August 31, 2014

Chocolate Mudslide Cookies


Chocolate Mudslide Cookies are another staple recipe for me - they're ridiculously easy to make (only one bowl needed!), soft and densely chocolatey.  These are great to quickly whip up when you need a chocolate fix!

Recipe adapted from: Cakespy
Ingredients
3 tbsp butter (40g)
225g dark chocolate (for melting)

185g white sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla essence
100g flour
2 tbsp cocoa powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking powder
170g chocolate chips or chocolate chunks
1 1/2 cups chopped walnuts (optional)

Method
1. Preheat oven to 175C (350F).

2. Melt the 225g chocolate with the butter and sugar;  I do this in the microwave.   Set the mixture aside to cool.


3. Lightly beat the eggs with the vanilla.

4. Stir the chocolate mixture into the eggs a bit at a time.

5. Add the flour, cocoa powder, salt and baking powder and mix until combined.  The original recipe calls for 40g of flour but I always have to use more than 100g to get the batter into some sort of shape that it can be worked with (otherwise it's like brownie batter!)

6. Mix in the chocolate chips and the walnuts if you're using them.

7. Place rounded tablespoons of the dough onto baking trays lined with baking paper or silicone mats, making sure that there is enough room for them to spread when baked.



8. Bake the cookies for 10-12 minutes.  They should still be very fudgy and soft; they will harden as they cool, but make sure you eat some when the chocolate's still melted and delicious!




August 22, 2014

Raspberry White Chocolate Muffins


I hope you're all prepared for more white chocolate, because you definitely want to make these delicious muffins.  The sweetness of the cake and white chocolate contrasts beautifully with the tart raspberries and they are so simple to make!

Recipe adapted from: The Golden Book of Chocolate
Ingredients
125g butter
100g white sugar
1 egg
1/2 tsp vanilla essence
125mL milk
225g flour
2 tsp baking powder
180g white chocolate chips
1 cup raspberries (I used frozen ones)



Method
1. Preheat the oven to 180C (350F).  Prepare a 12-cup cupcake tin with patty pans.

2. Melt the butter.

3. Beat the melted butter, sugar, egg, vanilla and milk until combined.

4. Fold the flour and baking powder into the mixture.

5. Finally, combine the raspberries and white chocolate chips with the batter.



6. Spoon the batter into the cupcake tin and bake for about 25-30 minutes, or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean.



Enjoy!



August 3, 2014

Browned Butter Blondies

Blondie Jenga!
While I do love (and always will love) brownies, I've been enjoying blondies more and more.  There's something about the fact that it's akin to a cookie, but with heaps more bits stacked into it, that appeals to me.  Plus, the batter tastes like cookie dough, so that's a win!

These particular blondies are delicious, and the addition of browned butter takes them to another level.  I have used browned butter before in these cookies, but I felt that the taste was lost, and I was afraid that the same thing would happen with these blondies; but it was not so!  I could definitely taste the nuttiness of the browned butter in the end product, and coupled with white chocolate chips and pecans, I was in blondie heaven.  I hope you enjoy them as much as I did!

Recipe adapted from: Bake or Break
Ingredients 21 x 31 cm (8 x 12 inch) brownie tin
310g butter
370g brown sugar
125g white sugar
3 eggs
2 1/2 tsp vanilla essence
350g flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 cup pecans, chopped roughly
1 cup white chocolate chips

Method
1. Begin by browning the butter.  In a saucepan, cook the butter over a medium heat until brown specks form underneath the foam.  It will smell absolutely amazing !

2. Transfer the butter into a bowl and leave it to cool.

3. Preheat the oven to 175C (350F).

4. Stir the brown and white sugar into the cooled butter.

5. Add the eggs one at a time, and beat until light and fluffy.

6. Add the vanilla and beat until combined.



7. In a few portions, add the flour, baking powder and salt, mixing in between.

8. Finally, mix the chopped pecans and white chocolate into the batter.



9. Pour the batter into a brownie tin lined with baking paper, and bake for about 35 minutes or until the blondies are golden brown and an inserted toothpick comes out clean.



10. Let the blondies cool, then cut them into slices of your choosing and enjoy!