Toblerone Cookies

Happy (winter) Holidays everyone!

I've just returned from a four-day trek in the bush. Let's just say it was fun, but I am sooooo happy to be experiencing the joys of my shower and bed. When you're in the bush, you start fantasising about all the different things you could be doing, foods you could be eating etc. when you're at home. I think we all went a little crazy! Don't get me wrong, sleeping in a dirty cave is... nice, but I appreciate my home a great deal now!

The fact that it was so cold and wet on the trek made coming home a lot more satisfying I think, too. I was absolutely soaked to the core out there, so I'm glad to be in the dry. And now that I'm at home, typing away, it's such a beautiful day! Dammit, weather! Humph.

I actually had a great time on the trek. I really improved my navigational skills, and talked to kids and teachers that I might not usually have been able to talk to. So all in all, it was a good experience. And I did get to test out some... ahem, interesting combinations of ingredients.

Fact:  Vegemite + raw carrots = winning combination.

Fact: Sultanas + dry crackers = surprisingly tasty.

Fact: All food tastes better in the bush.

But really, we all know that these Toblerone Cookies I whipped up this morning for my sister's friends, look DAMN TASTY.

Ooh yes. I decided to chop up a big ol' triangular prism of the stuff and incorporate them into some mighty fine biscuits. The idea just came to me, most probably because I was in serious need of baking therapy after my stressful time in the bush.

And I made them little triangles! So they would look just like... you get the idea.

These cookies are so cute and triangular! Chocolate enjoyers will... enjoy the reference to the Swiss prism-y chocolate bar, and will most definitely appreciate their amazing, overwhelming chocolate and almond taste. To top it all off, the chunks of Toblerone inside the cookies stays all melty, even when the biscuits are cooled - yay! I know how much you all enjoy melty chocolate chunks :)

Well, I think that settles that. You shall make these cookies, and rejoice when their soft crumb teases and delights your palette. And also, these are most definitely a milk-and-cookies kind of cookie, so please don't disrespect that. (Unless you're a bit of a biscuit-rebel).

Toblerone Cookies

{Cookie dough recipe adapted from "Chocolate Magic" by Kate Shirazi. Toblerone idea adapted from Angela's brain.)

Makes 20

Ingredients:

1 1/3 cups plain flour

1/2 tsp baking soda (bicarb)

1/3 cup cocoa powder

85g unsalted butter, softened

1 cup brown sugar

1 tsp vanilla extract

2 large eggs

300g milk or dark Toblerone, coarsely chopped

150g slivered almonds, lightly toasted

Method:

Preheat the oven to 180 degrees celsius. Line two baking trays with baking paper.

Sift flour, baking soda and cocoa powder into a large mixing bowl and set aside.

Cream butter and sugar in a mixing bowl until pale and fluffy, then add the vanilla and eggs. Fold in Toblerone chunks and slivered almonds until evenly spread throughout. Fold flour mixture through wet mixture until combined.

On a large square of baking paper, place the mixture and mould into a triangular prism shape (like Toblerone) with floured hands. Fold baking paper over the sides, shape further, and freeze for 10 minutes.

Remove from freezer, cut into triangles about 1 cm thick, reshape quickly if needed, and place cookies on baking trays. Bake for 12-15 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack. Cookies will firm up when cooled.

Chocolate Chip - Oat Cookies

Hello again.

Guess what? 11 DAYS TILL MY BIRTHDAY! :D :D :D

... but yeah, life's pretty good.

After a time full of new recipes that didn't quite work out, I am back with a simple, yet reliable and amazingly good, chocolate chip cookie recipe.

It's so good to bake something that you could do in your sleep. It's so relaxing. Baking in general is a good hobby, but with fiddly things that require unwanted thinking and carefulness (pfft!), sometimes you get really tired and stressed - NOT GOOD!

But with these little dandies, not so. I have been making these since I was about 11, and they have never failed me. It's from Bill Granger - you should know by now my worship of him. They're just like plain chocolate chip cookies, but with oats! That means that they're wholesome! (Just tell yourself that).

*I know that these look like ANZAC biscuits in the photos, but trust me, there are LOTS of chocolate chips in those little things! And the light when I took the photos wasn't too crash-hot, so I brightened them up on the computer, and they turned a sort of sepia colour! Forgive me, peoples of the internet!

Anyway, I kind of like the warm tone of the photos. Sue me why don't you!

