If you follow me on Facebook or Instagram, you'll know that I have been obsessing for the past few weeks over trying to recreate the gorgeousness that is Ben's Cookies.
Do you know them? If you live in Bath, Brighton, Bristol, Edinburgh, London, Oxford, Reading, Dubai, Kuwait, Riyadh, Seoul or Singapore then you most probably will and if you don't ... then let me tell you all.
They are big; they have chunks and not chips and most importantly they are slightly gooey in the centre ... in fact, you could say that they are somewhere between a cake and a traditional cookie, especially when they are straight from the oven. Swoooooon. Oh my word, they are SO good. And the flavours - my favourite is the ginger and dark chocolate, but you can also tempt me with a white chocolate chunk (even though I'm not normally a fan), or a coconut or a milk chocolate chunk. In fact, just pass me the box. A large box.
And the branding (because I'm a sucker for great branding) is so very perfect. Striking, red background; black, scratchy lettering and a classic Quentin Blake illustration of Ben (I assume).
But they are also expensive and not right on my doorstep either, so being able to recreate Ben's cookies so that I could make them at home would be heavenly...
So, I started on the internet - of course. There are a handful of recipes that claim to have nailed it. I've tried them all and although they are all nice cookies, they are a million miles from the real McCoy. The first attempt spread so much that I ended up with one enormous 'baking tray' shaped cookie about a millimetre thick. There was talk by the children of re-branding as 'Ben's enormous pancakes' but ultimately it was - REJECT. The next few iterations were more successful but there was still room for improvement. Then I did a bit of research and discovered that the chain of shops was founded in 1984 by Helge Rubinstein. She wrote an iconic chocolate recipe book, so that had to be my next move.
A few small steps forward came next, followed by a couple of backward steps and then I was so very nearly there ... just a bit more of this and a bit less of that, until TA DAH - I had nailed it ... the Ben's cookie recipe - well, as close to the genuine article as is possible, without resorting to industrial espionage. And they are easy too. The end result FAR outweighs the effort.
As close as possible to the real Ben's Cookie recipe without resorting to industrial espionage
Of course, the flavour that I focussed on was my own favourite - Ginger and Dark Chocolate. For sure, in time I will perfect some of the other flavours but right now we'll concentrate on savouring these big, chunky, gooey, rich, delicious cookies. You will adore them too. I promise.
Ben's cookies recipe
This recipe is for Ginger and Dark Chocolate, but check out my free downloadable e-book for 15 DELICIOUS recipes for your favourite cookies.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 7 minutes
- Total Time: 27 minutes
- Yield: 12 1x
- Category: Cookies
- Method: Oven baked
- Cuisine: British
Ingredients
300g (10oz) self-raising flour
100g (4oz) plain flour
½ teaspoon salt
100g (4oz) stem ginger in syrup, drained and cut into chunky pieces
170g (6oz) unsalted butter (cut into small cubes) + a little extra for greasing the baking trays
200g (7oz) dark brown, soft sugar
100g (4oz) caster sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 eggs
100g (4oz) dark chocolate (I used 60% cocoa solids), cut into big chunks
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180°C/160°C Fan/350°F (gas mark 4). Lightly grease 2 large baking trays.
- Weigh out the two types of flour into a large mixing bowl. Mix thoroughly and stir in the salt and the prepared stem ginger.
- Now place the butter in a large bowl and melt it in the microwave until no solid bits remain - I always rest a lid on the top here to avoid the butter decorating the inside of the microwave. If you don't have a microwave, melt the butter gently in a pan on the hob and then tip the melted butter into a bowl.
- Tip the dark brown, soft sugar and the caster sugar into the melted butter, followed by the vanilla extract and combine everything thoroughly - an electric hand whisk is helpful here.
- Break the eggs into a cup and when you are sure that the melted butter mixture is cool enough not to scramble the eggs (stick your finger in to test it), beat the eggs into the mixture.
- Now tip the butter mixture into the flour mixture and stir well until everything is fully combined. You will have a fairly stiff dough at this stage.
- To add the chocolate I find it easier to divide the dough into 12 pieces and then share the chocolate chunks between them, pressing them into the dough. My pieces of dough (before the chocolate) were about 90g each.
- Roll the dough pieces in balls and place them onto the 2 baking trays being sure to leave plenty of space between them. Flatten each ball slightly with the palm of your hand and add the chocolate chunks.
- Now bake in the oven for 6-7 minutes or until slightly golden. You want the cookies to still feel very soft - they will firm up a little as they cool.
- Allow the cookies to cool for a few minutes on the baking trays before transferring to a cooling rack. The cookies will be at their best on the same day but will keep well in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Now there's a challenge.
Notes
This recipe was refreshed in January 2021. My primary changes were altering the ratio of flours, moving from the (annoying!) '1 egg + 1 egg yolk' to 2 eggs and tweaking the instructions to make them more logical. Think you'll love them just as much - if not a tiny bit more!
Keywords: gooey, chunky, delicious
Emily
These are amazing! Thank you so much for sharing the recipe; it was extremely easy to follow and the result were great 🙂
Rachel
SO pleased you loved them. Keep your eyes peeled because there are more flavours coming soon!
Kathleen
Hi can i ask how to get or make ginger syrup?
Thanks
Rachel
Hi Kathleen, I've occasionally seen it in the shops but here's a good recipe https://www.davidlebovitz.com/2013/09/fresh-ginger-syrup-recipe/. Hope that helps
Alejandra
Hello Rachel, I did this cookies today, and I have a problem. The balls dont “melt” even after 15 minutes in the oven. Please Help!!!
