1. Pre-heat oven to 350ºF / 175ºC with rack at middle level.
   
   
   
   

2. Prepare ingredients.
   
   

   
   
   
   

   	1 cup / 250cc butter (well warmed)
   	¼ cup / 50cc sugar
   	2 cup / 500cc flour (non self-rising)
   	12 oz / 300g semi-sweet chocolate chips (not pictured!)

   
   
   
   
   
3. Select tools.
   
   
   
   
   
   

   	rolling pin (or water-ballasted wine bottle)
   	large mixing bowl
   	knife, fork, spatula (not pictured)
   	cookie tray (not pictured)
   	double boiler (not pictured!)
   	wooden spoon (not pictured either!)
   	cooling rack (you'd think that would be pictured, at the very least, wouldn't you?!)

   
   
   
   
   
4. Mix ingredients.
   
   
   
   
   
   

   First add and mix in the flour to the butter, half at a time.

   Then add and mix in the sugar.
   
   

   This is the optimum moment to taste the cookie dough. It will never be this good again, even when baked into cookies.
   
   
   
   

5. Roll the dough until ¼" / 6mm thick.
   
   
   
   
   
   

   Use flour liberally to prevent the dough sticking to the rolling pin or the kitchen counter.
   
   
   
   

6. Cut the dough into cookies (with that knife that was mentioned at about the third step).
   
   
   
   
   
   

   The official Jo Haythornthwaite specification is 1¼" wide by 2½" / 30mm x 70mm, but this may be varied within reasonable tolerances.
   
   
   
   

7. Prick the cookies (with the fork).
   
   
   
   
   
   

   (Nobody knows why this is required.)
   
   
   
   

8. Roll out all the scraps and create about 6 additional cookies. It is important that you don't roll out the subsequently remaining scraps. You or any nearby children should snack on these remnants.
   
   
   
   

9. Using the spatula, place the cookies on an un-waxed cookie tray, or the bottom part of the boiler that came with your oven.
   
   
   
   
   
   

   Legal warning: The oven tray may be either very hot or (if you omitted the first step), very cold.

   In this picture the cookies have been placed too close together. Place them about ½" (10mm) apart. If you're following this very very carefully, word by word, then it's too late now, isn't it?
   
   
   
   

10. Bake for about 20 minutes, but check at about 17 minutes that they're not already too brown. I think Mom's official 'doneness' was "very slightly golden".
    
    
    
    
11. Transfer the cookies to a cooling tray. Look, there's the spatula!
    
    
    
    
    
    

    Quality control testing can begin as soon as the cookies are cool enough. Test for this by pressing one firmly against the tongue.
    
    
    
    

12. Melt the chocolate in a double-boiler.
    
    
    
    
    
    

    A workable double boiler can be contrived with two saucepans. Boil enough water in the lower pan to last longer than the longest anticipated phone call you might receive. Stir the chocolate impatiently. (This achieves nothing at all.)
    
    
    
    

13. Dip the cookies in the chocolate.
    
    
    
    
    
    

    In my experience a budding Professional Engineer is best qualified for this task. My own (pictured) came out much messier.
    
    
    
    

14. Chill the cookies.
    
    
    
    
    
    

    Once the chocolate has hardened onto that cookie rack, you'll wish I'd told you to use waxed paper...
    
    
    
    

Happy Holidays!

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