Mocha Fudge Cookies

Fudgy baked goods are my favourite kind of baked goods!  These cookies are rich with chocolate-coffee flavour, chock full of chocolate chips and deliciously soft in the middle.

Recipe adapted from: King Arthur Flour
Ingredients
113g butter
210g brown sugar
3/4 tsp baking powder
1 tbsp instant coffee powder

1/2 tsp salt

2 eggs

1 tsp vanilla essence

57g cocoa powder

206g flour

170g chocolate chips

170g chocolate chunks*

*(If you don't have chocolate chunks on hand, you can just use 240g chocolate chips; I used 170g dark chocolate chips and 170g white chocolate chips. You can use whatever type of chocolate you like!)

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

2. Melt the butter in a microwave-safe bowl.

3. Mix the sugar, baking powder, coffee powder and salt into the melted butter until combined.

4. Add the eggs and vanilla and beat until combined.

5. Fold the cocoa powder and flour into the batter - the dough will be quite sticky, but don't worry, this is fine!

6. Mix the chocolate chips and chocolate chunks into the dough until evenly distributed.

7. Place tablespoon-sized balls of dough onto baking trays lined with baking paper or silicon mats.  You don't need to leave too much space between them as they don't spread out too much.

8. Bake the cookies for 8-10 minutes.  They should have started to crack along the tops but still be soft when you poke them.  Don't over-bake them because you want them to be nice and fudgy!

9. Transfer the cookies to a wire rack to cool, and enjoy!

Hershey's Kiss Peanut Butter Cookies

One of my lovely friends gifted me with some Hershey's Kisses - I used them to bake some fluffy peanut butter cookies!

Recipe heavily adapted from: How Sweet It Is
Ingredients
125g butter
35g peanut butter
200g white sugar
40g brown sugar
1 egg
1/2 tsp vanilla essence
280g flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
Hershey's Kisses or choc chips (optional)

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

2. Beat the butter, peanut butter, white sugar and brown sugar until light and fluffy.

3. Beat the egg and vanilla essence into the mixture.

4. Mix in the flour and baking powder until just combined.

5. Scoop heaped tablespoons of cookie dough onto a baking tray lined with baking paper or a silicon mat, leaving a bit of space between the dough balls.

6. Top each ball with a Hershey's Kiss or a chocolate chip.  Of course, you can also make these without the chocolate kisses!

7. Bake the cookies for 10-12 minutes, or until lightly golden.  You want the middle to still be soft!

8. Allow the cookies to cool on the trays for a few minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

Cookies sans kisses

Enjoy!

Tahini Choc Chip Cookies

These are absolutely fantastic - they're the classic choc chip cookies we know and love, with an undertone of sesame provided by the addition of tahini in the batter.  They also have a great texture - chewy at the edges with a soft centre.

Recipe adapted from: My Name Is Yeh
Ingredients
125g butter
240g white sugar
110g tahini
1 egg
1 egg yolk
1 tsp vanilla
155g flour
1/2 tsp bicarb soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1 3/4 cup choc chips (I used dark chocolate chips)

Method
1. Cream the butter, tahini and sugar together until light and fluffy.  I use my stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment.

2. Add the egg, egg yolk and vanilla; beat together until combined.

3. Add the flour, bicarb soda, baking powder and salt to the batter, mix gently until just combined.

4. Stir through the chocolate chips.

5. Line a baking tray that will fit in your freezer with baking paper or a silicon mat.  Scoop out balls of dough; I make mine a bit bigger than tablespoon size.  If you make your cookies larger or smaller, remember that you'll need to adjust the baking time!

6. Place the tray of cookie dough balls into the freezer and let them rest there for 12 hours/overnight.  This really helps the cookies develop a lovely texture.

7. When you're ready to bake the cookies, preheat the oven to 160C (325F).

8. Place the cookie dough on baking trays lined with baking paper/silicon mats, leaving space between the cookies as they will spread!  You can bake as many or as few cookies as you like - store extra cookies in a seal-able storage bag in the fridge and bake them when you want them!

9. Bake the cookies for 11 minutes; the edges should be lightly golden but they should still be soft.  (Remember you'll need to bake them for a longer time if your cookies are larger.)

10. Let the cookies cool on the trays for a few minutes, before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

Enjoy!

Speculoos Swirl Brownies

I discovered speculoos spread while travelling in Belgium - and truly my life was empty before that day!  Speculoos/speculaas are spiced biscuits similar to gingerbread, and the spread is mostly made up of the crushed biscuits.  It's absolutely delicious.

