Search online and you will discover that bloggers and food-lovers have devoted hours of time trialling and writing how to bake the perfect cookie. This weekend, I went straight to someone I could trust with having the best recipe for cookies. These are crisp on the outside and chewy on the inside; chocolatey and gooey, but not sickly sweet. The someone is Helena Puolakka at Skylon.

Helena trained under both Pierre Koffmann and Pierre Gagnaire and opened Skylon as head chef in 2007. In short, the lady knows her stuff. This particular recipe is straightforward and one you could very easily let your children loose on, as Helena, who has two small girls, knows!

The Artful Diner

Ingredients: (makes 16 large cookies)

225g softened butter
200g caster sugar
225g dark muscovado sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
1 tbsp hot water
375g plain flour
pinch of salt
350g chocolate chips

Method:

Preheat the oven to 180ºC.

Cream the butter with the sugars until smooth. Next, beat in the eggs. Mix the bicarbonate of soda with your tablespoon of hot water then add it to the mixture along with the flour. Combine. Finally add the pinch of salt and chocolate chips and mix together well.

I found dessertspoonfuls of the mixture made a perfect-sized cookie, but if you like massive round cookies then use a tablespoon. Drop your spoonfuls onto ungreased baking trays and bake for 10 minutes.

NB Feel free to experiment with white or dark chocolate. My local shop had run out of chocolate chips, so I substituted them with chopped bars of chocolate.

Further information:

Helena is holding a children's cookie-making class on Saturday 25 February, costing £14. Spaces are limited. Find out how to book.