Here's a secret most caterers won't put on their menu: the cookies are slightly underbaked, and that's the whole point.

That's how Deepak Shukla does it anyway. He runs Pearl Lemon Catering, a UK company doing corporate events, private parties and afternoon teas, which means he's elbow-deep in homemade bakes and old British puddings most days of the week. I asked him to give away a few things he'd normally keep to himself. He did.

So I'll start with the cookies.

The underbaking trick

Deepak pulls his cookies out early. Not by a lot, he told me, just enough that people keep reaching for another one without quite knowing why.

In his words: "Most home bakers are chasing crunch when they should be chasing texture."

I keep coming back to that. We've all stood at the oven door, leaving the tray in for one more minute to play it safe, and that one minute is exactly what turns a soft, chewy cookie into a crunchy one.

He chills his dough overnight too. That rest lets the flour soak up the moisture properly and the flavour gets noticeably deeper.

His other habits are smaller, but they add up.

He uses a mix of dark and light sugar. The dark brings the moisture and a caramel note, the light keeps it from going too heavy.

He always adds more vanilla than the recipe asks for.

And here's the one that surprised me most. He stirs a little instant coffee into chocolate cookies. You won't taste coffee at all. You'll just notice the chocolate tastes richer. I tried it the next weekend and he's right.

If you want a recipe built around that soft-centre idea, my Tanya Burr Cookie Recipe pulls the tray while the middles still look pale. Same principle, different kitchen.

Why old British puddings refuse to go away

Deepak's theory on why these desserts have lasted is refreshingly unglamorous. They're practical.

Bread and butter pudding is his go-to comfort food. He admitted he'd happily wipe out half a workout with a bowl of pudding and custard, which is the most honest thing a caterer has ever said to me.

But when I asked which one he'd actually recommend to a home baker, he didn't hesitate.

Sticky toffee pudding.

"It's basically the dessert version of a warm handshake."

Simple, comforting, and weirdly hard to beat even when you try to dress it up. I've tasted plenty of fancy versions that lost to the plain one.

His advice for making it at home

Stop chasing perfection.

"The slightly messy ones tend to taste better anyway."

His point is that people overthink baking when it's really about consistency, patience and letting the thing do its job. Sticky toffee pudding proves it. The sauce sinks in, the sponge goes dark and a bit rough around the edges, and nobody at the table has ever complained that it didn't look neat enough.

So pull your cookies a touch early. Chill the dough. Pour the extra vanilla. Then drop the instant coffee into your next batch of chocolate cookies and see if anyone can tell what you did.

That's the one that'll win you over.

Big thanks to Deepak Shukla, CEO of Pearl Lemon Catering, for sharing these. If you need catering anywhere in the UK, their team is worth a look.

Put these tips to work

Want to try a few cookie recipes I've tested with these ideas in mind?

Tanya Burr Cookie Recipe for soft centres and hand-broken chocolate.

S'mores Cookie Recipe for a gooey, marshmallow-heavy batch.

Toll House Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe for the classic baseline every baker should know.