I joke, I joke, but really, folks, for a nice afternoon bikkie to be enjoyed with a cup of tea and a bowl full of strawberries, you really can't go past these. They're humble and kind and simple and they love it when you eat them! So do these cookies a favour (or two) and have a munch on them!

Chocolate Chip - Oat Cookies

{Recipe from Bill Granger's "Bill's Food" - I didn't adapt, why take away from perfection?}

Makes 30 (I got away with 33!)

Ingredients:

150g unsalted butter, softened

1 cup firmly packed brown sugar

1 egg, lightly beaten

2 tsp vanilla extract

1 cup plain flour

I tsp baking powder

Pinch of salt

2 1/3 cups rolled oats

1 1/2 cups chocolate chips, or chopped up milk chocolate

Method:

Preheat the oven to 180 degrees celsius. Line 3 large baking trays with baking paper.

Cream butter and sugar in a bowl until fluffy and smooth. Add the egg and vanilla, beat until smooth. Sift flour, baking powder and salt into bowl and mix liightly with a wooden spoon. Fold in oats and chocolate chips.

Roll tablespoons of the mixture into balls and place, evenly spaced, on the baking trays. Flatten the balls slightly with a fork dipped in flour. Bake cookies for 20 min, or until light golden. Remove from oven and let cool for 5 min, then transfer to a wire rack.

P.S. If you're wondering about the photos with a shaft of light through them (hint: above this sentence), I went all experimental and postmodern by seeing what the biscuits would look like in the harsh light. Not sure of the outcome... some might call it weird. I think I'm going to call it... ART.

:)

Spiced Pumpkin & Pecan Biscuits

Hello all!

I want so badly to say Happy New Year to you, however I am being incredibly impatient and cannot wait to post this recipe! And also I kind of wasn't prepared to say goodbye to 2011 in that last post as I was all hyped up about Christmas. So now that all the Christmas stuff has died down, I'm ready to release this year and head on to 2012! So, if you're reading this in 2011, Happy 2011! And if you're reading this in 2012, Happy New Year!

2011 has been a big year, but 2012 will be even bigger. For one thing, it's my last year at school, and then the big wide world is right there waiting for me. I'm kind of scared, very excited, happy and sad. Endings and beginnings, hellos and goodbyes, and lots of study! Ugh.

Oh well, at the moment I'll just take things day by day, and see what happens from there.

At the moment, I'm living it up in the Snowy Mountains - except it's summer. I love the snow, but at this time of year it's just as beautiful. The wildflowers, the green slopes, and the crystal clear rivers - it's so peaceful, the perfect way to see out the year. Yesterday and today we went on an overnight hike. Camping out in the mountains was magical... and extremely cold at night! Going off track was wonderful - you really get away from the tourist-y rush, and feel like intrepid explorers! Camping here is like nothing else. Because there are no trees, you can see forever.

But anyway, onto the biscuits. I know what you're thinking - pumpkin?! In a biscuit?!

But have no fear. These biscuits have been delightfully made over by the addition of cinnamon, mixed spice and maple syrup, and mixing in pecans give a lovely crunch to the soft and almost cake-like texture. They're feather light and wholesome. Perfect with a cup of tea!

{Recipe adapted from Honey and Jam}

Spiced Pumpkin and Pecan Biscuits

Makes 24

Ingredients:

2 1/2 cups plain flour

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

2 tsp ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp mixed spice

Pinch of salt

1/2 cup butter, softened

1 2/3 cups caster sugar

2 tbsp maple syrup

1/2 cup pecan nuts, toasted

300g steamed or roasted butternut pumpkin, mashed

1 egg

Method:

Preheat the oven to 180 degrees celsius. Line 2-3 baking trays with baking paper.

Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, mixed spice and salt in a large mixing bowl. Set aside.

In a medium bowl, cream the butter and sugar with an electric mixer. Add the pumpkin, egg, and maple syrup, and beat until smooth. Mix in the dry ingredients, and the cooled pecan nuts.

Using a tablespoon, place spoonfuls of the mixture onto the lined baking trays, and flatten slightly.

Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until lightly golden brown around the edges.

P.S. Happy New Year again! Yay!

Hazelnut and Chocolate Chip Cookies

Hi again.

