hot drink, or simply enjoyed as a lower calorie, portion controlled treat. You'll never want to make regular chocolate chip cookies again.

115 grams butter/margarine* 1/2 cup white sugar 1/2 cup brown sugar 2 teaspoons vanilla 1 egg 1/2 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda 3/4 teaspoon salt (Maldon always best) 1 1/2 cups plain flour plus extra if using oil 1 cup chocolate chips *Can use 1/2 cup canola oil instead. See notes below for substitutions and additions. 1: Ideally using a mixer - though you could do this by hand if necessary - beat the soft butter/margarine/oil with the sugars, vanilla and egg till creamy. 2: Mix the flour, bicarbonate of soda and salt in a separate bowl and add to the wet mixture in batches as you beat in-between. 3: Fold in 3/4 cup chocolate chips and spoon mixture into a medium sized foil baking tray. Flatten down with your hands and press in remaining chips to cover the top. 4: Bake at 180 C for approximately 20 minutes till lightly golden, allow to cool slightly, then turn out and cut lengthwise and across to make approximately 36 skinny chocolate chip cookie sticks. 5: Return to the oven for 10 to 15 minutes to firm up slightly, or leave in turned-off warm oven for a few hours to produce biscotti-like chocolate chip sticks. COOK'S NOTES: Use canola oil if preferred to make these parve though you may need a little extra flour. Butter is certainly best here though butter-flavored margarine is an option too. Replace 1/2 a cup of flour with 1/2 a cup of rolled oats for a more wholesome cookie and add 1/8 teaspoon cinnamon. Recipe can include chopped nuts, white and milk chocolate chips, and cranberries. Sticks may be served as is, dipped into melted chocolate, tied together with string or ribbon and propped in a coffee cup as a creative gift, used to dip into melted chocolate fondue, or used to accompany ice-cream. You're limited only by your imagination.