Choc chips recipes that are worth smashing a block for

Sprinkle your chips in more than just cookies.

Coffee, cocoa and hazelnut amaretti Source: Jono Fleming

Chocolate is good, chocolate chips are better. That's because each chip becomes a mini blissful encounter mid-treat; a little 'hi chocolate, nice to see you again" moment in every bite.

No baked good does this better than chocolate chip cookies. There's just something about a buttery-sugary-doughy wrapping that brings out chocolate's soothing best. Whether you like them crunchy, chewy, sweet, salty or even crinkly a chocolate chip biscuit delivers the goods.

Make your chips

Speaking of the goods, there are a few things you need to know about chocolate chips to truly bring out their best. The first is this: make your own chips whenever you can. You'll get more chocolate bang for your buck plus you can make your pieces whatever size you like (such as, you know, extra chunky). Also, smashing into a block of chocolate with the smooth side of a meat mallet is all kinds of fun (you can also roll your block with your rolling pin - not as much fun, but definitely tidier).

Another tip for chocolate whacking is to freeze the block first so you can smash out smaller chips. Put your unwrapped block of chocolate into a freezer bag, freeze it, and then crush it when it's still in the bag. If at any stage the chocolate starts to get too soft, put the bag back into the freezer until it's solid again.

Mix your chips

When you're busy making your chips, remember that most chocolate chip dishes will benefit from a mix of chocolate types. So, add some milk with your dark, or some white with your milk. Ruby chocolate should also be part of the mix and we'll confess right now to a mild addiction to Reese's Peanut Butter Baking Chips (trawl your supermarket for a packet, you won't regret it).

Enjoy your chips

Honestly though, if that all feels too hard, don't hesitate to buy a bag of chips from the store and just go for it. As long as you never skimp when pouring in the chips, you really can't go wrong.

Here are nine recipes that prove that as long as you're generous there's no such thing as a chocolate chip miss.

Cupcake tower

Why only have one dessert when you can have them all? Source: Mary Makes It Easy

While it's tempting to fill this list with chocolate chip cookie recipes (see above), we'll instead bring you a cupcake/cookie combo that adds new life to the word indulgence. This treat has got mud cake, it's got cookie dough, it's got a chocolate chip cookie and it's got the leaning tower of buttercream with chocolate chips sprinkled on top.

A chipper good morning

This over-the-top cake is made by stacking chocolate chip waffles with a peanut butter frosting and salted caramel bananas. Good morning to you! Source: Anna's Occasions

Chocolate chips for breakfast sound like a plan. This waffle cake recipe may be a dessert, but not to worry, we'll allow it. If we can have breakfast for dinner, surely having dessert for breakfast is a natural extension?

Buns, hun

No oven required. Source: Let's Brunch

Not that we're pushing this dessert-for-breakfast thing, but we can't go past these sticky choc chippy skillet buns slathered in vanilla-cream cheese icing. A cup of tea or coffee and you're good for the day. Maybe even the week.

Happy ending

A cracking good way to finish a meal. Source: Paul Hollywood Pies and Puds

This chocolate chip peppermint roulade takes its queue from old-fashioned after-dinner mints. Think pitch-dark chocolate cake wrapped around a feather-light cream centre and you'll find your way.

Not-so rocky road

Fact: all the best granola bars contain choc chips. Source: Mary Makes It Easy

When your afternoon muesli bar pick-me-up meets your favourite rocky road flavours your afternoon snack becomes a morning and evening snack too.

Only choc chips

Amaretti biscuits date back hundreds of years in Italian cuisine, but chocolate chips aren't going to let that stop them improving things. Source: Jono Fleming

Only choc chips could improve on the Italian classic amaretti biscuit. Silvia Colloca fills the melty morsels with our favourite tiny dopamine bombs to great effect.

Go on, kid yourself

Practically kale. Source: Mary Makes It Easy

These rich chocolate chip muffins have hidden zucchini and a whole avocado in the recipe. Which means we can have at least three, right?

Cheesecake showstopper

Ooh and aah indeed. Source: Mary Makes It Easy

An entrance with a cheesecake always brings on the oohs and aahs, which is particularly gratifying when they are so easy to make. The crowd will chorus even louder for this one. It has a choc-chip brownie base, followed by a classic no-bake cheesecake layer, followed by a crumbled toffee lolly top.

Sweetest treat

For a superior choccy crackle, just add marshmallows and choc chips. Source: The Chocolate Queen

For sweet lovers, you can't go past a chocolate-crackle-meets-marshmallow mash-up. It's ridiculously easy to make (especially if you buy in the chocolate chips), matched only by how ridiculously easy it is to eat. Do go gently.