crispy and chewy chocolate chip cookie

 I am constantly searching for a perfect choc chip cookie 

I found an amazing one 

which i posted about here 

and i still think that is a keeper 

but a girl likes to explore and discover 

and my quest means I must constantly test, tweak and eat 

tough eh?

anyway today I lifted these ladies out and i knew i was on to something special 

crispy on the outside with a slight chew in centre 

very light and utterly more'ish

RECIPE

11ozs/320g flour

1 tspn baking soda

8ozs /220g butter melted and still warm

5ozs/140g sugar

5ozs/140g dark brown sugar

1 teaspoon sea salt

2 large eggs

4ozs/100g semi sweet chocolate chopped into chunks

4ozs/100g milk chocolate chopped into chunks 

METHOD

makes 30-40 cookies

melt butter ( I always melt mine in the microwave, so easy, just keep an eye on it)

add sugars and stir to combine

add 2 eggs and stir well

add in dry ingredients flour, bak soda and salt, make sure you have combined them first (i just spoon bak sod and salt onto weighed flour and combine with a fork)

stir in dry ingredients until almost fully incoporated

add chocolate 

stir until combined but do not over mix 

chill for at least 2 hours and up to 24 hrs (or longer)

when you are ready to bake 

preheat oven to 375f/ 190c

place round cookie balls on lined cookie sheet each ball should be walnut size 

space 2-3" apart 

bake for 9-11 minutes 

allow to cool 

adapted from Alice Medrichs chocolate chip cookie recipe

CHOCOLATE DIGESTIVES

 Homemade Chocolate Digestive biscuits

............no argument from me 

Who doesn't love a chocolate digestive

RECIPE

100g medium size oats*

50g wholewheat flour

50g plain flour

100g cold butter 

50g light muscovado sugar

pre heat oven to 190c 

If you have medium oats place in food processor along with flours

*if you only have jumbo oats (as I did) place them in the food processor

and blitz for a few minutes to reduce their size

add butter and blitz

add sugar

blitz until it comes together in a dough

turn out onto lightly floured surface

roll to 5mm thick and cut with 7cm cookie cutter

(makes 14-16 biscuits)

bake for 16-20 mins 

cover in chocolate if desired 

they are honestly nice either way 

 

recipe adapted from country homes and interiors

LEMON POLENTA COOKIES

Lemony, Buttery, Sugary

............. no more explanation needed 

LEMON POLENTA SHORTBREAD COOKIES 

100g sugar

200g flour

100g fine polenta (cornmeal)

zest 1 lemon
pinch salt

200g cold butter

If you have a food processor

dump all ingredients and whizz for approx 5 minutes until mixture clumps

otherwise put all of the dry ingredients in to a bowl 

add butter and rub in until mixture clumps together

tip mixture out on to a sheet of cling film (seran wrap)

bring together into a large sausage shape

wrap in cling film and refrigerate for at least 1 hour

remove from fridge and slice into 1 cm discs

if the mixture crumbles you can just squidge it back together 

but a few more minutes in the fridge will make it easier 

bake for 30 minutes

until edges are just turning

turn oven off and allow cookies to cool in the oven with door ajar

(this makes them really crisp and crumbly)

Buttery shortbread

OK, so most people will be posting ways to help you cleanse or detox

But I say what better way to start the year than with the recipe for crumbliest butteriest shortbread

You can make this keep it chilled in your fridge and slice, cook serve mouth melting cookies with the click of a perfectly manicured finger

RECIPE

100g sugar

180g plain flour

120g corn flour (cornstarch)

200g soft butter*

METHOD

throw everything into your food processor and blitz until it starts to form a dough

alternatively

throw everything into a bowl and rub with your fingers until it starts to come together

You do not want to overwork this dough

a light hand equals a crumbly cookie

tip mixture which may be breadcrumby and not quite like a dough into 2 freezer bags 

I use a 1kg bag that measures 25cm across the bottom

You can use clingfilm but I like the freezer bags as everything is contained and you can squish the dough together without fear of crumbs escaping

now squish the dough down and form into a cylinder 

now chill for at least 20 mins but up to a week (probably last longer than that really)

when you are ready to eat your cookies

preheat oven to 160c

cut cylinder into 1cm discs and lay on an ungreased cookie sheet

bake in the oven for 20 mins or until just turning golden at the edges

turn oven off, leave door ajar and leave the cookies to cool in the oven 

this will make them really dry and crumbly

you can dust with icing sugar

a few of these plonked in a Kilner jar 

make a wonderful hostess gift 

let me know if you make these 

and how you get on

Rose Petal and Lemon shortbread

 This is a light buttery delicate cookie

The sweeter smelling your Rose the more rose imbued your cookie will be

RECIPE

4 ozs butter

2 ozs sugar

4 ozs plain flour

2 ozs corn flour (corn starch)

Petals from 4 roses (washed and chopped)

Zest of half a lemon

METHOD
Put all the ingredients in a food processor and blend until a dough comes together
give it a few minutes
You may need to add another tspn of butter
-If you do not have a food processor simply rub the dry ingredients in to the butter
until it becomes sandy and nubbly
then add rose petals and zest and bring together to form a dough

Do Not Over Work The Dough

Tip out dough onto cling film (seran wrap)
and bring together to form a cylinder
you can squish it with your hands through the cling film to get a nice tight firm tube
refrigerate for 30 mins
preheat oven to 155c
line cookie tray with baking parchment
cut your cookies into 1-2cm thick discs
lay on tray and bake for 20 mins
After 20 mins turn oven off but leave cookies in the oven for further 10 mins
open oven door and leave to cool in the oven
These last 2 steps are important and  give you a really light and crisp cookie

 You can make these cookies all Lemon by simply omitting the Rose petals
and upping the lemon to use all the zest of 1 lemon

Either way delicious
enjoy
x

Caramel Shortbread

Loosen your belt 

crumbly shortbread, creamy caramel and chocolate 

Yum!

INGREDIENTS

100g sugar

200g butter

250g Self raising flour

50g cornflour (cornstarch)

400 ml can condensed milk

200g choc- milk or dark (I use half milk and half dark)

METHOD

Heat oven to 180'c

Line a 20cm x 30cm swiss roll tin with parchment paper

combine butter, sugar, s r flour and cornflour in a food precessor until it comes together in a dough

Press into tin evenly and bake for 20 mins

remove to cool

Meanwhile you want to make your caramel 

Place your tin of condensed milk in a pot and boil for 2 hours 

When caramel is ready and shortbread is cooled tip caramel into a bowl and stir vigorously until it becomes smooth

I find half a tin is enough but you can use the whole tin if you wish (it can be a bit sickly and too much of a good thing, 

you can store the remainder in the fridge and use for a delicious ice cream topping !) 

melt your chocolate ( I melt it in the microwave, the trick to this is to take it out while there are still lumps and then stir until smooth)

Spread over caramel, leave to cool 

Place in fridge

If you want to cut it into even squares you will need to let it come to room temperature before cutting

heavily adapted from Rachel Allen's Chocolate peanut squares