Rachel
Ovens all behave differently. Try flattening the balls slightly with your hand before putting the tray in the oven and do check that your oven is at the correct temperature. Often ovens don’t run true to temperature, so you might want to try putting a cheap, simple thermometer inside the oven to check. You can find one on Amazon. Thanks
Nicola
What size eggs should I be using for this recipe?
Thanks!
Rachel
A good question …. Assuming that you are referring to UK egg sizes, I use ‘large’ (unless I specify otherwise). ‘Medium’ eggs are classed as those that weigh between 53g and 63g (including shells) while ‘large’ eggs weigh between 63g and 73g. If in doubt of their size pop one on the scales to be sure. Thanks and hope you enjoy the cookies.
Stephanie
Do you have the recipe for the Dark Chocolate Chunk Ben'a cookies?
Rachel
No, but it's one of the ones that I'm working on right now. Watch this space .... or even better subscribe to my mailing list and then you can be sure that you'll be the first to know when I publish it.
Family
Thanks, can't wait to try it, although I think they are easier cookie recipes out there, I hope this one will be worth the effort!
Thanks for your hard work.
Cheers
Rachel
They are SO worth a bit of effort. Working on some other flavours and variations so keep watching. Thanks for getting in touch
Mirella
Hi Rachel ,
I was wondering what is RS flour . I live in Dubai so I don't know if I can find it here . & if there's any alternative for it .
Would it affect the end result for the cookies if I don't use the stem ginger ?!
Rachel
Hi Mirella, SR flour is Self Raising Flour (ie it is flour with baking powder already added to it). I live in Dubai too, so I know for sure you can find it here. Try Geant, Carrefour, Spinneys or Waitrose. I mostly use the Homepride brand. The cookies will be fine if you miss out the stem ginger but if I were you I would replace it with something else rather than missing it out all together - maybe double the quantity of chocolate or try nuts? You want the cookies to have plenty of chunks in them if they are going to be like the original Ben's Cookies! Enjoy
Mirella
Thanks RAchel .
I will try then today & will def double the chocolate since it's a favorate of or house . Will let u know how it will turn out ??
Toni
Yeey! I found ginger stem in abela.. now im ready to do ur cookies.. thanks a lot!
Rachel
Great. Sure you'll LOVE them!
Rachel
Great, Mirella. Look forward to hearing how it went
jorie
Hello Rachel,
I have not tried your recipe...yet. I have been to Ben's cookies and would purchase 1 for me and 1 for my husband and when my husband was not looking I would purchase 2 more for myself and hide in my purse! That's how much I love them and my favorite was the coconut (even though I'm a chocoholic).
Since I've been baking my whole life, I too tried to recreate the recipe...but with no success. With a few more trips to Ben's, I determined that my taste buds could not determine what the "secret" ingredient was. The batter had a particular taste that set them apart from any cookie or cookie batter i've had (and I've had a lot!). I began to think that it was something that was not sold and/or used here in the US. Anyway, would love to know what that flavor actually is. I will try your recipe and let me know your thoughts on this! Thanks, Jorie
Rachel
I look forward to hearing how you get on
TJ
I made these for my wife as a surprise. She loves Ben's Cookies. Great recipe and they were a real hit. I shaped a number of cookies and then froze them, uncooked. Do you know how long it would take to cook the cookie from frozen? Might surprise my wife with one a day. TJ
Rachel
What a superstar husband you are, TJ. So pleased that you (and of course, your wife) enjoyed them. I haven't tried cooking from frozen (although I will now!) but I would imagine that they would only take a minute or 2 extra. It might also be worth trying reducing the oven temperature by 5 degrees so that the exterior doesn't brown too quickly. Do let me know how you get on. I just LOVE the idea of surprising your wife with a cookie a day. Major brownie points coming your way, I'm sure ....
Carla
Hello, I live in Abu Dhabi, I was just about to try this recipe however I don't have a kitchen scale.. is there any chance you could let us know what this recipe would be like in cups? Also, I only have cake flour, could I do the whole recipe in cake flour and add the BS and Salt to it to make it regular and SR flour? Thanks!
Rachel
Hi Carla, right now I have not converted the recipe to cups so I'm afraid I can't help you with that. Generally using weights to measure ingredients for baking is my preference as this is much more accurate. You will be able to pick up a very cheap set of kitchen scales (perhaps as little as 100aed) from the bigger Geant or Carrefour in Abu Dhabi. In terms of your question about cake flour, I have never used it so I could not say with certainty that it will work. Maybe give it a try and let me know? If it is similar to plain flour you should be able to convert it using some baking powder to create a SR flour equivalent. You may well find that the finer grind of the cake flour creates a different texture to the cookies though.
Trish
Discovered these in London,only a couple of days before coming home to Australia and my daughter was so impressed she found me your recipe. Haven't tried it yet but as I was reading it I was thinking that there was something missing, the secret ingredient. I think it is powdered ginger, rather a lot from the taste, so will try that when I make them for her.
Rachel
I'm sure you'll enjoy these Trish. On this flavour, I don't add any ground ginger but if you like it super gingery I'm sure it will be great. Enjoy!
chris
Hi Rachel..i had the pleasure of tasting Ben's Cookies while i was in London..my Son who studies there gave us a treat and we loved it
Jst the afew days back we were on skype and mentioned the cookies to him and he gave me this link..thks for the recipe..will try it out..pls do put me on your mailing list for future updates..
Rachel
Hi Chris, so pleased you found the Ben's Cookies recipe - I'm sure you'll love them. I'm working on other flavours at the moment so it would be a great idea for you to join the mailing list. I will send you a private email about this. Many thanks
Teresa
Hi, thank you so much for this recipe I recently moved to London and found the Ben cookies I moved to uk to study patisserie at Le Cordon Bleu and when I tried Ben's cookies for the first time I was determined to find the recipe I will try this one hopes are very high 😉
Rachel
Can't wait to hear how you get on Teresa!
