Hazelnut chocolate chip cookies

100g whole skinned hazelnuts
95g (3 1/2oz) plain chocolate
175g (6oz) butter, at room temperature
175g (6oz) golden caster sugar
2 large eggs
175g (6oz) plain flour

What to do:

Set the oven at 180C, 350°F, gas mark 4. Toast the hazelnuts in the oven till they are a rich golden brown, about 5 minutes. This is also easily done under a hot grill with a watchful eye, or in a nonstick pan, if you prefer. Let them cool, then chop very roughly.

Cut the butter into small pieces and put into a food mixer fitted with a beater attachment. Add the sugar, and cream until light and fluffy - you may have to scrape the mixture down from the sides a couple of times with a rubber spatula. You can, of course, do everything with a hand-held electric mixer or even a wooden spoon, if you prefer.

Break the eggs and beat them into the mixture. Chop the chocolate into small chunks and add it slowly, with the hazelnuts, to the dough as you mix at quite a low speed. Add the flour and gently mix in.

Take a heaped 15ml tablespoon of the dough and put it on a baking sheet lined with baking parchment. Flatten it lightly. Continue with the rest of the mixture, putting the dollops of mixture well apart from each other (you may need 2 baking sheets).

Bake for 12-15 minutes, swapping trays over halfway through cooking, until the cookies have spread and are a rich gold around the edges. Let them cool for a few minutes before lifting off and transferring to a cooling rack.