Indulgent Chocolate Chip Cookies

             

 


Ingredients

3 cups plain flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon baking soda
¾ teaspoon salt
1 cup unsalted butter, cold and cut into cubes
¾ cup + 4 teaspoons brown sugar
½ cup granulated white sugar
2 eggs, cold, lightly beaten in a separate bowl
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1½ cups dark chocolate chips

Method

1. Line your baking tray with baking paper and set aside.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt; set aside.
3. Using an electric mixer, beat the butter on medium speed until it comes together in one cohesive mass, about 1 minute. Add both sugars and continue to beat for another 1 to 2 minutes, until all of the sugar has been incorporated into the butter. Gradually add the eggs and vanilla and continue beating on medium speed until mixed, scraping the sides of bowl once (the batter will appear lumpy). Reduce the speed to medium-low and gradually add the flour mixture until just a little bit of flour still remains. Add in the chocolate chips using your clean hands as it allows the choc chips to incorporate well into the mixture.
4. Divide the dough into 12 even pieces, just grabbing it by the handful and roughly shaping it into a ball (it does not need to be a smooth ball. Place them (evenly spaced) on the prepared baking sheet. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.
5. Preheat oven to 160 degrees. Bake for 18 to 24 minutes, or until light golden brown on top. Let the cookies cool for 5 minutes on the baking tray, then remove to a wire rack to finish cooling.

Nutritious Muesli Cookies

I’ve always been a keen fan of ANZAC biscuits that you’d find in practically every pantry and household within Australia. It must be the golden crusty edge, the chewy texture of the oats all melded together with butter and the satisfying feeling you’d get upon licking the last crumb from your lips. In an attempt to use up the tonne of muesli sitting at home in the pantry and to give myself a viable excuse to be back in the kitchen without my mother’s disapproving glare, I set forth to make a delicious and healthy take on the regular oatmeal cookie and turn it into a healthy fanatic’s perfect treat for those times when one feels peckish. 

Nutritious and scrumptious muesli cookies are perfect for whenever you're feeling peckish

Holi-Inspired Cut Out Sugar Cookies With Icing

(This post originally appeared on http://thesocietyco.com/holi-inspired-sugar-cookies-mahrukh-hamayun/)

With Holi just around the corner it may stump you as to which delicacies to serve up on your dessert table to ensure that you’re the talk of the of the town. Serving mithai is a given on any traditional event such as Holi, however if you’re not the type who enjoys spoonful’s of desi ghee and cardamom pods then look no further than this East meets West dessert treat.

These ‘Holi-inspired’ sugar cookies will leave both children and adults alike tempting for just one more until your platter is left with nothing but crumbs. They have a soft, luscious, fluffy center with a slightly crisp edge that will certainly have your guests wanting to know the recipe of these little delights.

Holi-Inspired Cut Out Sugar Cookies With Icing
Makes: 18 medium-size cookies 

Ingredients:

(For The Cookies)
3/4 cup (170g) unsalted butter, slightly softened to room temperature
3/4 cup (150g) white sugar
1 large egg (room temperature)
2 teaspoons vanilla essence
1/4 teaspoon almond extract
2 and 1/4 cups (281g) plain flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder

(For The Icing)
2 cup icing sugar
4-5 tsp milk
Assorted food coloring

Method

1. In a large bowl using a mixer, beat the butter until creamed and smooth, about 1 minute. Add the sugar and beat on high speed until light and fluffy, about 3 or 4 minutes.
2. Add the egg, vanilla, and almond extract and beat on high until fully combine, about 2 minutes.
3. Whisk the flour and baking powder together in a medium bowl. Turn the mixer down to low and add about half of the flour mixture, beating until just barely combined. Add the rest of the flour and continue mixing until just combined.
4. Divide the dough into 2 equal parts. Roll each portion out onto a piece of parchment to about 1/4″ thickness. Stack the pieces (with paper) onto a baking sheet and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
5. Once chilled, preheat oven to 350F degrees. Line the tray with a baking sheet; remove the dough from the refrigerator and using a cookie cutter, cut in shapes. Transfer the cut cookie dough to the prepared baking sheet. Re-roll the remaining dough and continue cutting until all is used.

6. Bake for 11 minutes, until very lightly colored on top and around the edges. Make sure you rotate the baking sheet halfway through bake time.

7. Allow to cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes, and then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before icing.
8. Make the icing by mixing the ingredients mentioned together, add to a pastry bag fitted with a small nozzle and then proceed to decorate the cooled cookies using intricate holi-inspired patterns.

NYC Chunky Choc-Chip Cookies

I've always been fond of eating chocolate chip cookies throughout my childhood and a uncanny appreciation or rather obsession of the "Cookie Monster" from Sesame Street as some may call it led to my infamous nickname as the biscuit itself. In my opinion the perfect cookie has to taste downright blissful upon first bite, crumble as you slowly savour the taste and leave you in a state of pure delight as you lick the choc chip stains from your fingers. I myself have never been to New York ever but I do hope to visit the land of opportunity and to be able to taste the renown "Levain Bakery" choc chip cookies as many have told stories of. Till then, one can always imitate the unique "cookie" experience from the comfort of their kitchen. This recipe was adapted from The Brown Eyed Baker's "Levain Bakery Chocolate Chip Cookies". 

Ingredients

3 cups plain flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon baking soda
¾ teaspoon salt
1 cup unsalted butter, cold and cut into cubes
¾ cup + 4 teaspoons brown sugar
½ cup granulated white sugar
2 eggs, cold, lightly beaten in a separate bowl
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1½ cups dark chocolate chips

Method

1. Line your baking tray with baking paper and set aside.

2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt; set aside.

3. Using an electric mixer, beat the butter on medium speed until it comes together in one cohesive mass, about 1 minute. Add both sugars and continue to beat for another 1 to 2 minutes, until all of the sugar has been incorporated into the butter. Gradually add the eggs and vanilla and continue beating on medium speed until mixed, scraping the sides of bowl once (the batter will appear lumpy). Reduce the speed to medium-low and gradually add the flour mixture until just a little bit of flour still remains. Add in the chocolate chips using your clean hands as it allows the choc chips to incorporate well into the mixture.

4. Divide the dough into 12 even pieces, just grabbing it by the handful and roughly shaping it into a ball (it does not need to be a smooth ball. Place them (evenly spaced) on the prepared baking sheet. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.

5. Preheat oven to 160 degrees. Bake for 18 to 24 minutes, or until light golden brown on top. Let the cookies cool for 5 minutes on the baking tray, then remove to a wire rack to finish cooling.