These cocoa brownies are liberally swirled with speculoos spread.  They're chewy, dense and sweet - so good!

In Australia, I buy my speculoos online from It's All Dutch To Me (search for 'Lotus').  I have also found a different brand at Aldi but I find that less reliable as it's not always in store!

Recipe adapted from: Alice Medrich via Butter Baking
Ingredients - 20 cm (8 inch) square tin
225g butter
450g white sugar
110g cocoa powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp vanilla essence
3 eggs
120g flour
3/4 cup Speculoos spread (also known as cookie butter or Biscoff)

Method
1. Preheat the oven to 170C (325F).

2. Line a 20 cm (8 inch) baking tin with baking paper.

3. Melt the butter in the microwave or over a double boiler.

4. Mix the sugar, cocoa powder, salt, and vanilla essence into the melted butter.

5. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing after each addition until the mixture is combined.

6. Fold the flour into the batter then beat it with a spatula or wooden spoon for 40 strokes.

7. Pour the batter into the lined baking tin and smooth out the top.

8. Drop tablespoons of Speculoos over the top of the batter then swirl it in with a knife.  Don't break the blobs up too much but make sure that there will be Speculoos in every slice!

9. Bake the brownies for about 35 minutes, or until an inserted toothpick comes out with a few crumbs.

10. Let the brownies cool (I usually leave them in the fridge for a bit, it makes it easier to cut them up) - finally, cut the brownies into the size of your choosing.

Enjoy!

Choc Chip Cookies (Not Without Salt recipe)

Ladies and gentlemen, I've found a new favourite choc chip cookie recipe!  It's very versatile - I like to make the dough into a large log then chop it up pretty thinly.  When baked, this gives the edges a nice crunch and chewiness while the middle stays softer.

In addition to dark chocolate chips, sometimes I add white chocolate chips, pecans or hazelnuts to spice things up a bit.

Recipe adapted from: Not Without Salt
Ingredients
225g butter
55g white sugar
55g raw sugar (or Turbinado)
340g brown sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp vanilla essence
455g flour
1 1/2 tsp bicarb soda
2 tsp salt plus extra for sprinkling
450g dark chocolate chips or chocolate chunks

Method
1. Preheat the oven to 180C (360F).  Cream the butter and all sugars until light and fluffy.

2. Beat eggs into the mixture one at a time until incorporated, make sure to scrape down the sides of the bowl.

3. Beat in the vanilla essence.

4. Add the flour, bicarb soda and salt to the bowl, mix gently until fully combined - don't overmix.

5. Finally, add the chocolate chips!  If you're adding nuts, or anything else, fold these in as well.

6. Place tablespoons of dough on baking trays covered with baking paper or silicone mats.  Alternatively, roll portions of dough into logs and let them chill in the freezer until hardened, then chop into slices.

7. Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until golden brown.  You want the middle to still be soft so don't over bake them!

8. Allow the cookies to cool a bit and then enjoy!  They're amazing when they're warm.

Browned Butter Cookie Dough Chocolate Cake

This cake is so good, it's ridiculous.  The chocolate cake is dense and moist, the icing is incredible and the browned butter taste really comes through.  Plus, the cookie dough part of things doesn't have any raw egg!

Recipe adapted from: Bright-Eyed Baker
Ingredients - 3 tier 15 cm (6 inch) cake
500g white sugar
250g flour
75g cocoa powder
1 1/2 tsp bicarb soda
1 tsp salt
115g butter
2 eggs
240g buttermilk
1 tsp vanilla essence
225g hot coffee

Ingredients - browned butter brown sugar icing
400g butter (you will brown this)
165g brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla essence
350g icing sugar
20g cream

Ingredients - cookie dough icing
25g butter (you will brown this)
55g brown sugar
1 tbsp cream
40g flour

Method - cake
1. Preheat the oven to 175C (350F).  Butter three 15cm cake tins (or equivalent) and line the bottoms with baking paper.

2. Combine the sugar, flour, cocoa powder, bicarb and salt in a mixing bowl - I used the bowl of my stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment.

3. Melt the butter and set it aside to cool slightly.

4. Mix the eggs, buttermilk, vanilla and melted butter into the flour mixture until smooth.

5. Add the hot coffee and stir into the batter.  It will be very liquid.

6. Evenly distribute the batter between the three cake tins and bake in the preheated oven for 30-40 minutes, or until an inserted toothpick comes out with just a few crumbs.  It should still be moist.

