This is a recipe for really authentic tasting, american style soft cookies.

The urban myth surrounding this recipe goes that a woman in New York met a friend at a small coffee shop, where they ordered drinks and cookies. They liked the cookies so much that she asked for the recipe. The owner of the place said that she could have the recipe, but she would have to pay something for it. The woman agreed, and paid for the coffee, cookies and the recipe on her credit card. When she got her next bill, she realised that she had been charged a massive $200 for the recipe. She was furious! She contacted the restaurant, which refused to refund the money saying that they'd fairly sold her the recipe. The woman said that, as far as she was concerned, at that price, she had bought the copyright for the recipe and vowed to distribute it as widely as possible. She passed the recipe on to everyone she knew, and asked them to do the same.

So here it is, pass it on!

American Chocolate Chip Cookies

• 100g/3 1/2 oz rolled oats
• 125g/4 1/2 oz plain flour
• 1/2 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 50g/2oz bar milk chocolate
• 100g/3 1/2 oz butter at room temperature
• 100g/3 1/2 oz soft dark brown sugar
• 100g/3 1/2 oz caster sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla essence
• 115g/4oz chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 190°C/375°F/gas mark 5

Measure oats into a food processor or liquidiser. Whiz to a fine powder. Add flour, bicarbonate of soda, baking powder and salt and whizz to mix. Add grated chocolate (or throw the bar in and whiz again). Pour the dry ingredients into a bowl, while you cream the butter with both sugars. Beat the egg and vanilla together in a cup, and then beat into the creamed butter mixture. Then add chocolate chips, and dry ingredients, mix well. Roll into balls the size of ping-pong balls and place them 5cm apart on a baking tray. Cover the tray with non-stick baking paper, if you have that sort of tray.

Bake for about ten minutes. They should have a golden colour, but still look a little underdone (this is what makes the lovely chewy soft texture). If you like them crisp, keep them in a bit longer. But they won't be as good. Trust me, take them out sooner rather than later. Eat them while still warm, preferably in bed. Then start over again.