Heat the oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Cream the butter and sugar together using a wooden spoon or an electric whisk in a large bowl until light, fluffy and golden.

Stir in the vanilla, flour, baking powder and chocolate chips. Add 1 tbsp water to bring the mixture together if needed, and the cocoa powder to make them chocolate cookies, if you like. Bring the dough together into a ball with your hands.

Sprinkle some flour over your work surface and the dough. Roll out the dough until 3mm thick and, using cookie cutters, cut them out and lay them out on lined baking sheets, spacing them well apart.

Bake for about 12 mins or until golden brown. If baking on two trays, swap the trays over halfway through cooking. Leave on the baking sheets for 5 mins, then transfer to a wire rack to cool. Will keep in an airtight tin for three-four days.