CHOCO BLOG

To make these tasty banana chocolate chip cookies you will need ;

INGREDIENTS:

2 ripe bananas

175g unsalted butter

175g demerara sugar

2 eggs

175g plain flour

1/2tsp baking powder

100g jumbo oats

150g plain chocolate chips

METHOD:

Preheat the oven to 180C, Gas 4.

Grease 2 large baking sheets.

Peel, slice and mash the bananas.

Place into a large mixing bowl and add the butter, sugar and eggs.

Whisk with an electric mixer.

Sieve the flour and baking powder into the bowl.

Add the oats and stir until well combined.

Stir in the chocolate chips.

Drop heaped tsps of the mixture onto the prepared baking sheets spacing them well apart.

Bake for 15-20 minutes until lightly golden and slightly soft to the touch.

Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 5 minutes until transferring them to a wire rack.

Store in an airtight container.

To make these delicious chocolate cherry cookies you will need ;

INGREDIENTS:

100g/4oz self-raising flour

100g/4oz unsalted butter, softened

50g/2oz caster sugar

1/2tsp vanilla essence

25g/1oz glace cherries, finely chopped

25g/1oz plain chocolate, finely chopped

METHOD:

Preheat the oven to 190C, 375F, Gas 5.

Grease and line a large baking sheet.

Cream together the butter, sugar and vanilla in a large mixing bowl.

Add the chopped cherries and chocolate and stir.

Sieve the flour and stir into the mixture until well combined.

Spoon teaspoons of the mixture onto the baking sheet making sure they are spaced well apart.

Bake in the oven for 15-20 minutes until golden brown.

Remove from the oven and allow to cool for a few minutes before transferring to a cooling rack.

Store in an airtight container.

For a batch of this delicious chocolate chip shortbread you will need ;

INGREDIENTS:

4oz/115g plain flour

2oz/55g cornflour

4oz/115g butter, cubed

2oz/55g caster sugar

2oz/55g chocolate chips

METHOD:

Preheat the oven to 160C, 325F.

Grease a 9" loose-based tart tin.

Sieve the flour and cornflour into a large mixing bowl.

Stir in the sugar.

Add the butter and rub it in with your fingers until it starts to bind together.

If the mixture is too dry add a little milk to help bind it.

Turn into the prepared tin and spread out with a spatula until smooth.

Prick all over with a fork.

Sprinkle on the chocolate chips and gently press down into the dough.

Bake in the centre of the preheated oven for 40-45 minutes until golden brown and firm to the touch.

Mark into portions with a sharp knife and allow to cool in the tin.

Turn out and serve or store in an airtight container.

Enjoy your chocolate chip shortbread!

Love chocolate? Love ginger? Put them together in this tasty recipe for chocolate ginger snaps.

INGREDIENTS:

60g/2oz butter

60g/2oz demerara sugar

60g/2oz golden syrup

45g/1.5oz plain flour

15g/0.5oz cocoa powder

1/2tsp ground ginger

METHOD:

Preheat the oven to 180C, 350F, Gas 4.

Grease and line 2 large baking sheets.

Place the butter, sugar and syrup into a saucepan and heat gently.

Stir the mixture until the butter has melted and the sugar has dissolved.

Remove from the heat and allow to cool for 10 minutes.

Sieve in the flour, cocoa powder and ground ginger and stir well.

Using a teaspoon drop small amounts of the mixture onto the baking sheets well spaced to allow for spreading.

Bake in the oven for about 8 minutes until they have spread.

Leave to cool on the sheets before storing in an airtight container.

This recipe makes about 18 snaps!

Gift jars are becoming popular as an easy to put together homemade gift.

The idea is simple and you can make all sorts of jars based on the same idea.

My jar is for Smartie Cookies. I chose this recipe as the ingredients are mostly dry.

After I had cleaned, sterilised and dried my jar I sieved 150g self-raising flour.

I placed the flour in the jar first. Then I weighed out 100g golden caster sugar and carefully added this to the jar.

Lastly I added a 170g tube of Smarties which filled the jar to the top.

I printed the recipe, folded it and laid it on top.

I then simply cut out a circle of Christmas paper to put around the lid and tied it with thin ribbon.

If you like you could tie a small wooden spoon to the jar or hang a cookie cutter from the ribbon.

You can do the same thing with any cookie or muffin recipe, just add the dry ingredients and include the recipe.

Some handmade labels on your gift jars would look great too. 

These double chocolate chip cookies were made by my son at school in his cookery class. They are really tasty, to make them you will need ;

INGREDIENTS:

150g unsalted butter or baking margarine, softened

150g soft brown sugar

1 egg, beaten

250g self-raising flour, sieved

2 tbsps cocoa powder

50g milk chocolate chips

50g white chocolate chips

1 tsp vanilla extract

METHOD:

Preheat the oven to 180C, Gas 5.

Grease 2 large flat baking sheets.

Cream the butter and sugar together in a large mixing bowl using an electric whisk.

Add the egg, vanilla, cocoa powder and half the flour and whisk.

Stir in the chocolate chips.

Stir in the remaining flour using a metal spoon until a dough forms.

If the mixture is too sticky add a little more flour, if it is too dry add more egg.

Divide the dough into 2 and each of these into 6 small balls.

Flatten each ball and place on the baking sheets making sure they are evenly spaced.

Bake in the centre of the preheated oven for 10-12 minutes until golden at the edges.

They will crisp up as they cool.

Using a metal slice place them on a cooling rack.

Serve or store in an airtight container.

Now you have a dozen lovely double chocolate chip cookies!

To make a batch of a dozen mocha cookies, follow this recipe;

INGREDIENTS:

115g butter

115g muscovado sugar

85g golden caster sugar

1 tsp vanilla essence

1 tbsp instant coffee granules, dissolved in 1 tbsp hot water

1 egg

175g plain flour, sieved

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp bicarbonate of soda

100g packet plain chocolate chips

METHOD:

Preheat the oven to 180C.

Beat the butter and sugar in a large mixing bowl until light and fluffy.

Whisk the vanilla essence, coffee and egg in a separate bowl, then gradually add to the butter and sugar mix, beating until fluffy.

Sieve the flour, baking powder and bicarbonate of soda into the mixture and fold in carefully.

Fold in the chocolate chips.

Place spoonfuls of cookie batter onto 2 greased baking sheets. Make sure you leave room for the cookies to spread.

Bake in the preheated oven for 10-15 mins or until crisp on outside but soft on inside.

Cool on baking sheets for a few mins, then transfer to cooling rack to cool completely.

Serve your yummy mocha cookies!