Ages ago, on Lucy’s blog, I saw that she had made some cookies, using a Millie’s Cookies recipe that she found here, online. I love Millie’s Cookies (although have probably only bought them a handful of times as we don’t have one near us, and when we see one we are not usually in the mood for cookies) and have made this recipe several times since seeing it. Their cookies are lovely- soft on the inside with a slight crisp on the outside, plus they do so many flavours- they even did mince pie flavour cookies one year, which I did attempt to recreate. Anyway, this week I had a friend visiting, so I decided to adapt the recipe and make a few different flavours. White chocolate coconut, and dark chocolate cherry.
So- ingredients:
125g butter (I use pure spread which works just fine- anything suitable for use in baking would be OK)
100g light soft brown sugar
125 caster sugar
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
225g self raising flour
1/2 tsp salt
200g chocolate chips. I used 100g white chocolate, 100g dark chocolate, 50g dried cherries and 25g coconut as my add-ins.
Preheat oven to 180C, and line two large baking trays.
Cream the butter and sugars. Cream them a lot so they go almost fluffy.
Add in the egg and vanilla. Cream / beat some more.
Sift in the flour and salt.
I then took out half the dough for later.
To the first half, I added the dark chocolate chips and the dried cherries (which I had soaked in boiling water for a bit to plump them up). Mix well to incorporate the add-ins as evenly as possible. Then scoop out with a teaspoon walnut sized balls, and space them evenly on the baking tray.
Then I put the other half of the dough back in the bowl, added 1/2 tsp coconut extract, the white chocolate and some coconut. Repeat with the dough until it is all on the baking tray.
The recipe says bake for 7 mins, but in my oven that is not quite long enough. I need to rotate the baking trays (as I have some hot-spots) and these ones took about 9 mins. They don’t look quite ready, but they will be. Leave to cool on the tray for a few minutes before transferring to a cooling rack.
I put some in a bag for my friend to take home, and some on my cake stand for us to eat while we caught up with each other.
Yum- the white chocolate and coconut is a lovely combination, and they were both a hit.
Also, I tried the chocolate pretzels (and some multigrain thins with DCD)- they are nice, but only half coated in chocolate, and pretzel flipz were fully coated, so not as good as those ones.
And finally, I tried the hazelnut milk.
It is a brown colour.
I wasn’t expecting that. It does have a faint hazelnut flavour, but not too strong. It went well with the nutty muesli anyway. It made a nice change, and for £1 it was pretty good value I think, as the carton will last a good few days.
What is your favourite cookie flavour? And what about the most unusual cookie flavour you have seen/ tried? I fancy some inspiration.
Your cookies look amazing, love the different flavour combinations you used. My favourite cookie is definitely oatmeal & raisin, a bit of dark choc in there is also lovely 😉 Infact anything with a hint of cinnamon/mixed spice is generally a winner in my book. Can I ask, where did you get your coconut extract from? I can never seem to get a strong enough coconut flavour when I use just the desiccated stuff.
Those cookies look great- really professional!
I know it’s not a ‘cookie’ per se, but did you know that you can get lemon flavoured Jammy Dodgers now? And toffee, too? So weird!
I’m sure I’ve probably said this before but I used to work for Millies cookies for about 4 years while at sixth form / uni. I adored their cookies and I was quite a dab hand at icing their giant cookies! I might have to try a vegan version! The hazelnut milk sounds interesting, if I see it on offer I may have to try it!
That’s a cool job Laura! I never knew that. Bet you are good at icing. That’d be something i’d like to be good at. Would come in handy as want to make my wedding favours – biscuits with iced names. x
Glad I’m forewarned about the Hazelnut milk – I would have been really reticent to try it if I didn’t know it was supposed to have that vague brown hue.
Favourite cookie? White chocolate and raspberry. Interestingly, also my favourite muffin combination.
xxx
I don’t often eat cookies, but when I worked in the bakery cookies were my favourite thing to bake because I found it so therapeutic when I was stressed out. I have never tried Millies Cookies, but there a few stores around me, so I should treat myself at some point.
I love hazelnutty things, so that milk sounds delicious.
Your cookies look so pretty! Love that pink cake stand too.
I’m with Jess, white chocolate and raspberry is the flavour I’d usually pick. Dark chocolate with stem ginger would be nice too. Or milk chocolate and hazelnut. Anything really, I’m not fussy when it comes to delicious cookies! 😉
I love white chocolate and raspberry- I do make them in brownies but I think I would have to use dried raspberries as I think fresh/ frozen ones would be too liquid?
