Brownie cookies

Today {19th May} is World Baking Day. The World Baking Day website encourages you to “step out of your comfort zone and bake something you have never baked before”. However, I decided to skip the stepping out of my comfort zone part and just go for something I have never baked before, as I had stumbled across a recipe I wanted to try out.

I found a recipe called Better-than-Brownies Chocolate Cookies over at Brown Eyed Baker, and being very partial to brownies, I figured I’d give them a go.

The result didn’t disappoint, they really are like brownies in a cookie form – rich, gooey and very yummy! These are going to get baked in my kitchen very often from now on!  

Here’s my adapted version:-

Brownie cookies

Ingredients
225g good quality dark chocolate
25g butter
2 eggs
175g sugar
½ tsp vanilla extract
50g plain flour
1/4 baking powder
a pinch of salt
50g chocolate chips or chopped dark chocolate

Method
1) Melt the chocolate and butter gently in the microwave, or in a bowl over a pan of simmering water. Leave to cool until room temperature.
2) Stir together the sugar, eggs and vanilla extract, then add the chocolate mixture and mix until well combined.
3) Sift in the flour, baking powder and salt and incorporate gently, being careful not to overmix.
4) Finally, stir in the chocolate chips / chopped chocolate and put the mixture in the fridge for a minimum of 30 mins to rest and firm up.
5) Preheat the oven to 175C
6) Scoop about a tablespoon of the mixture onto a prepared baking tray.
7) Bake for 10-12 minutes or until they are firm on the outside. Like brownies, do not overbake!

Chocolate fudge cookies

I can’t believe I never managed to bake anything chocolatey last week when it was National Chocolate Week! I had every intention to but life got in the way, and I ended up just eating lots of chocolate instead {which surely must have been in the spirit of the occasion – yum!}. I’m determined to make up for it this week instead, as it’s National Baking Week.    {I assume all these food related events have been thought up to make the shorter and colder days a bit more cheerful – not that I’m complaining!}.

Munchkin had a friend round to play today, so I made some cookies for them to munch on when they could tear themselves away from the fun and games.

The cookie dough is a great base recipe that can be easily adapted for different flavour combination by changing an ingredient or two. I use the same recipe for my Moreish Double Chocolate Chip Cookies {which are the best home made cookies I’ve ever had, if I may say so myself – absolutely fantastic!!} and White Chocolate and Cranberry Cookies. 

Chocolate fudge cookies

Ingredients
125 g soft unsalted butter
125 g soft brown sugar
2 tbsp condensed milk
175 g self-raising flour
pinch of salt
50 g fudge, cut into smallish pieces
50 g dark chocolate, cut into smallish pieces

Method
1) Preheat oven to 150C
2) Cream butter and sugar until pale and fluffy
3) Beat in the condensed milk, then add the flour and a pinch of salt
4 ) Stir in the fudge and chocolate pieces
5) Roll into walnut sized balls and place on a baking sheet
6) Flatten them slightly then bake for about 25 mins, or slightly longer if wanting crisper cookies
7) Cool on a rack, then enjoy!

Adapted from Sainsbury’s Magazine

Salted caramel chocolate truffles

For our recent anniversary I decided to make chocolate truffles, but not any old truffles, but salted caramel ones. I love the combination of sweet caramel, rich chocolate and a touch of saltiness. These are very easy to make as you don’t need to make the caramel but instead use a bar of caramel flavoured chocolate. It’s important to note though that it needs to be chocolate with crunchy pieces of caramel and not a smooth soft centred version, as you need the contrast of sweet crunch from the caramel and salty crunch from the salt flakes in the truffles.

I have made these before but I had forgotten how soft they turn out. They are still delicious though!

Salted caramel truffles

Ingredients
100g good quality chocolate with crunchy caramel pieces (I used Green & Black’s Butterscotch)
50 ml double or whipping cream
1 tbsp liquid glucose
25 g unsalted butter
1/4 tsp flaky sea salt
4-5 tbsp cocoa powder, for dusting

Method
1) Break up the chocolate into small pieces and cut up the butter into smallish pieces.
2) Put the chocolate, cream, liquid glucose and butter in a bowl and place over a pan of simmering water. Gently melt, stirring occasional, until the mixture is smooth and combined.
3) Leave to cool, then mix in the sea salt. Cover and chill overnight.
4) Scoop out about a teaspoon of the mixture and form into balls. (Ensure your hands are cool to not melt the mixture too much)
5) Put the cocoa powder into a bowl and roll the truffles in the cocoa powder until fully coated
6) Keep chilled until ready to serve.

 

Adapted from Sainsbury’s Magazine