Choc-chip Cookie Slice!

These have literally been on my 'to bake list' for a year.  As much as I'm a fan of choc-chip cookies rolling many of them can get a bit on the tedius side and the number of batches in the oven can take forever.... so these are a great alternative for those with no time to lose!

I think these are great for school parties or 'take a plate' type deals.  I can also vouch these are perfect for freezing (already baked) in your freezer and reheat in bar style to serve with vanila icecream.

They don't need to be slices either - for our girls I did cut some into squares.

Makes 24 bars or 48 squares

Ingredients:

300g butter at room temperature

1 cup caster sugar

1 1/2 cups brown sugar

2 eggs

1 tsp vanilla extract

4 cups plain flour

2 tsp baking powder

230g milk choc chips

Method:

Preheat oven to 190 degrees c

Grease a cookie baking tray generously with butter, ensuring you get into the corners and all the way up the edges and tops.

Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy.  Add eggs and vanilla extract.

Then add two cups of the flour with 1 tsp of baking powder and mix well.  Add final two cups of flour and baking powder until fully combined and then add 3/4 of your full packet of choc-chips and mix a final time until combined.

Spoon out onto the cookie sheet and press into the edges.  Make sure it's as evenly flat as possible.

Then sprinkle over the remaining 1/4 packet of your chocolate chips on top. Press them in slightly.

Bake on middle shelf for 25 minutes then sit out on a cooling tray (still in the cookie sheet for one hour.

Slice up and leave for another 30 minutes before moving the pieces to cool down on the cooling tray.

At this point, if you wanted to have some with icecream, I wouldn't only blame you, I'd join you.

These can be stored in airtight containers in the fridge or freezer.  Store in the fridge for 2 weeks or the freezer for 3 months.

Here's some othere choc-chip cookie recipes I love:

Choc-chip vanilla funfetti cookies

Malted choc-chip cookies

M&M cookies

Chunky cookies

The most freaking awesome cookies I've ever made (aka cake batter choc-chip funfetti cookies)

I love that kind of cookie that looks crispy on the outside and is chewy and soft on the inside.  Reminds me of Anzac biscuits served at the local David Jones food hall as a child... As we would come down the escalator and the smell of those cookies baking would summon me to whine at my mother 'Muuuuummm... can we buy a biscuit? PLEEEEEASE?????'.  I'm sure my mother would have been cursing David Jones' cunning marketing plan.

When I saw these cookies on Sally's blog it reminded me of those cookies - soft on the inside, crispy on the outside.. so I've bookmarked the recipe but then I finally took the plunge and bought her book. Well, these amazing looking biscuits are even on the cover!

I mean it's A SIGN.  They look so fun and delicious and definitely not something I'd make every week or anything but every now and again you just have to make something a little bit naughty.

So then I made them.  I just can't explain.  I have eaten waay too many.  I still have some in the pantry but I want to make them again! They are just the perfect cookie.  Please believe me here - they are awesome!  The perfection of crispy on the outside, chewy-soft on the inside.  The cake batter gives them a really fab flavour - it's like having a really good piece of birthday cake in a cookie.  Perfect.

Ingredients:
180g butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup caster sugar
1 egg
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
190g butter cake mix
190g plain flour
1 tsp bicarb soda
1/2 cup white choc chips
1/2 cup milk choc chips
1/2 cup funfetti/sprinkles

Method:

In a mixer, combine the butter and brown and caster sugar together until it becomes a creamy consistency.  About 1 1/2 minutes on speed 2 if you have a kitchenaid..

Then add your egg and vanilla and mix again for about 30 seconds.

Sift in the cake mix, flour and bicarb soda.  The original recipe calls for these ingredients in cup size but when I weighed them out they were different to the weights provided, so I thought it best to go with the weights, given that cake mixes can be different from mix-to-mix.  I used homebrand butter cake mix.

Mix again, it will become silky-smooth.

Now take off the mixer and with a spatula or spoon, mix in the choc-chips and funfetti/sprinkles.

As Sally says: 'Don't overmix'

Then you need to torture yourself and put all the mix in a zip-lock bag in the fridge for at least 2 hours.. up to 2 days if you want to make this ahead of time.

When you're ready to bake, pre-heat your oven to 175 degrees c and line your baking trays with baking paper or silicone mats.

Take the mix out of the fridge and let it slightly warm (about 10 minutes) and then spoon out into roughly the diameter of a 50c piece.  I used a small icecream scoop to help me get them even..

Roll them up and place on the baking tray with room to spread.  I could fit 9 cookies on a cookie sheet.

Bake for 10-12 minutes until slightly browned, but still 'blonde'.  Take out of the oven and cool for about 10 minutes before placing on cooling rack.

Have one at this stage, you won't regret it, and you might not be able to stop at one either.

When I gave one to my hubby his exact words were 'You are not allowed to make these EVER again - they are sooo good!!'.  Something tells me I'll not only be allowed, but I will be requested to make these again!   These would be great gifts too!

Malted choc-chip cookies!

I've just returned from 4 weeks away from home (yes, really - it was very l-o-n-g and tiring!) and I had my first bout of South-East-Asia-Tummy bug too... but on recovery at home I found myself craving some home cooking and obviously spending time with my frills was the major priority.. so we got on to baking..

I'm still getting used to my new kitchen but I have to say, I love the double oven!   I had dinner baking in the top oven and I made cookies in the bottom oven, you have to love that !  

