Smarties Rainbow Cookies

For some reason, the majority of all my recipes seem to involve chocolate...but in my opinion these are always the best types of recipes! Yesterday I baked my second batch of cookies ever and they turned out so yummy I couldn't wait to type up this post. After experimenting with a Mary Berry basic cookie recipe the first time (I love her) I tweaked the recipe a tiny bit and think this batch is even better. The best thing about this recipe is that you can keep the base mixture the same but add whatever you want to it for different flavours and textures. The addition of smarties in this case was an amazing idea as they taste so good! You could also do plain chocolate chips, or another idea for my next batch which is to add rolos. They are also really easy to make so perfect for novice bakers and children. Makes around 15-20 cookies depending on your sizing.

Ingredients

* 100g softened butter

* 75g caster sugar

* 50g light muscovado sugar

* 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

* 1 large egg

* 150g self-raising flour

* 100g smarties

You will also need: 3 baking trays

Method

1. Preheat your oven to 190°C, fan 170°C, gas 5. I prefer fan because it means the heat is distributed evenly throughout the oven. Lightly butter your baking trays. The reason for no reusing just the one is because you want the tray to be a normal temperature to put your batter on so that they cook evenly and at the same rate.#

2. Beat both types of sugar and the butter in a bowl until smooth, evenly blended and pale. The addition of the light muscovado sugar gives the cookies a lovely caramel taste.

3. Add the vanilla. Beat the egg and add a little at the time to the mixture while beating until completely mixed. 

4. Stir in all the flour until the  mixture is thick and smooth, with all pockets of flour mixed in. 

5. Finally, add the smarties to your bowl and mix well until they are distributed evenly throughout the mixture.

6. Use a teaspoon to measure out large teaspoon sized balls of batter onto your baking trays, making sure to leave gaps for the cookies to spread. Bake for 8-10 mins, one baking tray at a time, on the top shelf until golden and slightly chewy. I found the best way was to cook for 8 minutes, check on them, then turn the baking tray round for the last two minutes to make sure they brown evenly.

7. Cool on the trays for a few minutes before transferring them with a palette knife onto a cooling rack. Once completely cool, store in an air tight tin for up to a week.

Let me know if you try the recipe and tweet/instagram me a picture - my links are in the side bar and my Contact tab xxx