Homemade Chocolate Chip Cookies Without Oven in Pressure Cooker

Place a large pressure cooker on the stovetop and spread one cup of rock salt or clean sand evenly across the bottom. Place a small wire rack or steel ring stand inside the cooker to elevate the baking tray. Put the lid on without the whistle gasket and preheat the cooker on medium flame for 10 to 12 minutes. This step is very important as it creates the oven-like heat environment needed to bake the cookies perfectly.

While the cooker preheats, take a large mixing bowl and add the room temperature unsalted butter. Beat the butter well using a hand whisk or electric beater for about 2 minutes until it becomes light, pale, and creamy. Room temperature butter is essential here as cold butter will not cream properly and will result in dense cookies.

Add the granulated sugar to the creamed butter and continue beating for another 3 to 4 minutes until the mixture becomes fluffy and the sugar is well incorporated. The mixture should look light and airy at this stage. This creaming process is the foundation of a good cookie texture, so do not rush this step.

Crack the egg into the butter-sugar mixture and add the vanilla essence. Mix everything together well until fully combined and smooth. Make sure the egg is also at room temperature, as a cold egg can cause the butter mixture to curdle and affect the final texture of your cookies.

In a separate bowl, sift together the all-purpose flour, baking soda, salt, and cocoa powder if you are using it. Sifting removes lumps and ensures the dry ingredients are evenly distributed throughout the dough. This step also adds a little air to the flour which helps give the cookies a lighter texture.

Gradually add the sifted dry ingredients to the wet butter-egg mixture in two or three batches. Gently fold and mix using a spatula or wooden spoon after each addition. Do not overmix the dough as this develops gluten and can make your cookies tough and hard instead of soft and chewy.

Once a soft dough has formed, fold in the chocolate chips and mix gently so they are evenly distributed throughout the dough. At this stage you can cover the bowl with cling wrap and refrigerate the dough for 20 to 30 minutes. Chilling the dough helps prevent cookies from spreading too much while cooking and gives a better shape.

Grease a steel plate or aluminium baking tray with a little butter and dust lightly with flour. Scoop tablespoon-sized portions of the chilled dough and roll them gently into balls using your palms. Place the dough balls on the prepared tray leaving at least 2 inches of space between each ball as they will spread while cooking.

Gently flatten each dough ball slightly using your fingers or the back of a spoon. You can press a few extra chocolate chips on top of each cookie at this point for a beautiful presentation. Arrange the tray inside the preheated pressure cooker on the wire rack and close the lid without the whistle or gasket.

Cook the cookies on medium-low flame for 15 to 18 minutes. Do not open the lid frequently as this releases the trapped heat. After 15 minutes, carefully open the lid and check if the edges of the cookies are set and lightly golden. The centres may look slightly soft but they will firm up as they cool down.

Once done, carefully remove the tray from the cooker using oven mitts or a thick cloth as it will be very hot. Allow the cookies to cool on the tray itself for 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely. Do not try to remove the cookies immediately as they will be very soft and will break.

Once the cookies have cooled completely to room temperature they will be perfectly set, crisp on the edges, and soft in the centre. Store them in an airtight container at room temperature and they will stay fresh for up to 5 to 6 days. Serve them as an evening snack with a glass of warm milk for your children.