Chocolate Chip Cookies (NESTLÉ® TOLL HOUSE®)

I haven't made cookies for a while, and these would have to be one of the most popular cookie recipes out there. So while Mr X and my father in law were fixing our washing machine (I had managed to cause a blockage with one of my hair ties.... EEEEEP!), I thought I'd whip these up.


Ingredients:
2 1/4 cups plain flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 large eggs
2 cups chocolate (e.g. buttons, or chopped chocolate - I used 1 cup of Cadbury top deck, 1 cup dairy milk)
1 cup chopped nuts (optional - I didn't use them)

Note - I used salted butter and omitted the salt.

Method:
Pre-heat the oven to 195 degrees C. Line a cookie sheet with baking paper.
Combine flour, baking soda and salt in small bowl. Beat butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar and vanilla extract in large mixer bowl until creamy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Gradually beat in flour mixture. 

I divided the batter into two bowls, and added 1 cup of top deck to one, and 1 cup dairy milk to the other.

The batter is quite soft, so to make it easier to handle I refrigerated it for 30 minutes before rolling out heaped tablespoon onto prepared cookie sheet. 

Bake for 9 to 11 minutes (mine took 9m:45s) or until golden brown. Cool on baking sheets for 2 minutes; transfer to wire racks to cool completely.

These cookies can be stored in the fridge for up to a week or be frozen for 8 weeks, according to the NESTLÉ website, I doubt they will last that long though, they smell pretty good!

They are crispy on the outside, chewy in the middle. The recipe stated it makes 4 dozen cookies using heaped table spoons - mine were pretty big "heaps", and made around 30-35 cookies.

Shoeboxgirl

Bite-sized nutella brownies

On Saturday I found myself with a few minutes to spare. I am a sucker for nutella, so I thought I'd give these a whirl. They are super easy. Better yet, you probably don't even need to go to the supermarket if you want to bake them. All 5 ingredients are likely to be in your pantry!


Makes 24 mini cupcake sized brownies.
Ingredients:
1 cup nutella
2 egg
10 tablespoons plain flour
Chocolate, to decorate.


Method:
Grease and line mini cupcake pans with 24 liners.
Soften nutella slightly in microwave (don't melt). Add nutella and the egg to a bowl, and whisk until nice and smooth. Add flour, and whisk until combined. 
The batter is quite thick. Spoon batter equally into 24 liners (1/2 to 3/4 full), and sprinkle with chocolate to decorate. Bake for 10-12 minutes.


Shoeboxgirl

Triple chocolate brownies

I found this recipe on the Exclusively Food website - it is a great site with many delicious recipes that I want to try. If only I had more time to bake! Featuring dark, milk and white chocolate, it is lovely and dense and oh so chocolatey.


Straight out of the oven it is moist and a little bit gooey in the centre. The chocolate chunks are melted and soft. Yum. Other ways that it can be eaten are at room temperature, or from the fridge, when the brownie is still fudgey and the chocolate is firm. To make it even more rich, you could serve it warm with chocolate sauce drizzled over it.


Preheat the oven to 170 degrees C, and grease and line a 20 x 20 cm square cake tin (I used a silicon one).
Serves approx 12 people


Ingredients:
For the brownie batter
125g butter, room temperature
150g milk chocolate, chopped up or broken into pieces
50g dark chocolate, chopped up or broken into pieces
1/2 cup caster sugar
2 large eggs, room temperature, lightly beaten
3/4 + 1 tbs plain flour
1/4 cup self-raising flour


For the chocolate chunks (to add to the brownie batter)
125g dairy milk chocolate, chopped into chunks
125 white chocolate (I used Milky bar), chopped into chunks
Note - you could use top deck or other chocolate (Caramello, perhaps?)