Mariana
Hi Rachel, I live in Mexico and have not been able to find the SR flour, is there an alternative to it? Thank you so much!
Rachel
Hi Mariana, For SR flour, just add 2 teaspoons of baking powder for each 150g/6oz/1 cup plain flour. Sift the flour and baking powder together into a bowl before using, to make sure the baking powder is thoroughly distributed. Then you are ready to make the Ben's Cookies. Enjoy! PS I am currently trialling lots more flavours of the cookies, so stay tuned! Thanks, Rachel
Kate
thanks so much for this recipe. I plan to try it out tomorrow. if I didn't want the ginger, could I just leave it out? or should I substitute it with something else?
Rachel
Yes, you could just leave it out or alternatively try some extra chocolate or maybe some roughly chopped nuts. I'm working on lots more flavours at the moment, so stay tuned!
Liz
I love you! Thank you for the recipe. I've made 3 batches in the last 2 days 🙂
Rachel
And I love you too for sharing your enthusiasm! Enjoy, enjoy, enjoy (one for each batch!)
Jess
Made it. Nailed it!
Thank you so much for that recipe ?
Rachel
Well done Jess and thanks for sharing your success story. It must be time for me to make another batch soon ...
Sophie
Hi Rachel
I grew up in Oxford & was bought a Bens Cookies as a treat . Now they are my grown up at home treat!
I just made these but used 100g dried cranberries & the rind of 1 large orange (finely grated). Kitchen smells amazing & they look & taste awesome. Thanks so much for sharing your secret!
Rachel
So pleased that you loved them, Sophie. We lived in Bath before moving to Dubai and Ben's Cookies were our family treat too! Your orange and cranberry cookies sound fantastic - I'll be trying those. Thanks for sharing your success!
Kate
Any chance you're working on the milk chocolate/orange cookie? That one is by far my favorite.
Rachel
Funnily enough I have just finalised the recipe for that one - and it's gorgeous! I'll have a free downloadable recipe booklet available on the blog very soon, containing this flavour and other Ben's Cookie flavours too. Which is your 2nd favourite? - that could well be in there as well ...
Kate
Oh, if I could marry the Praline & Milk cookie I would! It shares #1 with the Chocolate Orange. I'm so excited that you're going to have the recipe soon! You have made this girl's day!!!!
Rachel
Today has been a BIG Ben's Cookies recipe testing day - oh how my children love me! Praline and Milk is on the list - possibly for tomorrow .... Watch this space!
Kate
I can't wait!
Rachel
I’ve just devoured a Praline & Milk, warm from the oven ….. oh my, I think you’re going to LOVE them. Now off to photograph them before I finish off the whole batch!Those recipes are coming soon ...
fadhil
Hey Rachel,
Thanks for sending us some of the lovely cookies to office, these cookies are "off the hook". You've nailed it..
Husma
Hello dear, im husma from brunei. Could i be in ur mailing list. I loves to try thr bens double chocolate cookies.
Hope to hear from u soon
Lots of love
Husma
Rachel
Hi Husma, great to hear from you. I have added you to my mailing list and you will have received a confirmation email. All you need to do now is click the link in the email and you will be good to go. I am just finalising a free e-book which includes recipes for 15 flavours of Ben's Cookies - I'm sure you're not going to want to miss that!
Roshni
They sound and look fabulous!!
Roshni
They sound and look fabulous!! I'm subscribing!!
Rachel
Thanks Roshni. Enjoy!
Saba
Hi Rachel, I just tried your recipe and loved it thank you for sharing! I used chocolate orange and dark choc chunks which was great! My absolute favourite is the double chocolate Ben's cookie, would love to know if you have a recipe for that, thanks again 🙂
Rachel
Hi Saba, so pleased that you enjoyed the cookies. If you head back to the Ben's Cookies post at https://marmaladeandme.com/bens-cookies-recipe/ you will see that I have just added a free downloadable e-book with 15 Ben's Cookies recipes. You'll find Double Chocolate in there. Enjoy!
Rachel
And now I see, Saba, that you have already downloaded it! Great stuff.
Sonia
I can't wait to try your recipe. Thank you very much for share with us. I have suscribed to the newsletter and confirmed my email clicking on the link I received but I don't know how to download the other Ben's recipes. Could you help me?
Rachel
Hi Sonia, so pleased that you are a Ben's Cookie fan! Check in your Download file for the e-book. Alternatively you could use the search function and search for the file by its name 'bens-cookies-at-home.pdf. Do let me know that you have found it ok.
Sonia
Hi Rachel, sorry, I can't find it
Rachel
Hi Sonia , I have responded to you by email on this. Thanks
Meg
Hey, Rachel I am having the same issue as Sonia. Confirmed my email, but never received the e-book. Looking forward to it!!
Rachel
Hi Meg, I have responded to you by email on this. Thanks
Kate
Hi Rachel,
I can't wait to try the cookies, but I can't seem to download the e-book. I've clicked on the link to confirm my e-mail but nothing happened. There was no link to download the book and nothing happened automatically. Can you help?
Rachel
Hi Kate, I have responded to you by email on this. Thanks
Maria
Hi Rachel,
Same as everyone, not receiving the download link to your ebook. Can't wait to get started on the baking!
x
Rachel
Hi Maria, by now you should have received an email with the link. Please let me know if you are still having problems. Thanks and enjoy the baking!
Irene
Hi Rachel, I made the triple chocolate cookies yesterday and they were a huge success. Your recipe was so easy to follow and the results were delicious, I will definitely be trying some of the other flavours. We love love loved them!
Rachel
Fantastic! Glad they were a success.
