Nutty Chocolate Clusters June 28, 2009

I bought this book “Everyday Chocolate – A Collection of over 100 essential recipes” from Popular quite sometimes back. It is partiall successful because I didn’t add in the white chocolate as I bought the wrong type. It should be in bar white chocolate instead of white chocolate chips as it is very difficult to melt. Anyway, it tastes nice even though without the white chocolate. I did toast the hazenuts before chopping into pieces. My elder son said that it would taste better in put in the fridge. So I put some in the fridge and bring some for my colleagues to try it.

 

Ingredients :

175g white chocolate

100g digestive biscuits

100g chopped macadamia or brazil nuts (use hazenuts)

175g plain chocolate

 

Methods :

1. Line a baking sheet with a sheet of baking parchment. Break the white chocolate into small pieces and melt in a mixing bowl set over a saucepan of gently simmering water.
2. Break the disgestive biscuits into small pieces. Stir the biscuits into the melted chocolate with the chopped nuts.
3. Place heaped teaspoons of the chocolate cluster mixture onto the prepared baking sheet. Chill until set, then carefully remove from the baking parchment.
4. Melt the plain chocolate and cool slightly. Dip the clusters into the chocolate, letting the excess drip back into the bowl. Return to the baking sheet and chill until set.

Oatmeal Coconut Cookies June 14, 2009

It has been quite sometime that I did not bake anything. Firstly I was busy with my sons exam and secondly I am lazy too. Hehehe……. I ever told my friends that I need to have the mood to bake otherwise it will not taste nice.

Ingredients :

225g butter or margarine

125g soft light brown sugar

125g caster sugar

1 large egg, lightly beaten

1 tsp vanilla essence

225g plain flour

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda

125g rolled oats

75g desiccated coconut

 

Method :

1. Preheat the oven to 180 deg C for 10 mins before baking. Lightly oil a baking sheet.
2. Cream together the butter or margarine and sugars until light and fluffy.
3. Cradually stir in the egg and vanilla essence and beat until well blended.
4. Sift together the flour, baking powder and bicarbonate of soda in another bowl.
5. Add to the butter and sugar mixture and beat together until smooth. Fold in the rolled oats and coconut with a metal spoon or rubber spatula.
6. Roll heaped teaspoonfuls of the mixture into balls and place on the baking sheet about 5 cm apart and flatten each ball slightly with the heel of the hand.
7. Transfer to the preheated oven and bake for 12-15 mins until just golden.
8. Remove from the oven and transfer the biscuits to a wire rack to completely cool and serve.

 

Taken from Biscuits, Baking & Cakes – The Essential Recipe Cookbook by Gina Steer

Neiman Marcus Chocolate Cookies February 8, 2009

 

This recipe is taken from 500 Cookies by Philippa Vanstone. Quote from the book : “The rumour that gave this cookie its rise to fame tells of a customer who inadvertently paid US$250 for this cookie recipe, thinking she was being charged US$2.50.”

 

Ingredients :

115g unsalted butter

200g light brown sugar (I use 150g)

1 egg

2 tsp vanilla essence

200g plain flour

1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

1-1/2 tsp instant coffee powder (I use cocoa powder)

225g plain chocolate chips (I use 200g)

 

Method :

1. Preheat the oven to 190 deg C.  For my oven, I use 175 deg C.

2. Beat the butter and sugar together and add the egg and vanilla essence.

3. Sfit together the remaining dry ingredients, including the cocoa powder. Stir the dry ingredients into the butter mixture and mix in the chocolate chips.

4. Roll into balls. Use your fingers to flatten onto  non-stick baking sheets 5 cm apart. Bake for 8 to 10 mins. Cool for 5 mins. (My dough is too soft to roll into balls)

5. Store in an airtight container for 4 to 5 days.

 

Dark Chocolate Crunchies February 7, 2009

 

It looks similar to chocolate cornflake I did it but with some additional stuff. This recipe is taken from 500 Cookies by Phiplippa Vanstone (borrow from the library).

Ingredients :

200g dark chocolate

50g unsalted butter

5 tbsp golden syrup (I use 3 tbsp)

100g crisped rice cereal (I use the whole box at 130g)

 

Method :

1. Line two baking sheets with parchment.

2. Melt the chocolate & butter together in a heatproof bowl over a saucepan of simmering water or in the microwave.

3. Stir in the golden syrup and crisped rice cereal. Drop spoonfuls of the mixture onto the  baking sheets and refrigerate for about 45 mins until set.

4. Store in an airtight container in the fridge for 5 to7 days.

Mini Chocolate Marylands January 18, 2009

 

Ingredients :

125g butter, at room temperature

90g caster sugar

1 egg

1 egg yolk

1 tsp vanilla essence

175g self-raising flour

90g milk

90g chocolate chips

 

Method

• Preheat the oven to 180 deg C. Grease 2 baking trays.
• In a large bowl, beat together the butter and sugar until pale and creamy. Add the egg, egg yolk, vanilla essence, flour, milk and half the chocolate chips and stir well until thoroughly combined.
• Using 2 teaspoons, place small mounds of the mixture on the baking sheets, spcaing them slightly apart to allow room for spreading.
• Press the remaining chocolate chips on to the mounds of cookie dough and press down gently.
• Bake for 10-15 mins until pale golden. Leave the cookies on the baking sheet for 2 mins to firm up, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

 

I have reduced the sugar to 70g. After I have put in chocolate chips in the dough, I forget to add milk. Instead of 90g of milk, I add 90ml milk. Not wonder my dough is so liquid and my cookies are not mini…….

