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.

Chocolate cupcakes for Easter - four ways

I wanted to make cupcakes to take when we went to our friends place for dinner. Being Easter, we have A LOT of Easter eggs at home at the moment, so I thought I would incorporate some of them to use them up. I love chocolate, so the less temptation around me, the better!


Makes 24
Cupcakes
Ingredients:
1 cup white sugar
1 cup brown sugar
3/4 cup cocoa
1 3/4 cup plain flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
2 eggs
1 cup milk
1/2 cup rice bran oil
2 tsp vanilla
1 cup boiling water

Method:

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

Sift dry ingredients into a mixing bowl.  Add eggs, milk, vanilla and oil.  Beat ingredients with a mixer for approx two minutes. Occasionally scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula to ensure all ingredients are incorporated.  Add the boiling water, and beat until just blended. Don't over-mix.  

I must admit I was really worried after adding the boiling water - the batter looked more like watery hot chocolate than anything else. 

If you are using silicon cupcake pans like me, make sure you put them on oven trays that they are going to sit on when you put them in the oven to bake. This is important because the pans are very flexible and the batter is so liquidy - if you filled the pans and then tried to move them without being on a stable surface, the pans won't be able to support the contents and the batter will just spill everywhere.

Because the batter is so thin, the easiest way to fill the cupcake pans is by pouring the batter in (e.g using a jug).

Easter cupcake filling - four ways

1. "Top deck" chocolate cupcakes
Crush up Cadbury top deck mini easter eggs and sprinkle 1/2 an egg to each cupcake batter


2. "Crunchy" chocolate cupcakes
Crush up Cadbury crunchy hollow "hunting eggs" and sprinkle 1/4 to 1/3 of an egg to each cupcake batter


3. "Caramello" chocolate cupcakes
Add one Cadbury caramello mini easter egg to each cupcake batter 


4. Chocolate cupcakes
Just add batter to pan

Bake for 20-25 minutes, until the center of the cupcakes springs back when lightly touched.  Cool in pan for 10 minutes then turn out onto wire rack.

Icing
Nutella icing (for the "top deck" cupcakes)
Click here for the recipe


Chocolate buttercream icing
I used buttercream icing for the other cupcake types.



125g butter (at room temperature)
1/4 cup cocoa
2 1/2 cups icing sugar
2 tbs milk

Place butter in a large mixing bowl. Use an electric beater to beat for 2 minutes or until light and fluffy.
Add the icing sugar and cocoa gradually, and beat until the mixture is fluffy.  Add the milk one tablespoon at a time and beat until you are happy with the consistency.

To decorate
1. "Top deck" chocolate cupcakes
Pipe nutella icing onto them, starting at the edge and ending up in the centre in a continuous motion.

2. "Crunchy" chocolate cupcakes

Spread a thin layer of buttercream icing on the cupcake using a knife.

Using a small tip, pipe buttercream icing around the edge of the cupcake so it resembles a birds nest. Place crushed up crunchy egg pieces in the centre.

3. "Caramello" chocolate cupcakes

Spread a thin layer of buttercream icing on the cupcake using a knife.
Using a small tip, pipe buttercream icing around the edge of the cupcake so it resembles a birds nest.
Cut a caremello mini egg in half and place in the centre of the nest.

4. Chocolate cupcakes
Spread a thin layer of buttercream icing on the cupcake using a knife.
Add part of a crushed up hollow easter add on top, using the icing to help stick it down. Add a little icing to the centre of the broken egg and add a mini easter egg to the centre.

By the way, we had a great pumpkin risotto for dinner (and too much to drink!) - thanks Katie and Colin for a great night!

Saag Lamb

Saag Lamb is one of my favourite Indian dishes, however, it varies in ingredients between Indian restaurants. Some restaurants add cream, which I hate.  This version doesn't have it.


I have made several variations, including Saag Chicken and a vegetarian version with eggplant and cauliflower which were good too.


Ingredients:

• 4 cloves garlic
• 2 cm ginger
• 2 green chillis, finely chopped
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 2 tsp coriander seeds
• 1 tsp tumeric
• 2 tsp cumin
• 1 tsp cardamon
• 750g lamb, diced
• 4 large tomatoes finely chopped, or 1 tin of tomatoes
• 100 mls stock (lamb or chicken)
• 200 g spinach, finely chopped

Method:
Heat a small amount of oil in a casserole dish and add meat. Brown meat all over, then remove. Add spices to dish, and fry until fragrant, being careful not to burn them. Then return lamb to dish, and add tomatoes and stock.
Stir, cover and cook for 50 minutes. Add spinach and cook for a further 20 minutes, or until lamb is nice and tender.