7. Let the cakes cool in the tins for about 15 minutes then invert the cakes onto wire racks to cool completely.

Method - browning butter
1. Both the cookie dough and icing use browned butter, so you can do both at the one time - however, if you like, you can do it separately.

2. Place the 25g butter for the dough and 400g butter for the icing in a saucepan.  Heat the butter over medium-low heat until the butter starts frothing, whisking it occasionally.  Keep it cooking while whisking until the butter turns a golden colour and brown flecks form on the bottom of the pan.  It will smell really amazing!

3. Remove the butter from the heat and transfer it into two bowls, splitting the amounts into approximately 25g and approximately 400g amounts (keep in mind that after browning the weight might have decreased, so eyeball it a bit!)  I recommend using something metal as you are going to put this in the freezer and you don't want your bowls to crack from the temperature change.  

4. Take the larger amount of butter (the one you'll be using for the icing) and mix the 165g brown sugar into it.  Leave the smaller amount of butter with no additions.

5. Freeze both the browned butter bowls until the butter is firm (but not completely hard)

Method - brown sugar icing
1. Using the larger amount of browned butter that you mixed the brown sugar into, and place it in the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment.  The butter shouldn't be rock hard, but you can use a knife and cut it a bit to make it easier to beat.

2. Beat the butter with the vanilla essence until fluffy.

3. Add the icing sugar (sift it for a lump-free icing!) and beat until light and fluffy.

4. Finally, add the cream and beat.  The cream just makes the icing smoother, more spreadable and takes away some of the gritty sugar feeling that buttercream can get.

5. Set the icing aside and make your cookie dough!

Method - cookie dough icing
1. Take the smaller amount of browned butter, beat the 55g brown sugar into it until light and fluffy.  Since there was such a small amount I just used a wooden spoon.

2. Mix the cream in, and finally the flour until you have a smooth paste-like dough.

3. Take about a cup of the brown sugar icing and beat it into the cookie dough for an amazing cookie dough flavoured icing.

Method - assembly
1. Place one (completely cool) cake layer on your desired serving plate and top with a third of the cookie dough icing.

Add the next cake layer, another third of the cookie dough icing and finally the last cake layer - top this with the rest of the cookie dough icing.

2. Ice the rest of the cake with the remaining brown sugar icing.

3. Decorate as you please or just dig in!

Mini Hazelnut Macaroon Stacks

I had some leftover egg whites so I whipped up some hazelnut macaroons and stacked them up with some melted chocolate.  It was awesome.

Recipe adapted from: Smitten Kitchen
Ingredients
113g hazelnut meal
75g white sugar
Pinch of salt
2 egg whites
2 tsp white sugar (for beating with egg whites)

+ any filling you desire!  I used melted dark chocolate and peanut butter.

Method
1. Preheat your oven to 160C (325F).

2. In a small food processor, process the hazelnut meal, 75g sugar and salt until finely ground.  I skipped this step when I made them, which is why you see defined hazelnutty bits in my mixture.

3. Beat the egg whites until they form soft peaks.

4. Add the 2 tsp white sugar and beat until stiff peaks form.

5. Gently fold half of the nut mixture into the eggs until combined, then repeat with the remainder of the nut mixture until the batter is smooth and everything is incorporated.

6. Line your baking trays with baking paper or silicone mats.  Place the batter into a piping bag with a plain round tip and pipe into circles about 6cm in diameter.

7. Bake the macaroons for 15 - 20 minutes, until lightly golden and dry to the touch.

8. Let the macaroons cool, then carefully peel them off the baking paper/silicone mats and sandwich them together with your desired filling.  I suggest chocolate, ganache, jam, peanut butter or Nutella!

White Chocolate 'Brownies'

So, yeah, they aren't brown, but they're kind of brownies because they use chocolate.  These have a really great texture, they're not overly sweet, and they're so easy to make!  You can do it all by hand in one bowl!

Recipe adapted from: Broma Bakery
Ingredients - 20 cm (8 inch) square tin
125g butter
1 cup good quality white chocolate (I used Callebaut chips)
1 egg
395g sweetened condensed milk (1 can)
1 tbsp vanilla essence
1 tsp salt
235g flour

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

2. Microwave the butter and white chocolate in 20-30 second bursts, mixing in between, until melted.

3. Let the mixture cool a bit then add the egg, condensed milk, vanilla essence and salt.  Stir until combined.

4. Finally, gently fold the flour into the batter.

5. Line a 20 x 20cm brownie tin with baking paper.

6. Pour the batter in and bake in the preheated oven for about 30 minutes, until lightly golden.  Make sure not to overdo them as you want them to be dense and fudgy!