Eloise was my helper, look how big she's got!  8 years old, her face if finally growing into her teeth (you know how they get their big teeth and they seem too big for their faces?) and she absolutely loves to cook.  She prepares her own breakfast and when I'm home I let her make my toast, and she's always keen to lend a hand if something needs to be cooked.

This recipe is from the lovely Ree, bless her cotton-socks-in-cowgirl-boots.  These cookies are foolproof and seriously chewy.  And I love me a chewy cookie.


Ingredients:
250g butter, at room temperature
3/4 cup brown sugar
3/4 cup  sugar
2 tbs vanilla extract
2 eggs
1/2 cup malt powder (you can find it near the milo at the supermarket)
2 cups plain flour
1 1/4 tsp bicarb soda
1 packet (yes a whole packet!) chocolate chips

Method:
Preheat oven to 200 degrees c

Cream your butter, meaning whip it until it turns pale yellow.  This is a great job for an 8 year old to monitor..  I even let her turn the kitchenAid on, and slowly turn it down..

Add the sugars and give it a good beating, ensuring the mixture is well combined and fluffy, 

Get your assistant if you have one to crack the eggs, if they can't crack eggs, crack them into a cup and get them to pour them in.   All my girls can crack eggs now, it's their favourite part!

And pour in the vanilla extract, mix on a low speed until combined.

It should be lovely and wet..

Then add your dry ingredients - malt powder, flour and baking powder.  I folded it a little with the spatula first so it didn't create a flour-storm in my kitchen.. there's a good tip for you!

Mix it on a medium speed, at this point it looks and smells like you need to eat it at that moment, but believe me, you should wait..

Add your bag of chocolate chips.. one or two may go missing.. just saying..

Phwoar!  It's ready!

They don't seem to grow out of this.. hell what am I saying, I still love to do this! Don't you!?

Put on greased trays (I've used silpat liners, love these!) spread apart because these babies spread!  I placed mine about 10cm apart and the size of small ping-pong balls.

Kids love watching them spread and bake, but according to them it makes them bake slower - but between you and me, it makes no difference - about 12 minutes..

Cool on the tray for 3-5 minutes then transfer to cooling rack.  Made me 22 cookies about 10cm diameter.

They are great cooled but out of this WORLD warm.

How to make Ginger Snaps

I think in life you're a ginger person or you're not.   For me definitely yes.  I love ginger, cinnamon, cloves, cardamon, all the aromatic spices.   It's no secret to friends of mine that gingerbread and it's descendants liebkuchen and Taai Taai are high up on the list of my favourite biscuits/cookies.

When I buy cookies on a rare occasion it will always be the gingersnaps.  The really hard ones.  The ones that you nearly have to break a tooth to bite off a chunk or leave into your mouth until they go soggy.    I became quite addicted to them when I was pregnant and I still do this day cannot replicate them.  I'm guessing it's a good lot of molasses and sugar and I'd just rather be in denial I think about how much....

But these gave me a much needed ginger hit when I had tonsillitis recently.  They arent totally chewy but they have a spongy centre and deliver just the right amount of sweetness for me.  Good for lunchboxes too.

Ingredients:

2 cups plain flour

3/4 cup caster sugar

2 tsp bicarb soda

1 tsp allspice

1 1/4 tsp powdered ginger

175g butter, at room temperature

1 large egg (or 2 small ones)

1/4 cup treacle

Method

Preheat oven to 190 degrees c

In a bowl mix flour, sugar, bicarb and spices.  Mix well.

Add butter, treacle and egg/s.  Now I realise it doesn't see like there's enough liquid but bare with me...

It makes a good dough in no time when you mix it together.  If by any chance you have thirsty flour, add a teaspoon or two of milk.

Roll the bits of dough into 1 1/2 inch balls and roll or dip into a bit of extra caster sugar

Place onto a greased tray and push down a little to flatten.

Bake for 15-18 minutes.   Leave to cool on tray for 5 minutes before transferring into your mouth onto a plate until completely cool.  Store in freezer in ziplock bag for up to 2 months or in an airtight container for up to 4 days.

Source: recipe adapted from http://www.applepiepatispate.com/

Chocolate cake mix cookies!

Now I'm the first person to say 'ditch the packet mix' and this isn't usually something that I would have in my cupboard, but my friend and college Nancy from the USA and loves to bake recommended I make these as she was suprised with the results... and you know I just had to know.

The results are pretty good actually.  A bit cake-y, a bit biscuit-y, a bit brownie-ish actually but over all really really easy and really, really chocolatey.  So if you're a chocolate lover these could be your ticket.  They freeze well too - so you could, if you like, take them out, put them in the microwave for 20 or so seconds and serve them with icecream..  oh was I bad for suggesting that?

You could use any cake mix you like, I used a mud cake mix because I wanted the chocolately chocolate-ness.  But you could get any chocolate cake mix.  It's all about the consistency really.

Ingredients:

1 packet cake mix

2 eggs

125g soft butter

1/4 cup plain flour (you may need less or more depending on the consistency/size of your cake mix)

Method:

Preheat oven to 180 degrees c

In a bowl, mix all ingredients.

The consistency should be like clay, it should stick together but also have a bit of firm-ness to it.  Add flour as you need to.  If you add too much flour, add a little milk until you get the right mix.

Roll them up into balls about 1.5 inch diameter.

Place on a greased tray (or one sprayed with canola oil) and press down slightly.

Bake for 10-15 minutes, then leave to cool on tray for 10-15 minutes.

Cool (or serve with cold milk warm - YUM!)

Irresistible to a six year old !!! (and a forty year old!)