Bronagh- the coconut extract was from Wholefoods when I went to the USA last summer- although i-herb might be worth a look?
Marijke- I think I saw the toffee dodgers advertised with funny little monkeys! Funny!
Laura- yes you did say you worked for them before- their big cookies look so pretty too.
Jessica- the brown was a bit weird, but then chocolate milk is brown!
Sarah- Millie’s cookies are nice, and they often do vouchers too (although I have never used a voucher).
Lucy-I agree- all those flavours sound fab and I would try them all 🙂
I *heart* those types of cookies that are soft on the inside and crispy on the outside …. I would have eaten the WHOEL batch 😉
I quite liked the hazelnut too but bought just almond this week. I thought the hazelnut would be good in coffee or hot choc but i think i would just end up drinking it straight from the carton 🙂 I was suprised not only by the colour but also how sweet it was. Shame its not £1 in tescos too – both were £1.59 each but thats still good compared to other nut milks on sale. I might have to go and get a glass now…..
The dark choc with cherry gets my vote! I loved the almond milk and have yet to find the hazelnut version. It sounds lovely!
I am sure the £1 was some kind of introductory offer- Jenny you are right, they are much cheaper than the other nut milks..
Mhmm, those cookies look delish!
I’ve never heard of hazelnut milk but would love to try it!! 🙂
Hi, just come across your website and notice you like to bake. Me too! My fave cookie combo has to be peanut butter and choc chip (hummingbird bakery recipe). I’m going to have a go of your Millies one sometime. Thanks!
That recipe is my other fave recipe- delish 🙂
Hi, I looooooove Millie’s Cookies!!!! I was just wondering how many cookies this recipe makes…???
Hello 🙂 It makes loads- 2 big tray fulls- so maybe 20 good sized ones, or lots more mini ones.
Hello your cookies look amazing.. However i tried to make them.. But i turned cakey.. I didnot look like your ones.. I did what the recipe said exactly.. What did i do wrong?? :((
Hey- I don’t know really- It could be that you used a bit too much flour? Maybe reduce it by a little? Or maybe mixed for too long as I think that can make the mixture tougher.
Also when I get them out the oven, if they have puffed up a bit I squash them down with a spatula and leave to cool and firm up. Maybe try that as I think with the self raising flour they puff up sometimes.
Could you adapt the recipe to do one or two very big cookies like the birthday ones that Millies do and pipe messages on, and if so how would you cook them?
Probably- the dough is quite thick- I would probably chill the dough for a bit (once mixed- as if making gingerbread), then roll it out and cut out the circles- maybe draw around the shape of a mixing bowl? Cut out on baking paper and then you can transfer the baking paper to the baking sheets easily without the cookie breaking. Then probably cook for just a little longer- every oven is different so keep checking. I think these usually take me about 10 mins in my oven, so I would probably do a bigger one for 12-15 mins. ? Let me know if you manage to make one 🙂
Thank you, I will give it a go and let you know how it goes.
The big cookies worked, thank you!
I made 2, one chocolate chip, the other white chocolate and cranberry. I will try other flavours as well now I know it works.
That is great- glad it worked out well! I might have to try a giant one at some point too 🙂
i want choc chip cookies
this is cool but hate the flavours! x :s
Is it possible to add flavours to these without the texture changing dramatically, so could I maybe replace a tablespoon of flour with cocoa powder or replace a bit of butter with nutella/ peanut butter…. And so on…
If you can, what have you done, what do you find works?
I have not done it with this recipe, but so long as you keep the amounts the same then swapping cocoa powder for flour should be fine. Same with butter for peanut butter, although I have a different cookie recipe for peanut butter cookies, and I think it has a good 100g (or possibly more) peanut butter in it, for the flavour to come through. I am not sure I would swap butter for nutella because it is made up of several things (oil, sugar, milk powder etc)- might be better to put a blob on the top of each cookie before baking if you wanted nutella ones. But nut butter should be fine as it would work the same as the fat of butter.
The only thing I do with this recipe is swap the add-ins (choc chips/ dried fruits/ nuts etc) and add a different extract (eg orange extract and dark choc chunks for chocolate orange cookies).
If you do try something else, let me know how you get on 🙂
Hi how much oatmeal and raisins to make the oatmeal and raisin ones?
Soak the raisins- use maybe 100g? Soak them in hot water first will plump them up and keep them juicy. Then maybe swap out half the flour for oats and see how you get on. I have not adapted this recipe that way, I have other oatmeal raisin cookie recipes I use, but good luck 🙂
Thanks i just seen this x