I did the stupidest thing last night - accidentally deleted the whole contents of my computer. It's amazing how sad you feel when technically all you've lost is a couple of intangible gigabytes, but I guess that justs shows our complete and utter reliance on cyberspace and the Inter-web. All my photos of precious memories, all my music and documents - gone! My mum says to call the computer doctor, but I doubt he has wizardly powers that will allow him to conjure up my data from the abyss of billions of empty recycle bins. Or wherever all that rejected data goes.

 I felt awful, so today I just had to make some cookies to cheer myself up.

These are no ordinary cookies! These are enhanced by the wondrous addition of hazelnuts, which, I think, gives them a lovely crunch and is also kind of like deconstructed Nutella! And who wouldn't love Nutella in biscuit form?

This recipe was pinched from the lovely blog 'Always with Butter'. It's probably my favourite food blog as it is just so sweet! And Julie's photographs are quite simply, stunning. 

Hazelnut and Chocolate Chip Cookies

Makes about 20

Ingredients:

125g unsalted butter, cut into tiny cubes

1/2 cup caster sugar

2/3 cup brown sugar

1 egg

1 and 2/3 cups plain flour

Pinch of salt

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp baking soda

1 tbsp cornstarch

1 cup chocolate chips (milk or dark or both)

2/3 cup hazelnuts, toasted and roughly chopped.

Note: to toast the hazelnuts, place the nuts in a pan (no oil) over medium heat, and stir constantly with a wooden spoon until fragrant, and they start to colour. Nuts burn easily, so please be careful!

Method:

Preheat the oven to 180 degrees celsius.

Line 2-3 baking trays with baking paper.

In a large mixing bowl, cream butter and both sugars with electric beaters until fluffy. Add egg and mix again.

Sift flour, baking powder, baking soda, cornstarch and salt into the bowl and mix with a wooden spoon until combined. Then fold in the chocolate chips and nuts.

Roll tablespoon sized balls of the mixture with your hands and place on the baking trays, evenly spaced.

Bake for 20 min, until golden. Cool on the trays for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack.

Hope this recipe adds some cheer to your day! This just goes to show that if ever you do something stupid, just bake and it will be all better.

Passionfruit Melting Moments

Hello all! Finally another post - I haven't been able to bake much, what with my busy holiday schedule and all. But it's all better now, don't cry! I'm right here.

Back to business next week! Hopefully more of a routine will allow me to allocate some specific "baking time" to my week. Mmm structure! But for now, I'm quite enjoying the holidays, thank you very much.

These biscuits are very "spring-y". Good thing it's spring! I imagine these biscuits sitting on a cake plate on someone's garden table in the 'days of old' where I'm sure everyone baked for hours instead of sitting on facebook. How civilised! Anyway, they're yummy and use passionfruit, which is one of the fruits of the warm season and a symbol of sunshine in my books.

Make sure you count the number of 'halves' you make. Unfortunately I made 25 halves, which meant one biscuit was lonely and all on its own and I felt sad. Just a reminder so this tragedy does not happen to you or any future lonely biscuit halves!

Passionfruit Melting Moments

Makes 12-15 (depending on size)

Ingredients:

For the biscuits -

250g unsalted butter, softened

60g (1/2 cup) icing sugar

225g (1 3/4 cups) plain flour

80g (2/3 cup) cornflour (cornstarch)

For the passionfruit filling -

60g unsalted butter, softened

125g (1 cup) icing sugar, sifted

Passionfuit pulp (the contents of 2 passionfruits)

Method:

Preheat your oven to 170 degrees celsius. Line 2 baking trays with baking paper.

Using electric beaters, mix the soft butter and sugar until the mixture is well combined, fluffy and smooth. Sift the flour and cornflour together, add to butter mixture and beat again until combined.

Heavily flour your hands (and I mean heavily!) and roll tablespoons of the mixture into balls, placing them well-spaced on the baking trays. (Note: you may have to flour your hands again in between rolling - the mixture will be sticky!) Flatten the doughy mounds slightly using a fork that has been dipped in flour.

Bake for 15 mins, or until the biscuits are light golden. Allow to cool on the trays for 5 min, then transfer to a wire rack.

Passionfruit filling:

Again using the electric beaters, cream the butter until smooth. Add the sifted icing sugar little by little, and continue to beat until pale and fluffy. Add the passionfruit pulp and cream further. 

Using a spoon or a butter knife, spread an appropriate amount of filling on half the biscuits, then pop the tops onto each. Consume with enjoyment.