Ultimate problem solving.

Let me set the scene...
Every Sunday, I bake for the week ahead.  What I bake will change from week to week except that I always bake a batch of biscuits for lunches and a sweet treat.  Those who know me well, know that in my life, routine is key and I do not like to deviate from my routines unless absolutely necessary.

Today, I had quite a dilemma.  After all of the week's baking, I didn't have enough butter to whip up a batch of bikkies! So I thought and I thought and I searched and I searched (just in case there was some more butter hiding in the nooks of the fridge where butter tends to hide).  After my thinking and much searching I was left standing in the kitchen with a block of Philly cream cheese.....lightbulb!

Here is the recipe for my Chocolate Chip 'Lightbulb' Cookies.  Oh, they are amazing.  These will be becoming a regular part of my Sunday bake routine!

Chocolate Chip 'Lightbulb' Cookies

120g unsalted butter

75g cream cheese, softened

3/4 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup caster sugar

 2 tsp vanilla extract

1 egg

1 tsp baking soda

2 tsp cornflour

2 1/4 cups plain flour

200g chocolate chips

Preheat your oven to 180 degrees celsius.  Cream the butter, cream cheese, sugars and vanilla.  When we//-creamed, mix in the egg.  Sift in the baking soda and flours.  Mix well and then give the dough a quick knead until smooth.  Use a spatula to incorporate the chocolate chips.  Roll into tablespoon sized balls and push to flatten a little.  Bake for 10-12 minutes until cooked to your liking.

Wishing you many a successful Sunday bake!

F. x

Beautiful on the inside.

Baking is part of my Sunday routine and I love it.  My Sunday bake is less beautiful and more practical, however as whatever comes out of the oven goes into our lunch boxes.  Now that I'm a mumma, health and wellness through food is vital as I find more and more way to pack in nourishing nutrients.  As a result, this week's recipe is worlds apart from what I normally share with you: not in taste, of course but in nutritional value.  Quinoa flakes and oats form the base of these cookies, packing a fibre and protein punch.  Rapadura and maple syrup replace simple, refined sugar and Chia seeds provide superfood superpowers.  These don't taste unlike ANZAC bikkies but without the nasty sugar high (and low). Perfect for my little ladybug's lunchbox.  If these weren't meant for a lovely little person, I might have considered adding chocolate chips or cacao nibs.  Maybe next time... 

Quinoa, Coconut and Chia Cookies

125g unsalted butter

40g rapadura

30g maple syrup

95g quinoa flakes

90g rolled oats

60g desiccated coconut

1 tbsp white chia seeds

2 tbsp sunflower seeds

1 egg

Preheat your oven to 170 degrees.  Melt butter and then mix in rapadura and maple syrup until well incorporated.  Add all the dry ingredients and the egg and combine.  Place tablespoons of the mixture onto baking trays and cook for 15 minutes or until you get lovely golden crunchy edges.  Allow to cool slightly before removing from the trays.  Makes 24.

Put your feet up and enjoy munching on one of these with a lovely coffee.

F. x

Quiet time

Baking is the ultimate stress reliever.  No matter how sleep deprived, busy or cranky I am, I always have time for cooking up sweet treats.  There is truly nothing better than the mechanics of baking - the chopping, stirring, folding, melting, beating - to slow the mind.  This recipe is perfect for this.  The initial chopping of the chocolate, cranberries and pistachios calms you as you focus on the beautiful constrasting colours - creamy white, deep ruby red and jade green.  The best part, though? The almost instant aroma of baked goods filling the house.  Pair one of these monsters with a tall iced coffee and some quiet time shared between you and a good book...heavenly.

Jewelled Jumbo Cookies

250g unsalted butter, softened

1 1/2 cups demerara sugar

1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

2 large eggs

3 1/2 cups SR flour

1/2 cup white chocolate, roughly chopped

1/2 cup dried cranberries, roughly chopped

1/2 cup pistachio nuts, roughly chopped

Preheat oven to 180 degrees C.  Beat together butter, sugar and vanilla.  Add eggs one at a time, mixing well in between.  Sift in flour and combine to form a crumbly dough mixture.  Fold through the chocolate, cranberries and nuts.  Use 1/3 cup to scoop out cookie dough.  Push together in hands and form into a thick disc.  Space cookies 5cm apart on lined baking trays and bake for 15 minutes.  Makes 15 cookies.

F. x

Cookie Dough-oh-oh

My lovely bun is now baked and out of the oven.  Anna Mae arrived on the 15 December 2012 at 10:20pm and has been making my life sweeter ever since! Now that my mini muffin has vacated her lodgings of the past nine months, my sweet tooth (and energy) have well and truly returned.  And so, my lovelies, here is my first post of 2013. 

It is well known that pregnancy places certain limitations on ones ability to consume particular delicacies...one of which is raw batter.  This has been (not over-reacting) quite devastating for moi, and today, I suddenly realised, "if I want cookie dough, I can eat cookie dough!" Hallejulah moment, right here!  And eat cookie dough I did.  I even saved enough to put in the oven to have cookies at the end of it...just.  It was a beautiful moment of guilt-free batter consumption that I just had to share with you.  As always, though, I must also share this gorgeous recipe with you.  It just wouldn't be fair otherwise. 

White Chocolate and Macadamia Cookies

125g unsalted butter, softened

1/4 cup caster sugar

1/3 cup brown sugar

1 egg

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 1/2 cups plain flour

1/2 baking soda

3/4 cup macadamia nuts

180g white chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 180 degrees. Cream butter and sugars.  Add egg and vanilla.  Sift in flour and baking soda and mix well to combine ingredients into a dough.  Roughly chop the macadamias before adding to the batter with chocolate chips.  Stir well to distribute.  Space tablespoon-sized dollops of the batter on baking trays and bake for 10 minutes or until golden brown.

These are definitely worth the restraint required for them to make it into the oven!

Bliss in a biscuit.

F. x



That's the way the cookie crumbles...

After a raspberry scone disaster, early this morning (and one I'd rather not talk about), I got onto making a batch of yummy cookies using my fail-safe recipe.  I truly needed the success!  What I love about cookies is that they are homely perfection.  They take roughly 5 minutes to mix up and 12 minutes to cook - who says they haven't got time to bake?!  Plus, there isn't much that can beat the smell of freshy baked biscuits.  It is the universal aroma of 'home'.

This week, I doubled the recipe and then halved the batch to make half chocolate chip, and half with lovely raw peanuts.  Both as delicious as the other and the perfect partners to a steaming cup of coffee.  A theory that I intend to prove again, this afternoon.

Yet another recipe that you can make your own, add whatever you have lying around in the pantry.  Of course, chocolate chips and nuts are the standard but raisins, lemon rind or dried apple also make for an absolute treat.  Perfect for baking on a weekend such as this, please do give these a try.

'Fail Safe' Chocolate Chip Cookies

125g soft butter

1/2 cup caster sugar

1/2 cup brown sugar

2 small eggs

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 3/4 cups S.R. flour

1 cup chocolate chips (or whatever else takes your fancy)

Preheat your oven to 160 degrees C.  Cream butter and sugars together until like and pale.  Beat in eggs, one at time, before adding vanilla.  Sift in flour and combine well.  Fold in chocolate chips.

Place teaspoon sized balls of the mixure on pre-lined baking trays.  These cookies spread so space them well apart.  Bake the cookies for 12-15 minutes, depending on your oven.  If you take them out as they are starting to brown, you will end up with a slightly chewy cookie upon cooling.  Let them brown more if you prefer yours crunchy.

F. x