Dedicated to Aisha.
Now let's check out the surprise...
Ooh suspense!
Ta-da!
I won a cookie box. I was so excited!!! Never won anything online ever - except on Ebay. heh.
I won a cookie box. I was so excited!!! Never won anything online ever - except on Ebay. heh.
What shall we make? Let's open and see...
This was me sniffing the brand new unopened magnificent book. oooohh I can smell it 10 times a day. Yes, I have a fetish with new books and magazines. and petrol. and permanent markers. Let me be.
Zebra Cookies?
Chocolate Chip Oates?
Nutty Drizzles?
Cookies and Cream Sandwiches?
This is 'Something Special' indeed.
I couldn't decide. There were too many. So I made two different ones.
Let me introduce to you a new type of cookie.
The 'Munch Munch' Collection.
It is unique. like none you've seen before. Never will you find them at Mrs Fields or Famous Amos.
It's chewy.
It's crunchy.
It's no ordinary cookie.
It's...Mocha Munch!
Every shape is unique.
Don't judge food by it's appearance. That's racist. Or foodist?
I bet you want to bite this right now...
and it is oh-so-good.
Next up is...
Munchkin Squares.
Perfect little bite sizes.
Will these new shapes catch on?
Let's hope so...
Regular shaped cookies look so boring compared to these.
Don't you think?
Make 'em and decide for yourself.
Mocha Munch
Makes about 16
Ingredients
115g unsalted butter, softened plus extra for greasing
115g light muscovado sugar (I used light brown sugar, but if you have muscovado sugar then by all means!)
85g golden granulated sugar (I used caster sugar)
1 tsp vanilla essence
1 tbsp instant coffee granules, dissolved in 1 tbsp hot water
1 egg
175g plain flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp bicarbonate of soda
55g milk chocolate chips
55g walnuts, roughly chopped.
Method
1. Preheat oven to 180C/350F/Gas Mark 4. Grease 2 large baking sheets with a little butter. Place the butter, muscovado sugar and granulated sugar in a large bowl and beat together thoroughly until light and fluffy. Place the vanilla essence, coffee and egg in a separate bowl and whisk together.
2. Gradually add the coffee mixture to the butter and sugar, beating until fluffy. Sieve the flour and baking powder and bicarbonate of soda into the mixture and fold in carefully. Fold in the chocolate chips and walnuts.
3. Drop dessertspoonfuls of the mixture onto the prepared baking sheets, spacing well apart to allow room for spreading. Bake in the preheated oven for 10-15 minutes, or until crisp on the outside but still soft inside. Remove from the oven, cool on the baking sheets for 2 minutes, then transfer to wire racks to cool completely.
4. Have fun breaking up the cookie into random shapes and sizes.
Munchkin Squares
Makes a lot.
Ingredients
225g unsalted butter, plus extra for greasing
115g walnut pieces
175g caster sugar
2-3 drops vanilla essence
225g plain flour
200g plain chocolate chips
Method
1. Preheat oven to 180C/350F/Gas Mark 4. Grease a 20 x 30cm/ 8 x 12inch Swiss roll tin. Coarsely chop the walnut pieces to about the same size as the chocolate chips.
2. Beat the butter and sugar together until pale and fluffy. Add the vanilla essence, then stir in the flour. Stir in the walnuts and chocolate chips. Press the mixture into the prepared tin. Bake the mixture in the preheated oven for 20 - 25 minutes until golden brown. Remove from the oven, cool in tin, then cut into tiny Munchkin squares.
Tips:
Unsalted butter is always better for baking sweet treats. It is also idea for greasing because it is less likely to burn than salted butter. An alternative is to brush the sheet with a bland oil such as sunflower.
Muscovado sugar has a tendency to be quite lumpy, so it is a good idea to sieve it before use when baking cakes and biscuits.
Peace.