Meredith Jenkins
Downloaded your "Bens Cookies" book last week and just got round to having a go. I'vet been trying to find the perfect recipe for a while and my goodness, I think this is it. So easy to make and I'd challenge anyone to tell the difference between these and the original. Fabulous - thank you !
Rachel
SO pleased that you loved them, Meredith - and just think, you've got 14 more flavours to try! Happy eating (oh and baking too ....)
Sabeena
Hi Rachel,
Question about 'caster sugar'. Can you please be more specific on this type of sugar? It's not the same as granulated or powdered sugar, correct? Are there brands you can recommend?
Rachel
Hi Sabeena, Caster sugar is also known as 'superfine sugar' is a fine form of granulated sugar. It is used in baking as it dissolves more quickly than granulated sugar. In the UK granulated sugar tends to have quite large granules so is not suitable for baking. Hope that helps
Angel
Hi Rachel,
Thank you for the recipe. My family really enjoyed the cookies. I was wondering if there will be a difference if I put 2 eggs instead of 1 egg+1 egg yolk?
Rachel
Hi Angel, I'm so pleased that you and your family really enjoyed the cookies. They will certainly be a different consistency if you use 2 eggs instead of 1 egg + 1 yolk. You could always try it and see if you like it .....
Maggie Weber
Hi 🙂 so excited to bake these!! I have made a few batches and then froze them in their portions as instructed. I would like to know if you defrost them before you bake them or if you bake them from frozen?
Xx
Rachel
Hi Maggie, defrosting them first is the more reliable way of doing it but if you can't wait that long(!) I've also cooked them from frozen and they were still delicious. Have a go both ways and see which works best with your oven. Enjoy! X
Charlotte
Hi Rachel, downloaded the recipes and they are so quick to make. Thank you for sharing them. I also love the easy variations.
Can you tell me how you get such a pale cookie when you use 200g dark brown soft sugar and 100g caster sugar?
Rachel
Hi Charlotte, So pleased that you are enjoying the recipes. Ovens vary SO much (mine, incidentally, is utterly rubbish!) and especially for baking, it can take some experimentation to get things from your oven just how you like them. The key to these cookies is definitely to cook them for less time rather than more. I use dark brown soft sugar because then I can get a golden colour from the ingredients and not from the heat of the oven. If your oven is browning the cookies too quickly try switching to light brown soft sugar - it won't change the flavour too much. I have also noticed that the depth of colour in brown sugar does vary from brand to brand. Enjoy playing around!
Charlotte
Thanks so much for responding, Rachel. I'll give the light brown soft sugar a go... Goodbye, diet! 🙂
Cecìlia Almeida
Hello! Found you today, downloaded your booklet and baked your cookies. But something was wrong, they just didn't spread, or raised After baked, they looked almost the same ! Maybe our SR flour is different from yours? I was expecting to see a little more BS or more baking powder to help them raise. What do you think?
Rachel
Hi Cecilia, did you try flattening the balls of cookie dough with your hand a little before putting them in the oven? I have found that I sometimes need to do this on the Oatmeal and Raisin variety. The amount of baking powder in SR flour is normally pretty constant - I tend to use Homepride. It may be also worth checking that your oven is heating up properly. I have a rubbish oven and I use a thermometer like this https://www.amazon.co.uk/Sunartis-1-4002-OVEN-THERMOMETER/dp/B001BROOIA to be certain that it is correct. Let me know how you get on, Rachel
Sumayya
Hi there!
i downloaded your Ben's cookies booklet but I am having trouble with the measurements. Could you quote the ingredients in cups and tbsps plz. I don't have a scale to measure in ozs or gms
Rachel
Here's a useful link to help you to do the conversion https://www.traditionaloven.com/convers.../sugar_amounts.html. On the same website, you can convert flour, butter etc. In addition, though, I would add that for baking, accuracy is really important and weighing your ingredients is a much more reliable method. A set of kitchen scales like these https://www.amazon.co.uk/.../ref=s9_simh_hd_bw_b3rSP79... is all you need, and they're not expensive. Hope that helps.
Zainab
hi, I am trying to download the cookies ebook but can't seem to get it to download. They look amazing and want to impress some friends with the cookies. How can I get the ebook to download.Thanks
Rachel
Hi Zainab, I will email you to help solve this problem. Thanks, Rachel
Hussain
On the Ben's Cookies UAE website (https://www.benscookies.ae/our-cookies/) they list the ingredients of each cookie! But without the quantities so at least it's a good starting point. Interesting notes: they use plain flour plus baking powder, the only sugar used is light brown and in addition to butter they use margarine, which I guess is to reduce the cost rather than give a better result!
Rachel
Yes, I'd seen the ingredients lists on the UAE site. I've been through many iterations of ingredients and quantities to end up with the recipes in the e-book, so I think you'll be happy that they are a good representation of the real thing! Happy baking!
Vivien Morton
Hello! I adore Ben's Cookies, but living in S.America…difficult to get! Soo glad to have found yr recipe…however, I haven't been able to download the recipes…???
Thanks! I really look forward to baking them!!
Rachel
Hi Vivien, Hopefully by now you've received the "Struggling to find your Ben's Cookies Download?' email. If you click the link contained within that email you will find the e-book. Do let me know if you are still struggling. Thanks
Julia
Hi!
I just tried out your receipe for the white chocolate & macadamia - my love - and they came out amazingly!! I've got no chance of buying some originals because there are no Ben's cookies shops in Germany.. So praise you!!! Thank you so so much for this awesome receipe!
Best
Julia
Rachel
Hey Julia, so pleased that you LOVED them! Imagine how much fun you'll have making all the other flavours .... Enjoy x
Adam
Hi, I just made the Triple Chocolate Cookies and they were great! Thank You so much for the recipe but I have one question.
Is there any way of melting white chocolate just like dark and milk chocolate in this recipe?
