Since revolutionising my Instagram feed (i.e culling the c***s) I now spend the majority of my scrolling time – mostly while on the toilet –  scouring that sweet, sweet edible material. Greasy meat slyly dripping off of a lamb shank; choux pastry bubbles; salted caramel poured from such a dizzying height it’s basically an open-mouth-and-catch scenario – I’m into the lot. It was during one these particularly productive ‘creative brainstorming’ sessions (aka hiding from actual work in the loo like a real grown up) that I discovered a plate of cookies that appeared to have been carved by angels. Hench chocolate chunks everywhere; perfectly circular and almost brick-like – with 3cm thick edges that were peppered with brown sugar crystals –  these saucy guys weren’t the work of any old Kenwood mixer; but a godly, existential spirit. Or Nigella, at least.

How wrong I was. It seems I had massively underestimated the craftsmanship of one self-taught, home-cook/food writer who would now become my oracle of all that is good and delicious in life. Alison Roman is the former food editor of Bon Appetite, contributor to the New York Times and author of cookbook, Dining In. She didn’t go to any posh cookery school – nor is she best mates with Gordon Ramsay’s second cousin. Instead, LA-born Roman followed her heart – and stomach – and u-turned from her creative writing degree into food when she took a job at a pastry chef at New York pudding utopia, Momofuku Milk Bar. It was only after working her ass off for seven years that bosses at Bon Appetite came a’knockin; a move which  secured her status as a well-respected food aficionado. Roman – who’s daily goal is to ‘eat pizza for every meal’ – cooks from her Brooklyn home; and her heart. There’s zero zoodles bullshit, plenty of fried chicken and pictures of the girl ACTUALLY EATING. Just WAIT until you try her cookies…

ALISON ROMAN’S SALTED SHORTBREAD CHOCOLATE CHUNK COOKIES

INGREDIENTS

*you can add an extra hefty pinch of salt if you only have unsalted butter.

255g cold, salted butter, cubed

METHOD

Using an electric mixer (or brute force), beat butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar, and vanilla on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, so for about 3–5 minutes.

Continue beating, but slowly add flour.  Add the flour a bit at a time – you can always negate 10-20g if your dough is the right consistency before you’ve used all the flour. Then add chocolate chunks, and beat to blend.

Divide the dough in half, placing each half on a large piece of cling film. Fold the cling film in half, covering the dough fully with a little bit of cling film left as excess.

Starting with the first half of dough, use your hands to shape the it into a log shape. Roll it on the worktop to get a smooth finish. Each half should measure just over 5cm in diameter. Then shape the other half of dough and leave both in the fridge to chill for at least 2 hours, preferably overnight.

Preheat oven to 175°c. Line two large baking sheets with greaseproof paper and grease lightly. Un-peel the cling film and brush the outside of logs with egg wash.

Carefully roll logs in demerara sugar so that there is a light covering all over the outside of the log.

Slice each log into 3.5cm thick cookies – be careful here as if you catch a chocolate chunk with the knife, the cookies may break. Don’t panic if this happens; they can easily be squished back together.

Place on the prepared baking sheet making sure to leave enough room between them.  Sprinkle with sea salt and bake cookies for 12–15 minutes, or until the edges are just starting to brown. Allow to cool then inhale.