Let's run through my little "to do" list for this evening:
Power walk home (in the rain), DONE!
30 Day Shred, with dumbbells, DONE!
Nutritious dinner, DONE!
Collapse on couch moaning about sore thighs and bottom, DONE!
Send proof of wedding invite to printers, DONE!
Make cookies for charity bake sale at work tomorrow, DONE!
I got my priorities right here friends!
Seriously, these are the best cookies ever. I first made them many years ago, and they used to be my contribution to staff morning teas when I lived in Melbourne. But then I moved into a sharehouse where the only real cooking I did was adding tuna to pasta, and heating up nachos a la Ironman. All my baking stuff was in boxes in the garage. Indeed, it still is - just a different garage, in a different state.
Over the last few years here in London I've gradually replaced some baking paraphernalia - a loaf tin here, a few muffin trays there - but I am still, three years on, without ramekins, a spatula and cooling trays! Domestic goddess? Hardly. When I do bake, I tend to make cakes. I hardly ever make cookies any more - and indeed had forgotten how!
But when we were in Paris a few weeks ago, I sought out a much-mentioned foodie paradise called G.Detou, which sold these enormous bags of chocolate chips, in milk, dark or white. I hardly ever see chocolate chips in the supermarkets here, so I grabbed a huge bag with the intention of making my much loved cookies when I returned. I made a batch, out of which Tom and I managed to take an enormous box full to work each, and have a little stash at home to nibble on.
It's funny - old Phil didn't take cake or cookies to work! They never lasted that long - maybe the afternoon, if I was lucky! :P ha ha. I only tend to bake these days if I know I'm going to be able to share it with people!
Tonight, as I was leaving, my workmates were talking about the charity bake sale our department is hosting tomorrow.
"What are you making Philippa?" one of them asked me as I happily hit "shut down".
Before I could answer, another asked "Will you make those cookies again?!"
So, cookies it is!
I often put off baking, but am always pleased when I make the effort to. It fills the flat with a delicious, homely fug. Blended with the smell of last night's butter "chicken", my home smells very fragrant indeed tonight!
I won't pretend that these are low fat, etc. because they aren't. They're a treat. And when I have a treat, I want every mouthful to count! I can kind of convince myself these are healthy because they have oatmeal in them but...meh...who am I kidding! Not an every day thing, by any means. But it is wonderful to be able to make things like this, knowing that I won't inhale the lot, like in days of old! I will eat my two or three, and enjoy them. All the better if it's for a good cause, like tomorrow! But a good thing the 30 Day Shred has a permanent place by the DVD player at the moment!
These are ideal to make for a party, for a morning tea treat with friends, or just to fill the biscuit tin when you know you have visitors coming. Everyone loves them. I'm sure you will too :)
Best Ever Choc Chip Cookies
2 and 1/4 cups plain flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt (note: I love salt in sweet things. I up this to 2-3 teaspoons, but that's just me. And I use Maldon sea salt)
1 cup butter or dairy free spread
3/4 cup caster sugar
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 large eggs
2 cups chocolate chips
1 cup oatmeal or porridge oats
Preheat the oven to 190 C (350 F). Line several baking trays with baking paper.
Put the butter, vanilla and sugars in a bowl and beat until creamy. Add the eggs, one at a time, until creamy and fluffy.
Add 1 cup of the flour and fold in. Then add the rest of the flour, the baking soda and salt. It will look very thick and you'll think you need to add water or something, but don't! It will all be fine! Keep stirring!
Once all the flour is mixed in, add the oats and choc chips, again a bit at a time. Stir through thoroughly.
Oh yeah!
Use two teaspoons to spoon the mixture into small dollops on to the baking trays. You'll probably be able to get 12 on a normal baking sheet. Make sure you leave lots of room in between them, as they spread out when baking.
When your trays are all loaded, put them in the oven and bake for 10-11 minutes or until they look golden on top. An oven timer is my lifesaver here. I can't tell you how many biscuits I burned over the years because I got distracted while they were in the oven!
Remove from the oven and cool slightly before removing from trays. Then spoon remaining mixture back on to the trays as before, put back in the oven, etc. Until all the mixture is gone!
It takes me about 7 trays to use all the mixture.
Depending on the size of your dollops, you can get up to 80 cookies from this - I usually average around 65.
Allow the cookies to cool. Let your fiance eat the tiny ones that it wouldn't be fair to charge people for in the bake sale! :)
And there you have it! Cookie heaven!
All my G.Detou choc chips are gone now! Ah well - it was all for a good cause!
Do you like to bake? What's your favourite baking recipe?
Yum, those cookies sound scrummy! I will definetly give them a go! My favourite recipe lately is certainly a 'sometimes food' as well. It is for Brownies:
ReplyDelete1 x 200 gram block of dark cooking chocolate
100 grams butter
1 cup castor sugar
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 cup of plain flour, sifted
Melt the butter and chocolate together, stirring frequently (you can melt in the microwave but I find a saucepan easiest)
When chocolate & butter are melted and completly mixed, remove from heat and stir in the sugar.