Thanks
Rachel
Hi Adam, yes you could melt white chocolate instead. I haven't tried it but I imagine you'd get a less rich cookie (obviously with a paler colour). Worth a try I'd say!
Cacha
Hi Rachel,
I am really happy to find this recipe and will be making this tonight!
Anyways, I read some recipe use more egg whites instead of egg yolk to make the cookies softer (chewy), but I haven't tried that yet. Normally I just use 2 eggs but the result was good.
I also use baking soda instead of baking powder, since baking soda is more for spreading isn't it? or would that be big difference if i use SR flour that contain baking powder instead of baking soda?
And I wonder what can I do to make the cookies surface not cracking while baking and looks just like Ben's cookies?
Thank you for sharing the recipe <3
Rachel
Great to hear from you. I always think of baking as more like science than art. I tried SO many different variations on the recipe before I reached this one, but it's fun to expire meant using your oven and the ingredients that you have to hand. You never know what you might discover! Enjoy! X
Pascal
Hi Rachel,
We just tried your recipe for the triple chocolate chunk and they are great!
However they ended up flat and a bit chewy, do you know why this might be? We suspect it has something to do with the oven not being strong enough.
Thanks!
Pascal
Rachel
Hi Pascal, the oven you use for baking has a huge impact on your success. I use a cheap oven thermometer like this https://www.amazon.co.uk/Stainless-Steel-Oven-Thermometer-Stand/dp/B000QDEH3W which I leave in the oven all the time. That way I can be sure that it has reached the temperature I wanted. Hope that helps, Rachel
Pascal
I've moved house and tried the cookies again with the new oven. Worked wonderfully! I left the cookies out for my flatmate and they all said "these taste like Ben's cookies"! Thank you very much for your help Rachel!
I used Cadbury milk chocolate, which wasn't the best, I think it's too chunky. Next time I'll try flat Lindt chocolate. Also the cookies were quite chewy while still hot, I think due to high amount of sugar? This is a bit different compared to the original Ben's Cookies, which aren't very chewy when hot.
But once again, thanks for the recipe!
Rachel
Hi Pascal, so pleased that the cookies are now working out great for you. I always make mine with the flat Lindt chocolate and it works brilliantly. Happy baking!
Christine
Hi, I made the double chocolate rendition of the triple chocolate recipe with great reviews! Thanks for working on this recipe! I don't think mine quite taste like Ben's, but I'm wondering about different ingredients; have you had to use a particular kind of unsalted butter?
I also wondered if I should make any other adjustments to the chocolate and orange cookie if I am using dark chocolate rather than milk?
And one final question: What is "stem ginger"? Is it just the root itself or some variety of the dried root with sugar? I remember the ginger cookie having a kind of crystalized ginger in it...Thanks!
Rachel
Hi Christine, I'm so pleased that you are enjoying the cookies. I use Lurpak unsalted butter and I would imagine that different brands of all of the ingredients give a slight flavour variation. I think that replacing the milk chocolate with dark in the chocolate and orage cookie is a great idea - I only did it with milk for authenticity! I use this kind of stem ginger in syrup https://www.waitrose.com/shop/ProductView-10317-10001-13996-Waitrose+Chinese+stem+ginger+in+syrup but crystalized ginger would be good too - it is a little more chewy so you may need to experiment. Happy baking!
Nida
I registered but no email came.
Can you kindly check?
Rachel
Hi Nida, I have replied to you by email on this. If you don't see my mail, do check in your Junk folder. Thanks
Maressa
Hi Rachel! I´m brazilian and I tried your recipe and my family loved! Thanks!
I subscripe my e-mail and I would like to have the book with the 15 cookies recipes, but I can´t do the download. Can you help me, please?
Rachel
Hi Maressa, I have replied to you by email on this. If you don’t see my mail, do check in your Junk folder. Thanks
helen corben
Hi Rachel,is there any chance you maybe able to convert a gluten free cookie recipe, I would so love to try them !
Rachel
I'm working on it - along with lots more exciting flavour variations, so watch this space!
helen corben
Hi Rachel, is it possible for you to convert a cookie recipe to gluten free please ? 🙂
Philippa
Just made the triple choc cookies and they were brilliant! My boyfriend and I ate them off the tray straight from the oven and had to strongly resist eating the lot!
Rachel
Now THAT sounds good!
Ligia
Hey, Rachel!
I just would like to say THANK YOU SO MUCH for sharing this recipe of yours!!! ❤️❤️❤️
I live in Brazil and I got to know Ben's Cookies in London a few years ago during my holidays in Europe. From that day on, I could never taste a cookie again without having it compared to the ones I tried in London, only to disappoint myself every bite.
The only logical way out seemed to be to bake them myself, which I tried a bunch of times, just to end up really frustrated, despite all my friends tell me it's super yummy. But U know when it just doesn't stand up to your expectations??!! ??
Then I found your website a couple of days ago, tried your recipe for white chocolate cookie today and TA-DA!!! Exactly EXACTLY what I had always been looking for.
So I though of sending u lots of love for going through all the trouble of experimenting, baking, baking again and sharing the recipe of something we all love so much 🙂 U rock and completely nailed it.
Keep going with the amazing job! You are very talented. 🙂
xoxoxo
Ligia
Rachel
Hey Ligia, so thrilled that the recipe has meant so much to you. Happy baking ... and happy eating! x
Moira Parker
Hi,
I love Bens Cookies and your recipe is fantastic. The Ginger and Dark Chocolate are my husbands favourite and he has made me promise to make these at least once a month for him. He wanted them once a week but I said that would be too hard on his (and my) waistline! I would love to try the other flavours but I can't seem to get the download to work. Any ideas on why this might be.