Serve with rice and naan bread.

ANZAC biscuits

With ANZAC day coming up, I thought I'd make my first ever batch of ANZAC biscuits. They do not look pretty, but when they were in the oven baking they smelt fabulous!


Ingredients:
1 cup plain flour
1 cup rolled oats
1 cup desiccated coconut
3/4 cup brown sugar
125g butter
3 tbs golden syrup
1/2 tsp bicarb soda


Method:
Preheat oven to 160 degrees C, and line baking trays with baking paper.


Put the flour, rolled oats, coconut and sugar in a bowl, stir to combine.


Put the butter, golden syrup and 2 tbs water in a small saucepan over medium heat. Continue to stir until butter is melted and ingredients combined. Stir in bicarb soda.


Add butter/golden syrup mixture to the flour mixture, and mix to combine.


Roll tablespoons of of the mixture into balls and place on prepared baking tray approximately 5 cms apart. Flatten slightly with a fork.


Bake for 10 minutes or until golden brown. When you remove the biscuits from the oven they will still be soft - they will firm up as they cool. 


Shoeboxgirl

Speedy, gooey chocolate pudding

When I started this blog we made the decision to not include our names, so I decided to be shoeboxgirl and I thought I'd just refer to my husband as my husband. However, that doesn't appear to be working as my Mum keeps teasing me about it. So I'm going to refer to him as Mr X from now on - I call him this as in his opinion, he is an expert on every subject - including my cooking :)

On Friday night, Mr X went to the football. I had an absolutely terrible day at work, got home late, missed the gym, and really had the urge for something chocolatey. But just a piece/row/block of chocolate wasn't going to cut it - I needed something like cake... and fast.

There are a few "five minute" pudding recipes floating round on the internet, so I thought I would try one for myself. Here is my recipe below. I was pretty happy with it - it was chocolatey, moist, and gooey. 

Serves - 1 large serving, or 2 small.

Ingredients:

• 2 tbs almond meal
• 2 tbs flour (I used corn flour)
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 5 tbs brown sugar
• 1 tbs cocoa
• 1 egg
• pinch salt
• splash vanilla extract
• 3 tbs milk
• 3 tbs oil (I used rice bran oil)
• 6 left over wedding chocolates - or a couple of squares of any chocolate

Method:

Mix almond meal, flour, baking powder, coca and salt in a microwave safe bowl. Add egg, milk, oil, vanilla extract and mix well. Add in chocolates.

If you are eating it all yourself, stick the bowl in the microwave on medium for 1 minute. Leave it for a few seconds, then microwave for a further 40 seconds on medium if you like it gooey (like I do!) or a little longer if you want it more cake-like.

If it is for two people (and you don't want to share the one pudding), split the mixture into two separate microwave safe mugs, and microwave as above.

Yum! And less than 5 minutes to make!

Variations I want to try:

• I used almond meal and corn flour because I wanted it gluten free, but you could just use 4 tbs of plain flour, etc.
• Make butterscotch pudding by replacing cocoa with extra sugar
• White sugar instead of brown
• White chocolate or nutella instead of chocolate
• Apple puree to replace egg
• An even more gooey version, by adapting a chocolate self saucing pudding recipe!

Shoeboxgirl

Banana cupcakes filled and iced with nutella frosting

Mr X requested these, so here they are. My Dad ate his unfilled and un-iced, and said they were nice and moist, and not too sweet. It is probably good that they are not overly sweet, to balance out the sweetness of the nutella frosting.


Makes 12
Ingredients:
Banana cupcakes

• 1 1/2 cups plain flour
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 1 1/2 cups mashed banana (approx 4 ripe bananas)
• 2 large eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla essence

Nutella frosting

• 1 cup icing sugar, sifted
• 1 cup nutella
• 5 tbs unsalted butter, softened
• 1 tsp vanilla essence
• 1/3 cup heavy cream

Method:

Cupcakes

Preheat oven to 176 degrees C, grease and line a cupcake pan.

Whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt an cinnamon in a medium bowl. 

Beter together mashed banana, vanilla and eggs, then gradually mix in the flour mixture, ensuring you scape down the side of the bowl to unsure all combined. Do not over mix.