Add eggs and mix through
Add flour and mix til batter is well combined.
Bake in a greased and lined 29 x 19cm slice pan at 180 degrees for approximately 25 minutes.
Such a chocolate fix, but soooo not good for you... All in balance though I suppose :o)
A recipe that gets double thumbs up from everyone who's tried it is my modified recipe for caramel slices:
ReplyDeleteBase
125 gm unsalted butter
1 cup dessicated coconut
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup plain flour
1/2 cup rolled oats
Combine dry ingredients. Melt butter and pour in, making sure it's well combined. Press onto a greased and lined 23 x 26 cm slice tray and bake at 160 deg C for 10 minutes. Allow to cool a bit
Caramel
1 400gm tin sweetened condensed milk
2 tbsp pure maple syrup
60 gm unsalted butter
Place all ingredients in a saucepan on low heat and stir continuously (you can kid yourself you are burning calories doing this!)until mixture bubbles and thickens (about 5-10 minutes). Spread over base and bake as above (10'/160 deg). Allow to cool.
For topping
Melt 200gm (100gm dark/100gm milk) Green&Blacks chocolate and spread over the top. Allow to cool completely; cut into small squares.
I'll only make this if I'm taking it to a party or having people over as it's way too tempting to slowly eat the whole thing!
Must give the cookie recipe a go.
Marina xo
Oops; the slice pan is 16 x 23 cm!!
ReplyDeleteMarina
Ooh! Thank you Larissa and Marina - these are both going in the recipe file for special treats :)
ReplyDeleteHubba hubba, they look fab!
ReplyDeleteI think the magic is in the combination of brown and white sugar! Every "keeper" cookie recipe seems to have that combo - gives that elusive blend of chewy innards and crunchy exterior. It works well for Anzacs too :)
My favourite recipe is Banana Bread with Choc Chips. Have just pulled a loaf out of the oven!!
ReplyDelete1 Cup Brown Sugar
125gm soft Butter/Margerine
3 Eggs
2 Cups Self Raising Flour
1 Teaspoon Cinnamon
1/2 Teaspoon Bicarb Soda
1/2 Cup Milk
3 Ripe Bananas mashed
2 Teaspoons Vanilla Essence
Mix brown sugar, butter and vanilla essence with beaters until light and fluffy.
Add eggs, one at a time. Mix well between eggs.
Sift flour into bowl. Add bananas, bicarb soda, cinnamon, milk and choc chips. Fold in lightly with wooden spoon.
Pour into lightly greased loaf tin (fits in a big one).
Cook on 160C for 1 hour 10 minutes.
Comes out of the oven perfect every time!!
You know I do!! Here's a recipe I found on the web somewhere, people ask me to make the over and over again.
ReplyDeleteTwickers Bars
40 or so saltine crackers (salted tops)
1 cup butter (no substitutions)
2 cups graham cracker crumbs
1 cup tightly packed brown sugar
1/2 cup milk
1/3 cup sugar
1 cup creamy peanut butter
1 cup semisweet chocolate morsels
1 cup butterscotch morsels
1 tablespoon vegetable shortening
Line an ungreased 9x13-inch baking pan with foil, leaving an extension of foil on either end. Line the foil with one layer of saltine crackers.
In a large saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the graham cracker crumbs, brown sugar, milk, and sugar. Bring to a boil and cook for 5 minutes, stirring constantly. (Begin timing 5 minutes from when you see the first bubbles.) Remove from the heat and spread half of caramel mixture evenly over the crackers. Place another single layer of crackers over the caramel mixture. Spread the rest of the caramel mixture evenly over crackers and top with the remaining crackers.
In a small saucepan (or in the microwave), combine the peanut butter, chocolate morsels, butterscotch morsels, and shortening. Melt over medium-low heat, stirring constantly. Pour and spread evenly over the top of crackers. Cover, and chill for at least 1 hour. Lift foil overhang and remove bars from pan. Cut into bars. Store in the refrigerator.
I actually made these today, I'm going to friends for dinner, so I've had a few and the rest are all going to the friends!
ReplyDeleteVery yummy! xx
Ooh, so much deliciousness!!
ReplyDeleteShauny, I think the combo of the sugars definitely produces the wow factor. Mmm.
Jaykbee, I love the combo of banana and chocolate. This one sounds like a keeper!
Teresa, I knew you'd share something incredible! Twickers bars sound dangerous and AMAZING!
Lucinda, glad you tried them and liked them! I like being able to enjoy baking, enjoy my bit of it and then pass the rest on to appreciative friends/workmates!
haha sigh - I LOVE to bake! It is so dangerous - so I normally go with 1/2 a recipe or make sure that there are lots of people to share them with!
ReplyDeleteThese look like amazing cookies! I want to steal one through my computer screen!
ReplyDelete