Whether you’re catering for a crowd or firing up for a quick midweek dinner – as the weather starts to warm up, so do our grills.

BBQing used to have a somewhat basic reputation for chucking unseasoned steaks on the grill and calling it a day. However, there are worlds of possibilities when it comes to cooking over fire – for example, did you know you could even whip up a batch of chocolate chip cookies outside?

New BBQ cookbooks released in preparation for summer take us all over the world with their recipes, and could even convince you to build your own grill from scratch.

Here are some recipes from some of the latest BBQ books out now…


DJ BBQ’s chocolate chip cookies recipe

Credits: PA;

Ingredients:

(Makes 8-10)

115g softened butter

115g granulated sugar

50g soft light brown sugar

1 egg

1tsp vanilla extract

120g plain flour, sifted

¼tsp salt

½tsp bicarbonate of soda

100g chocolate chips

Method:

1. The most important instruction for this recipe is: do not eat all the cookie dough before cooking them.

2. Try to make sure all the ingredients are roughly the same temperature, as this will give you a smoother mix. Cream together the butter and sugars until light, pale and fluffy. Then mix in the egg and vanilla, followed by the dry ingredients. Lastly, stir through the chocolate chips. Now refrigerate the cookie dough in the bowl overnight. That’s right, you just made cookie dough and now you have to wait until TOMORROW before you can eat the cookies. I can only apologise. Forgive me. Tomorrow you’ll love me.

3. The next day, get your outdoor cooker going.

4. Roll the cookie dough into balls around 75-100g, depending on how big you like your sweet chocolate-studded frisbees. Next, cut some circles out of baking parchment – double the number of dough balls you have – ensuring they’re slightly bigger than the final size you want your cookies to be. Evenly squish each dough ball between two discs of baking parchment to create a cookie shape.

5. Place the paper-covered cookies directly on the plancha. Cook for five to 10 minutes on each side, flipping with a fish slice. If you like a chewier or crispier cookie, then cook for the shorter time, for crispy cookies cook for longer.

6. Let them cool slightly before peeling off the paper and serving with an ice-cold glass of milk and an episode of Justice League (other cartoons are available, but they’re not as cool).


DJ BBQ’s Backyard Baking: 50 Awesome Recipes for Baking Over Live Fire by David Wright, Chris Taylor and Christian Stevenson, is published by Quadrille.

James Whetlor’s coconut chicken wings recipe

Credits: PA;

Ingredients:

(Serves 4)

100ml coconut milk

2-4 fresh bird’s eye chillies (or another fresh chilli as you prefer)

6 garlic cloves, peeled

2tsp light brown sugar

2tsp smoked paprika

3tbsp olive oil

2 limes, 1 juiced and 1 cut into wedges

1kg chicken wings

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Method:

1. In a blender, whizz the coconut milk, chilli, garlic, sugar, paprika, olive oil and lime juice to a smooth sauce, adding a generous amount of salt and black pepper to taste.

2. Pat the chicken dry with paper towel and arrange in a bowl. Season lightly with salt and coat in half the marinade, then cover and refrigerate for at least two hours, preferably overnight if possible.

3. When ready to cook, preheat the BBQ to a medium heat.

4. Lay the chicken pieces on the grill over the heat in a single layer and bake for about 30 minutes or until the skin has turned crispy and the meat is cooked through. While cooking, baste the chicken with the reserved marinade two or three times.

5. Serve with lime wedges on the side.


The DIY BBQ Cookbook: How To Build Your Own BBQ And Cook Up A Feast by James Whetlor is published by Quadrille.

Tim Hayward’s grilled artichokes with hollandaise recipe

Credits: PA;

Ingredients:

(Serves 4-8)

4 large globe artichokes

1 lemon, cut into 4 wedges

4 garlic cloves, left whole, but given a whack to slightly crush

1 large egg yolk

Juice of 1 lemon

200g/generous 3/4 cup unsalted butter, melted

Olive oil, for brushing

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Method:

1. Wrap the artichokes individually in a double layer of foil, each with two tablespoons of water, a lemon wedge, a garlic clove and a big pinch of salt. Using the indirect set-up, burp and open your preheated Egg, place the wrapped artichokes on the stainless steel grid and leave them to steam for about 45-60 minutes with the dome closed until tender.

2. Meanwhile, for the hollandaise, put the egg yolk and four teaspoons of lemon juice into a heatproof bowl with one teaspoon of water and whisk together for two to three minutes until thick. Very gradually, whisk in the melted butter (leaving the white milky solids behind) in a thin stream until thick and creamy. Season with salt, pepper and more lemon juice to taste. Keep the hollandaise sauce warm over a pan of boiling water off the heat, stirring occasionally.

3. Burp the Egg and remove the convEggtor. Unwrap and halve the artichokes, top to bottom/vertically, then paint the cut side with olive oil. Using the direct set-up, grid cut-side down on the bars in the Egg until golden brown. Sprinkle with salt to taste just before serving.


Big Green Egg Feasts: Innovative Recipes To Cook For Friends And Family by Tim Hayward is published by Quadrille.