Melting Moments January 11, 2009

 

Ingredients :

225g softened unsalted butter

50g icing sugar

1/2 tsp vanilla essence

225g plain flour

3 tbsp cornflour

 

For the filling : -

50g unsalted butter

125g  icing sugar

2 tsp vanilla essence

3 tbsp fruit jam, any flavour

 

Method :

• Pre-heat the oven to 175 deg C.
• Beat the butter, icing sugar & vanilla essence together until light and fluffy.
• Sift the flour and cornflour and stir into the creamed mixture.
• Using a 1 cm fluted nozzle and piping bag, pipe the mixture into 2-1/2 cm rosettes 4 cm apart on a non-stick baking sheet.
• Bake for 10 mins until golden.
• Allow the cookies to firm up slightly before transferring them to a wire rack to cool.
• Beat the butter and icing sugar together with the vanilla essence until light and fluffy.
• Spread fruit jam onto the bottom of half the cookies and then spread or pipe the filling onto the other halves.
• Sandwich together.
• Store in an airtight container for 3 to 4 days.

 

from 500 cookies by philippa vanstone

 

 

Chocolate Vanilla Drop Cookies November 30, 2008

 

Ingredients : -

150g plain flour

2 tbsp cocoa powder

1 tsp baking powder

1/8 tsp salt

175g butten, softened

100g sugar

1/2 tsp vanilla essence

 

Method : -

• Preheat the oven at 175 deg C.
• Sift flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt into a bowl.
• Beat the butter and sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer until creamy.
• Mix in the vanilla & dry ingredients.
• Drop tablespoon (i use teaspoon) of the dough 2 inches (5 cm) apart.
• Bake for 10-15 mins.
• Leave in the pan for a while before transfer to the wire racks.

Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies November 9, 2008

Ingredients

210g – all purpose flour

45g – cocoa powder

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

230g – butter, room temperature

150g – sugar

1 tsp vanilla extract

4 tbsp thin rolled oats

150g – chocolate chips

Method

1. Preheat oven to 180 deg C.
2. Whisk flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt together in a bowl.
3. Use electric mixer, beat butter in large bowl until fluffy. Add sugar and vanilla extract; beat it unitl blended.
4. Add flour mixture and beat until moist clumps form
5. Mix in oats with spatula until evenly distributed.
6. Add chocolate chips and knead gently to blend.
7. Bake for 15 mins or until the centre is slightly firm and top is cracked.

This cookies taste nice. If my hubby says nice, then it is nice. He hardly says the cookies is nice as I am still in learning stage. hehehe…….

Oh, I get this recipe from one of the blogger. I can’t remember where I get it.

Fork Cookies October 26, 2008

To me, this is another butter cookies. Just because it uses the fork to make the pattern on it. It is called Fork Cookies. I don’t really know how to use my oven. It seems not even in baking. Some are darker colour than the rest especially those cookies place in the corner. I still need to try an error for each batch I bake. The 1st batch is the above and the 2nd batch is slightly burnt even though using the same timing.

Ingredients

115g butter, softened

50g caster sugar

150g self-raising flour, sifted

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180 deg C. Lightly grease two baking sheets. Beat the butter in a bowl until creamy, then beat in the sugar. Stir in the flour and bring the dough together with your hands.
2. Shape into walnut-size balls and place on the baking sheets, spacing well apart. Dip a fork in cold water and use to flatten the cookies.
3. Bake for 10-12 mins, until pale brown. Leave to cool on the baking sheets for a few mins, then transfer to a wire rack to cool.

Chocolate Chip Cookies September 21, 2008

My plan is to do muffins but I don’t have fresh milk at home. So I choose to do chocolate chip cookies. My hubby didn’t chocolate as he prefers plain cookie. However, my elder son loves it as long there is chocolate.

Ingredients

115g butter, softened

115g caster sugar

1 egg, lightly beaten

1 tsp vanilla essence

175g plain (all-purpose) flour

175g plain (semisweet) chocolate chips (I use only 160g)

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180 deg C.

2. Cream the butter and sugar together in a bowl with a wooden spoon or an electric mixer until pale and fluffy.

3.  Beat in the egg and vanilla essence.

4. Sift the flour over the butter mixture and fold in with the chocolate chips.

5. Drop tablespoonfuls of the mixture on to the prepared baking sheets. Leave plenty of space between the cookies to allow for spreading.

6. Flatten each cookie slightly with the back of a fork, keeping the shape as even as possible.

7. Bake the cookies for about 10 mins or until golden.