7. Let the brownies cool in the tin for a few minutes then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

8. Chop into slices and enjoy!

Choc Chip Cookies (Anna Olson)

I always love trying new choc chip cookie recipes - they're such a staple cookie and each recipe brings different results.  My favourite part of this particular recipe is the dough - it has a great blend of brown and white sugar, and the corn flour makes the texture really smooth (it tastes amazing!)

Recipe adapted from: Clockwork Lemon
Ingredients
125g butter
90g brown sugar
65g white sugar
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla essence
195g flour
2 tbsp corn flour
1/2 tsp bicarb soda
1 tsp salt
1 cup chocolate chips

Method
1. Preheat the oven to 175C (350F).  Beat the butter, brown sugar and white sugar until light and fluffy.

2. Add the egg and vanilla, beat until combined.

3. Add the flour, corn flour, bicarb soda and salt - mix until fully combined.

4. Finally, mix the chocolate chips into the dough.

5. Create tablespoon sized balls of dough and bake for about 10 minutes.  The cookies should be golden on top.

6. Let the cookies cool for a few minutes then transfer to a wire rack to cool further.  Or...enjoy them warm!

Decadent Chocolate Biscuits at Savour School

Hello all!

Last weekend I took the Decadent Chocolate Biscuits class at Savour Chocolate & Patisserie School - 'decadent chocolate biscuits' only scratches the surface of the amazing desserts I learnt how to make! The class was instructed by Paul Kennedy and together we learnt 5 recipes and lots of new skills including tempering chocolate, dipping, breton biscuits and fruit marshmallow.

This is the 'Almohada', a lemon crumble biscuit base with blackberry jam, pistachio praline and blackberry marshmallow - all dipped in chocolate.  When I first saw the recipe and the combination of flavours, I was a bit dubious; but everything came together and turned out to be absolutely delicious!  Using real fruit puree in the marshmallow made for wonderful taste.

This is the 'Drunken Raisin'; gianduja, hazelnut crunch, chocolate sponge and rum-soaked raisins in a bar shape.  It's finished by being dipped in chocolate and brushed with copper lustre dust.

I'm a sucker for gianduja and hazelnut praline paste!  (And the lustre dust was so much fun to play with...)

Next is the 'Menta', a shortbread base with mint-infused caramel and mint ganache.

I'm so glad that I learned how to make nice, chewy caramel.

These are the 'Circle Your Wagons' - coconut jelly and pineapple and ginger marshmallow sandwiched between gingerbread biscuits.

So delicious!  The pineapple and ginger flavour was so beautiful!

Finally, the 'Pacana', the simplest of the desserts!  They have a pecan breton base with caramel and a toasted pecan, dipped in chocolate.

I'm so glad I was able to attend the class, I had so much fun!

Chocolate Fudge Peanut Butter Cookies

These cookies are beautifully soft and chocolatey, the peanut butter is present but not overwhelming.  Another great chocolate/peanut butter staple!

Recipe adapted from: How Sweet Eats
Ingredients
115g dark chocolate
250g butter
125g peanut butter
375g white sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp vanilla essence
310g flour
30g cocoa powder
1 tsp bicarb soda
1/2 tsp salt
250g chocolate chips (more if required...)

Method
1. Melt the 115g dark chocolate in the microwave and set aside.

2. Cream the butter, peanut butter and sugar until light and fluffy.

3. Add the eggs one at a time, beating between additions.  Add the vanilla and beat until combined.

4. Add the flour, cocoa powder (sift this for best results), bicarb soda and salt, mix until combined.  It will be quite a soft dough but that's okay, once you add the melted chocolate it will firm up a bit; and you want these cookies to be gooey and soft in the end.

5. Mix the melted chocolate in, and finally fold the chocolate chips into the batter.

6. Cover the dough and refrigerate for a few hours.  I left mine overnight - you can just cool it for however long you like and bake it when you're ready.

7. When you're ready to bake the cookies, preheat the oven to 175C (350F).

8. Form balls of dough about 1 tablespoon in size (you can go bigger or smaller if you like, but make sure you adjust the baking time accordingly) and place them spread out on a baking tray covered with baking paper or a silicone mat.

9. Bake the cookies for about 10 minutes.  They should be soft in the middle still, you don't want to overbake these and lose their squishiness.