Thanks
Moira
Rachel
Hi Moira, I will email you about this. Thanks
Charmaine
OMG you are a wizz these are fantastic my fav snack is cookies and now can make loads of different ones. I only used you chocolate and ginger one as a dessert with ginger ice cream on top and steamed ginger bits. To die for many thanks.
Rachel
Oh my word - that sounds AWESOME!
Sonia Ballinger
Quite simply the best cookies i have ever baked, and i have baked a lot of cookies. Thanks so much for the recipe, its awesome!
Rachel
Hey, Sonia - I'm so pleased that you LOVED them. They're great aren't they? Be sure to check out the other recipes on the blog - there are loads more great ones x
Akhila Bhiman
Hi Racheal,
You just made my day!!!
I studied at Oxford and that's how I got introduced to these amazing cookies and Moo Moo's milkshakes. I've since moved to California and do not have regular access to Ben's 🙁
But luckily I still have family in the UK and work takes me to Europe and Ben's and Nando's are two places I bring back food from to the US every single time! Infact just this last weekend my husband and I were in London and on our way to the airport, during peak hours on Monday morning with a ton of luggage, my husband's sprained ankle (he gladly obliged since he wanted the cookies too), and a severely delayed Piccadilly line service, we got off the tube at South Kensington station, with my husband watching all the luggage at the platform, I ran upstairs to buy a box of cookies. And oh I am so glad I did that! We also have friends here who I introduced to the cookies and they now specifically request that I bring back a few every time I'm back.
I LOVE LOVE LOVE the double and nut and have been looking for a recipe forever, do you happen to have a recipe in the works for that one?
In the meantime, I will definitely give this one a try and let you know how it turned out.
Akhila
Rachel
Hi Akhila,
You and your husband truly are Ben's Cookies fans! Did you download the free downloadable book which contains 15 recipes for all the flavours that Ben's Cookies sell in their shops? I'm sure you'll find what you're looking for in there.
Happy baking!
Rachel
Caroline
Wow I'm impressed by your work here! I've just downloaded your cook book and I can't wait to try all these Ben's cookie recipes. I live in France, so I cannot enjoy Ben's cookies that often 😉 That may be different from now on, thanks !
Rachel
Enjoy!
Joe
Hi Rachel
I tried out your recipe and the results were amazing. However, I was wondering, what should I change if I wanted the cookies less sweet? Thanks
Rachel
Hi Joe, I sometimes include a little less caster sugar (mostly when I haven't got enough to make up the full amount!) and it has a minimal effect on the cookie's texture and finish but reduces the sweetness slightly. If I were you, I would play around with it until you are happy that the taste suits you. Hope that helps, Rachel
Ira A
Hi! Thank you so much for the recipe! I've been trying out different cookie recipes and I can't seem to get consistent with my cookies! I tried your recipe once, and I kinda destroyed it a bit but I'll try again! My boyfriend loves ben cookies which I've never tried before 🙁 but I'm hoping to get it perfect!
May I ask, what's the difference between using caster sugar and granualated sugar when making cookies? What does it affect to the cookies? And also, I've seen other recipes using baking soda than baking powder to make them. Why do you use a SR flour rather than baking soda? Does it somehow make the cookies more softer?
Sorry for the bunch of questions! It'll really help for me to understand better! Thank you ❤️
Rachel
In the US, granulated sugar can be used in place of caster sugar in some recipes. This is especially true for recipes that require butter and sugar to be creamed together. In the UK, however, granulated sugar can usually not be used as a replacement for caster sugar, as the granules are too large to yield the desired consistency. Caster sugar can be created by grinding granulated sugar in a blender or food processor, since caster sugar is very finely ground sugar. Do not grind the sugar too long, as it can become powdered sugar, which is even more finely grained.
Baking powder contains baking soda. It is a mixture of baking soda, cream of tartar (a dry acid), and sometimes cornflour. You can substitute baking soda for baking powder, if you increase the amount of acidic ingredients in the recipe to offset the baking soda. You'll also need much less baking soda as it is 3 times as powerful as baking powder. You'll need about a teaspoon of vinegar or lemon juice for every 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda.
SR flour is plain flour with baking powder added - I use it because it's an easier way of regulating how much baking powder is in there and it's one less ingredient to weigh out! Hope that helps.
Franciele
Thank you so much for sharing it! I love Ben's cookies but as you said they are not cheap and also not to close to my flat. I tried your recipe last week - milk chocolate, my favorite - (baked half of it and the other half went to the freezer) and the cookies are delicious , only for me 10 min in the oven was a bit too much and the borders were a bit hard, baked a few more from the frosted ones last night and I think this ones are perfect ☺️
But I want to ask you, have you tried it with wholemeal flour? I will try to use WM flour instead of plain flour next time, but no harm checking if that was already tested and the result
Thanks a lot!
Rachel
Hi Franciele, I have tried them with wholemeal flour and they were unpleasant! Too heavy and a bit dry.
Tricia Tan
Hi Rachel, still unable to receive your guidebook for ben's cookies even though i've signed up repeatedly- are you able to email it to me? <3
Rachel
Hi Tricia, I will email you to try to help with this
Tricia Tan
sure! My email is [email protected] 🙂
Mariam
Hi rachel please send me the email with the rest of recipes
My email is [email protected]
Rachel
I have emailed you to assist with this query. Thanks for getting in touch
Sandra
My son made these cookies last week using just Green and Black's white cooking chocolate and they were a great success, easily the best cookies ever produced in my kitchen! His younger brother's face was an absolute picture as he devoured his first!!
He was a little unsure about adding the salt, how would they be affected if the salt was reduced or missed out?
Rachel
Hi Sandra, I'm so pleased that you've all enjoyed the cookies. The salt works really well to cut through the sweetness and to give a more balanced taste. White chocolate is especially sweet so I think it's a useful addition to the recipe. It's fine to miss it out but I wouldn't if I were you!