Measure out mixture into prepared pan, filling each hole about 2/3 full.

Bake for 20-25 minutes, until tops are lightly golden and a skewer comes out clean.

Allow to cool. In the mean time, make the frosting.

Nutella frosting

Place all ingredients except the cream in a bowl, and beat on medium speed until creamy. Add cream and beat on high until the frosting is light and smooth.

Mr X said that this is the best frosting I have made - as I am posting this, he is eating it straight out of a bowl.

How to assemble the cupcakes:

• 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)
• Fill the hole with nutella frosting - I piped it into the hole.
• Replace cupcake top securely
• Pipe icing onto cupcake

Shoeboxgirl

Lemon curd filled vanilla cupcakes with cream cheese icing

After making lemon curd for the first time recently, I was excited to make it again. I asked my taste tester (husband) which he would prefer - a lemon tart, or lemon curd filled cupcakes. He requested cupcakes, so I made these.


Makes 24 cupcakes

Ingredients:

Lemon curd

• 4 large egg yolks
• 2/3 cup sugar
• 7 tbs strained freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 7 tbs unsalted butter, cut into tiny pieces
• 7 tbs heavy cream
• 2 tbs icing sugar

Vanilla cupcakes

• 1 cup butter, room temperature
• 2 cups sugar
• 4 large eggs
• 2 3/4 cups plain flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp baking soda
• Pinch of salt
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 1 1/2 tsp vanilla essence

Cream cheese icing

• 150g cream cheese, room temperature
• 75g butter, softened
• 2 cups icing sugar, sifted
• 2 tbs lemon juice

Method:

Cupcakes

Preheat oven to 176 degrees C, grease and line cupcake tins.
Beat butter on high for about 30 seconds, until soft. Add sugar and beat on medium high until mixture looks pale and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, beating for 30 seconds in between each.
In a separate bowl, whisk flour, baking soda and baking powder.
Mix the buttermilk and vanilla together in a jug.

Add a quarter of the flour mixture to the butter mixture, and mix to combine. Add approximately one third of the milk, mix to combine. Repeat steps above, ensuring you end with the four mixture. Make sure you mix until just combined.


Fill prepared cupcake tins each to two thirds capacity. Bake for 20-22 minutes or until test skewer comes out clean.

Lemon curd

In a heavy bottomed saucepan, mix together egg yolks, sugar, lemon juice. Cook on low heat for about 4 minutes, stirring constantly, until mixture thickens slightly (enough to coat back of spoon). Transfer to a bowl, cover with glad wrap to prevent a skin forming on the curd. Refrigerate for approximately two hours to cool.
Whip cream and icing sugar in a bowl until stiff peaks form, and mix into lemon curd.


Cream cheese icing
Beat cream cheese and butter by hand or using an electric mixer until creamy. Sift in icing sugar and beat until smooth. Add lemon juice and beat to combine.


How to assemble the cupcakes:

• Cut off the top of the cupcake in the shape of a cone using a small paring knife
• Fill the hole with approximately 1 tbs lemon curd
• Replace cupcake top securely
• Pipe icing onto cupcake

Pizza fail!

When something seems too good to be true, it generally is. When I came across an extremely easy sounding pizza base recipe (with no yeast needed) with great reviews on the best recipes website, I was sceptical. But also, curious. And since it was the weekend, I hadn't baked anything yet, and it was dinner time, I thought I'd give it a try. 

Ingredients:

• 1 3/4 cups self raising flour
• 1/2 cup cheese
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 2/3 cup boiling water

Method:

Preheat the oven to 210 degrees C.

Add the flour and cheese to a mixing bowl and stir to combine. Make a well in the centre and add the oil and water, and knead mixture until it forms a dough. Cover with glad wrap and set aside for 10 minutes.

After reading the reviews and comments on the best recipes website, I rolled the pizza base out and pre baked it for about 12 minutes before adding the toppings.

I didn't have a rolling pin so I used a bottle of wine....worked pretty well.

I added all my husbands favourite pizza toppings - baby spinach, ham and salami, and popped it back in the oven for another 10-12 minutes.

This makes enough for two pizzas - I'm glad I halved the recipe! I bet my husband is glad too :)


I didn't try it, so I don't know what it tasted like. My husband said the first half tasted good, but it was hard to eat the whole thing. 


My brother makes his own pizza bases all the time (using yeast). Maybe I should try his recipe!

Shoeboxgirl