Smarties / Choc Chip Cookies

Our church is having a stall at the local village market tomorrow and we are selling cookies. (Or biscuits for those who believe cookie is a culturally imperialistic term indicative of the Americanisation of Australia. You know who you are. Tim.)

Anyway. cookies / biscuits. tomAto / tomato.

I thought I would share this super dooper recipe with you. I even remembered to take some pictures. Jake enjoyed helping. He can smell chocolate from the other end of the house and comes running to ensure he doesn't miss out.

Chocolate Chip cookies

180g salted butter

180g raw sugar

2 egg yolks

160g milk chocolate, chopped*

100g dark chocolate, chopped*

300g plain flour

3/4 tsp baking powder

1 1/2 tsp vanilla

Preheat oven to 160 degrees. Cream butter and sugar until creamy. Add egg yolks. Fold in chocolate, flour, baking powder and vanilla.

Roll into balls and push down with fingers. Cover baking trays with baking paper and place biscuits a small way apart. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until just golden underneath.

* Chopped chocolate works better than choc bits.

Smartie variation

As above but add about 200g smarties by hand at the end otherwise the shell coating gets chipped. Save some of them for pushing into the top for an extra cool effect.

Dairy-free raspberry muffins

For all those lactose-intolerants out there...

2 cups self-raising flour
1/2 cup coconut
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup coconut milk
3/4 cup pure rice bran oil
2 eggs
about a cup of raspberries (fresh or frozen) - I usually add in small amounts and gauge how much to put in as I'm going

PREHEAT oven to 180 degrees
COMBINE all ingredients
SPOON into muffin tins or cup cake liners
COOK for 20-25 (depending on the size of the tins)
COOL in tins before turning out
GOBBLE UP

sorry I don't have any pictures... I always forget to take photos when I'm cooking! :)

sweet treats

One of the best parts of being a sahm (stay at home mum) is cooking up yummy snacks for afternoon tea.

This afternoon I recalled my childhood as I made my mum's standby slice - chews. It's so simple:

1 cup self raising flour
1 cup dessicated coconut
3/4 cup caster sugar
1 cup sultanas
MIX
ADD
125g melted butter mixed with
2 tablespoons golden syrup
MIX
ADD
1 beaten egg

Cook in preheated oven (180 degrees) for 20-30 minutes. It should be golden. Then cool in the pan and slice and eat.

I remember ignoring my mum's instructions and scooping out a spoonful of the slice as it was cooling. The hot, fat sultanas jiggling in my mouth as I tried to avoid burning my tongue. The buttery sweetness of it.... Bliss.

Unfortunately Lucy doesn't like chews so I'll have to whip up her favourite for her. Chocolate chip cookies - which incredibly Elijah doesn't like. Yikes!