Emelia Jackson’s blueberry cookies with a crumble topping you can put on anything

Name: Emelia Jackson’s blueberry cookies with a crumble topping you can put on anything
Cook time: 30 min
Yield: 20 cookies
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 210g plain flour; ½ tsp bicarbonate of soda (baking soda); ½ tsp baking powder; ¼ tsp sea salt flakes; 160g unsalted butter, softened; 125g brown sugar; 100g caster sugar; 1 egg, at room temperature; 2 tsp vanilla bean paste; zest of 1 lemon; 170g (1 punnet) fresh blueberries

Already mastered the classic chocolate chip cookie? Step things up a notch with this fresh seasonal bake.

Emelia Jackson

December 2, 2023

easyTime:< 30 minsMakes:20 cookies

These cookies are a fun riff on the classic chocolate chip cookie. Starting with a similar base recipe, we replace the chocolate chips with fresh (or frozen!) blueberries for a seasonal cookie.

They’re finished with a crumble topping for added extra texture and interest. It’s a simple technique you can apply to all sorts of bakes – I’ve shared some of my favourite ideas below. Be sure to read through to the end for more pro-tips.

Technique of the month: Crumble topping

Crumble – a simple combination of flour, butter and sugar, rubbed together and crisped atop your favourite bakes – is such an easy way to step things up a notch. Take this crumble and use it wherever your heart desires: layered over seasonal fruit and baked for an easy crumble, sprinkled on top of muffins and cakes before baking for a textural crunch, baked off as is and used to garnish yoghurt, ice-cream or smoothies or even to use between cake layers. You can add anything you like to the crumble, too – oats, coconut and spices are all good places to start.

Ingredients

210g plain flour
½ tsp bicarbonate of soda (baking soda)
½ tsp baking powder
¼ tsp sea salt flakes
160g unsalted butter, softened
125g brown sugar
100g caster sugar
1 egg, at room temperature
2 tsp vanilla bean paste
zest of 1 lemon
170g (1 punnet) fresh blueberries

Crumble topping

110g plain flour
50g caster sugar
45g brown sugar
70g unsalted butter, softened
pinch of salt

Method

Step 1
Combine the flour, bicarbonate of soda and baking powder in a bowl. Give these dry ingredients a good whisk and set aside.
Step 2
Using an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together the softened butter, both sugars, egg, vanilla and lemon zest.
Step 3
Add in all of the dry ingredients and mix together until just combined before gently stirring through the blueberries.
Step 4
For the crumble topping, combine all of the ingredients together in a bowl and using your fingers, rub the butter into the flour and sugars.
Step 5
To bake, preheat the oven to 180C fan-forced (200C conventional). Line a baking tray with baking paper (or use a silicone baking mat) and place 6 x 50g balls of dough on each tray. These will spread so give them space to do their thing. Bake for 10 minutes then place a little of the crumble topping on top of each cookie. Return to the oven and bake for a further 10 minutes or until they are caramelised around the edges while still soft and blonde towards the centre.
Step 6
Allow to cool on the trays for 15 minutes, then transfer the cookies to a wire rack.

Tips

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Make sure you cream the butter and sugar in the cookie for long enough – this will lighten the dough and make it easier to incorporate those delicate fresh blueberries.
To bring the egg up to room temperature quickly before using it, submerge in a cup of warm tap water for 2-3 minutes. Taking the chill off the egg will ensure you don’t curdle the butter and sugar base.
Simply rubbing the crumble topping together with your fingertips will see different-sized pieces of butter incorporated throughout. This will result in some crunchier pieces of crumble and some pieces that are sandier – a textural delight!
To get perfectly round cookies, take a large ring cutter or cup and run it around each cookie while it is still hot from the oven.