Gina
Thanks for your effort and sharing your recipes.
I was so surprised with Ben's cookies in Korea,
So I really wanted to cook those cookies, and started googling.
I found your recipes!
I'll try yours soon 😀
After baking this, I'll report you 😀 Thank you again,
Rachel
Hi Gina, hope you enjoy making your own cookies!
Aqsa Sikandar
Hi Rachel!
Do you have a recipe for Ben's Milk Chocolate Cookie? Like a tried and tested one? I just had this one cookie in Dubai and I miss it! I am from Pakistan and we don't have Ben's Cookies here 🙁
Rachel
Yes I do. If you download the free e-book you will find it there along with all the other flavours. Happy baking!
Harley Evans
I keep on trying but I haven't been able to subscribe so I can download the Ebook.
Not really sure what else to do.
Rachel
Hi Harley, I will email you to help you with this. Cheers, Rachel
Claire Pitt
Hi,
I love this recipe and have made them so many times now which makes me very popular with friend. However, my best friend is can not have gluten, have you made a gluten free batch? And if so could you please share you pearls of cookie wisdom?
Thanks so much,
Claire
Rachel
So pleased you're loving them but I'm afraid I have no pearls of cookie wisdom about a gluten free variety. The only successful gluten free cakes/biscuits that I have made have been those that use ground almonds instead of flour. This Sticky Clementine Cake is particularly lovely https://marmaladeandme.com/sticky-clementine-cake/. Happy baking!
Maisoon
I pinned this recipe long ago, today I had this strong craving for a thick cake like cookie. I made them and it turned out so amazing that I'm makings another patch to send to my neighbors.
Also, I'm in Dubai, so glad to find this blog
Rachel
Hi Maisoon, so pleased that you are enjoying the cookies. You definitely have lucky neighbours!
Dana Danan
Hi Rachel, thank you so much for the recipe for the best cookies over!
I just tried your recipe, the cookies came out tasty but a bit too crispy and a bit too flat.
What do you think may be the reason? What shall I change?
Thank you!
Dana
Rachel
Hi Dana, make sure your ingredients are fresh (particularly the SR flour which contains the raising agent). Also check that your oven is at the correct temperature - I use a cheap 'in oven' thermometer which I bought off Amazon. If in doubt, cook for less time, rather than more. Hope that helps x
Suzanne Yip
if i were to make them at size 40 scoop,approx 1.5 tbspoon size dough, how long do you think i should bake them for??
should the centre be like moist under baked? thanks
Suzanne Yip
just to elaborate a little more, when i bake 10 mins of 90g i can imagine that the centre of the cookie would be raw???
Rachel
The only way to get a moist centre to the cookie is to cook it for as short a time as possible. Don't be scared - give it a try!
Rachel
Hi Suzanne, you will need to experiment if you are trying to bake a different sized cookie but, yes, the centre should be moist.
Andy
Hi there Rachel,
I really love your recipe and I've had great feedback. In my house, we don't like things very sweet so was thinking to reduce the quantity of sugar in your recipe to 30%. What effect do you think that would have on the texture/chewiness and what would you recommend is the absolutely most as a % I should reduce ( caster sugar/dark brown soft sugar) to ensure it doesn't effect the texture but simply make it less sweet?
Also I wanted to make them smaller in size. What height would you recommend the cookies should be before putting inside oven and would that lessen the cooking time?
Thanks a lot in advance!
Rachel
Hi Andy, I'm afraid I haven't tried either less sugar or a smaller size but I would say, give it a try! I went through many, many iterations before I had settled on the recipe that I liked the most.
Camila
Hi! I'm trying to download the full book of recipe, but it's not working for me.
Can you help me, pleaseee?
Thanks,
Camila 😉
Camila
ops, I got it! Its Working now. LOL
Thank youuuu
Kev
These were bang on. I took the liberty of substituting the dark choc and ginger for four chunks of dairy milk per cookie. I'm staring at the box with them in trying to convince myself I'll only eat one more tonight!
Rachel
Hey Kev, glad they were bang on! Will power goes out of the window with these cookies!
Dima
Hello, first I'd like to thank you for your efforts and for sharing these recipes 🙂
i have 3 questions that I'd appreciate help with:
1- is it possible to use a lower sugar content and not lose the flavor?? (if so, how much?)
2- Do you think combining a lower sugar amount with some honey or only honey (for some natural sweetening) would work?? 300 grams of sugar is considered too much on the healthy scale... 🙁
3- Can we use your recipes for cookies that we may use in our dessert shop which we plan on opening (if we actually successfully opened it) ?? I won't use them without your consent. 🙂
Sorry for the long message.
Dima
Rachel
Hi Dima, thanks for the questions. My approach to creating these recipes was focussed on making them as similar as possible to the real Ben's Cookies. To be honest, there's very little that's healthy about them and they sit quite firmly in the 'occasional treat' category! You could certainly experiment with the amount of sugar or making some substitutions but the taste and consistency will definitely change. Good luck with your dessert shop!
Luiz
Hello,
Thanks for sharing this amazing recipe. I'm brazilian but I lived in the UK for a while and Ben's cookies were my absolute favorite dessert. I was wondering if you could share the brands of the ingredients you use. Although I probably won't find the same brands here I might get more suitable ones. It's astonishing how they make such a perfect cookie with ingrendients that simple, but anyway, thanks so much!
Rachel
Hi Luiz, I am not especially loyal to any particular brands. I live in Dubai, so the brands I use are likely to be different to those found in the UK. Why don't you experiment with the ingredients that are the easiest to get hold of and see how it turns out? Enjoy!
jason
dear
apperciate your effort i m your fans from china.i just.want to asking what.does means by melted butter?means turn butter like.water?
thanks.for your reply
best.