Place the milk chocolate and dark chocolate (from batter ingredients) into a microwave safe bowl, and microwave in bursts on medium until just melted (check and stir frequently - you don't want the chocolate to burn, what a waste of chocolate that would be!). Place in mixing bowl. Melt butter, then add it to the melted chocolate and stir. Allow to cool for 10 minutes.
Once the chocolate/butter mixture has cooled, add in the sugar and eggs, stirring to combine. Add the two flours and mix.
Add the chocolate chunks to the batter, stir to combine.
Poor into prepared baking pan, and place in the oven for 25-35 minutes, depending on your oven. You really need to be careful not to over bake - bake until still soft in centre, but cooked through. Once cooled, it will firm up. I know that sounds a little vague, but just watch it carefully in final minutes of baking and you will know what I mean!

Dust with icing sugar if desired.


Shoeboxgirl

Apple doughnut cupcakes

Yesterday I asked Mr X if he would prefer me to make apple cinnamon cupcakes or jam doughnut cupcakes. After I described each of the recipes, he came up with his own idea - a combination of the two.


I made them two ways - the first 12 I popped in the oven without the apple filling. Then once cooled I cut a hole in the top and filled it with apple mixture before replacing the top. The second batch I baked the apple filling into the cupcake. Both worked well - the cupcakes where apple mixture is added before baking is obviously easier/quicker, but filling after baking enables you to add more. Mr X preferred them with apple added post baking.


Makes 24.


Apple filling
Ingredients:
3 apples, peeled, cored and finely chopped
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 tablespoon cinnamon
2 1/2 tablespoons cornflour
7 tablespoons butter


Method:
Melt butter in pan and add apples, stirring for two minutes. Add sugar, stir until dissolved. Add cinnamon and stir thoroughly, then add corn flour to thicken. Cook for a further five to seven minutes.


Note - this makes more mixture than you need. You could reduce it by half if you want, or use the leftovers for something else.


Cupcakes
Ingredients:
1 1/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar, firmly packed
3 cups plain flour
2 tbs baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 tbs cinnamon
3 XL eggs (or 4 large)
2 tsp vanilla essence
1/2 cup plus 2 tbs milk
2/3 plus 2 tbs apple sauce/puree


Preheat the oven to 176 degrees C and grease and line cupcake pans with 24 liners.


Combine butter and sugars in a bowl and beat until fluffy, about 2 minutes.
In a second bowl sift in flour, baking powder, salt and cinnamon.
Add eggs to the butter and sugar mixture one at a time, beating mixture after each egg is added.
Mix the vanilla and milk in a measuring jug. Measure out the apple puree mixture and set aside. Note - do not combine the milk with the apple puree.
Add a quarter of the flour mixture to the batter, beat to combine. Next, add half the milk, beat again. Add another quarter of the flour mix and beat, before adding the apple puree. Repeat flour and milk steps again, ensuring you end with flour mixture. Scrape down the sides of the bowl before giving the batter one final quick mix until just combined.


Filling with apple post baking:
Fill each cupcake liners 3/4 full. 


Filling prior to baking:
Fill each cupcake liner 2/3 full. Add a teaspoon of apple filling to centre, then fill with additional batter until just over 3/4 full. 


Prior to baking, add a piece of apple filling to top of the batter for decoration.


Bake for 17-20 minutes, or until cupcakes are lightly golden and toothpick comes out clean.


Leave to cool for 10-15 minutes.

If adding mixture post baking, click here for instruction :)


Melt 4-5 tablespoons of butter in a small bowl. Place 1/4 cup sugar in a separate bowl. Lightly brush a cupcake in butter, then roll in sugar. Repeat with remaining cupcakes. Use more butter/sugar if required.

Shoeboxgirl

How to fill cupcakes

1. Cut off the top of the cupcake in the shape of a cone using a small paring knife. Cut the pointy part off to make it flat (so the top will fit back into the cupcake nicely once filled with frosting)

2. The top that you have cut off the cupcake should resemble a cone.
3. Fill the hole with filling either using a spoon or by piping it in (in this case it is nutella frosting).

4. Carefully pop the top back on the cupcake securely.