Rachel
Hi Jason, by 'melted butter' I mean butter that has been warmed until it becomes liquid. I find it easiest to do this in the microwave but you could also do it in a small pan on the hob.
jason
oh thanks for your quick reply
Farah Abumaizar
Hello! Ive been trying for some time to get the 15 extra flavor recipes, even tried to sign up through email but received nothing 🙁 can you send it through?
Rachel
Hi Farah, I've emailed you about thos. Thanks
Dalia
Hi Rachel,
I tried the milk chocolate chunk and the coconut, they were delicious! 🙂
One question though, I expected the chocolate chunks to melt inside the cookie (like the actual Ben's cookie) but they were still very solid after baking, even the pieces on top. Any idea how I can get the melted result? Should I pre-melt them a bit before putting them inside the dough?
Rachel
Hi Dalia,
I'm wondering if the chocolate you are using is very thick and therefore your chunks are very big? I must admit that I have always found the chocolate to be, at the very least, melted on the inside. I mostly use Lindt chocolate where the bars are quite thin. The chocolate is at its gooiest when the cookies first come out of the oven and I always leave them at room temperature (ie never storing them in the fridge). Hope that helps
Emma
Hi Rachel!
I recently just subscribed to your website and I download the rest of the 15 possible combinations of Bens Cookies and I made the classic milk chocolate chunk cookies. When I first tasted it, I thought the milk chocolate was too sweet and I am deciding to try the dark chocolate chunk cookies. I was wondering what dark chocolate you would recommend for me to use (eg. brand and percentage of bitterness). Other than that, this recipe is fabulous and the cookie itself is so chewy and yummy!
Thanks!
Rachel
Hi Emma, I'm so pleased that you love them. I am a Lindt devotee and I rarely deviate. My 'go to' for dark chocolate is 70% because, like you, I prefer it not too sweet. I do however sometimes use their 60% - the bar is smaller but thicker (still 100g) and it gives a slightly different look and chocolate experience. I wouldn't say no to either!
Katrina
Hi Rachel,
Thanks for these lovely recipes of Ben’s Cookies. I tried Milk Chocolate and the taste is superb! The only problem I had is that the cookies became so hard after they’ve cooled down. I followed each and every step in the recipe. Do you think my temperature is too high? I followed 200c on the download version, however I’ve seen that here on the website it says 180c.
Rachel
So pleased that you loved them. They are certainly at their best when they are warm, but they shouldn't become hard. Try 180c and also try taking them out of the oven a little early. Our oven conditions are all different so a bit of experimentation may be needed to find what works for you. Enjoy!
Emma
Hi Rachel,
It's Emma again (if you remember me ?). I was also wondering if you have any tips to make these cookies more chewy or soft because after the second day of baking them they became very cake and hard. I would really appreciate if you could help me!
Thanks.
Rachel
Hi Emma, good to hear from you. Try cooking them for as short a time as you dare - or eat them faster!
Linda
Mu husband loves cookies so much and I alwaysbtry to make healthy cookies but he never liked them and he always says they arent fudgy or chewy like bens cookies which be used to love in Dubai. We live now in Barcelona and theres no bens cookies store. So I tried this recipe I used the half size of the ingredients and it was so yummy. He love them so much. I downloaded the book and I will for sure try other flavors. I found them extra sweet however I ate three of them. Next time ill make few for me with less sugar.
Amazing recipe thanks to Rachel.
Chris
Hi Rachel,
Just tried the recipe, which seems to have come out a bit too soft despite getting a good colouration? Any ideas on what I did wrong?
Rachel
Hi Chris, Sounds like your oven is too hot. Often ovens don't run true to temperature, so you might want to try putting a cheap, simple thermometer inside the oven to check. You can find one on Amazon. Thanks
Stephanie
Hey Rach! Just wanted to see I just made this for the second time and they were absolutely THE BEST HOMEMADE COOKIES EVER. They really do taste like ben's cookies but even better cause it's fresh from the oven. Thanks so much for this recipe and I hope you continue to post more dessert recipes. Really appreciate what you do!
May
I did today your cookies it is amaizing and almost like Ben's cookies,Thanks allot for Charing your recipe??, but I think my oven was very hot at 200c so I reduced it 180c.?
Rachel
Sounds great. Ovens really do vary, so sometimes it's good to experiment a little. Enjoy! x
Asma Vahora
Hello
I've just stumbled upon your recipie for these cookies and very excited to try it! I noticed the flour quantities are different on the blog and e-book? Which one should we go with?
Thanks
Rachel
Hi Asma,
Good noticing! I've been working on making the recipes EVEN better and the e-book contains my latest versions. I would go with the quantities in the e-book - I think it's an improvement! Enjoy x
Hollie
WOW! My boyfriend and I made these last night but changed the chocolate and ginger to just one chunk of chocolate per cookie and we absolutely LOVE them. They taste JUST like Bens Cookies. Thank you so much for this recipe!!
Rachel
So glad you enjoyed them x
Maria
Hello Rachel!
Should I use eggs size M or L (European or American size)?
Thank you!
Rachel
Hi Maria, I use large eggs. Enjoy!
Judit Horvath
Hi, I am trying to make the coconut one. Do you think if I replace the chocolate with the same amount of coconut will it work?:) thank you!:)
Rachel
Hi Judit, if you download the free e-book on the site there is a coconut recipe in there. Enjoy!
Judit Horvath
Thank you so much!:)
Judit Horvath
Any idea where to buy sweetened coconut? I only have desiccated, googled the sweetened one but can’t really see if any of the shops has it. Thank you for your help, can’t wait to make them tomorrow:)
Rachel
I've emailed you about this but I know for certain that it's sold on Amazon.