Chocolate Chip Slab Cookies

I've never met anyone who didn't enjoy a good chocolate chip cookie. It's something about the balance between the buttery cookie and the sweet, molten chocolate chips that makes this such a special combination. And it seems like there are a million and one variations on the basic recipe to alter the chewy, crunchy, and cakey texture options depending on the eater's preferences. The funny thing is how something so classically simple can be so... controversial if that's the right word for it. One could get into the argument about the ratio of chocolate chips to cookie dough, and then chips versus chunks, and the purist debate of if it's still as good if you start adding nuts, multiple types of chocolate, oats, different flours, etc. Some swear by the good old fashioned Nestle Toll House recipe, and others seem to think it's overrated and outdated. Personally, I'm a bit of a purist (with cookies and most other things) so a chewy centred, crispy edged pure milk chocolate chip cookie is a pretty tempting offer, but when it comes down to it, a good cookie is a good cookie and I'll try anything once. This recipe brings back memories of looking through my grandmother's Best of Bridge cookbooks while visiting on summer holidays. It's by far the most simple and easy to remember recipe that I've come across and have been making this since I was old enough to use the oven at home by myself. It calls for a minimal number of ingredients and it's about as simple as stirring, tipping out the bowl, patting it into place and baking, so it's perfect for those out there that don't want a complicated, time consuming recipe. They're best if they are a little underbaked, since it makes it much easier to slice and get out of the pan. Hope you enjoy this recipe and share it with your friends and family, it's one of my all time favourites!

Chocolate Chip Slab Cookies

1 cup salted butter

1 cup brown sugar

1 tsp vanilla extract

2 cups all purpose flour

1 cup chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350F. Cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the vanilla extract, followed by the flour and then the chocolate chips. Ensure everything is evenly mixed together. Pat the mixture out with your hands onto a buttered (or parchment paper lined) 10"x15" baking sheet with sides, trying to make sure that it's as even as possible since this will help during baking. Bake for about 20 minutes until the top is light brown, rotating the pan halfway through the baking time. Cut while still warm. Enjoy!

Biscotti

At some point or another in our lives most of us end up in a job we would really rather have nothing to do with. It's not that we're treated badly by our bosses or coworkers, or have to do something horrible like cleaning out portable toilets, but merely the fact that we're obligated to turn up to this specific job day in and day out. About 4 years ago I had a job like this at a call centre, and let's just say that my attendance wasn't perfect... So on those days when I supposedly wasn't feeling well or had a family emergency, I would spend most of my time at the beach and the local coffee house. It was during those lazy spring days that I would get my weekly fix of white chocolate almond biscotti. Perfectly dense and crunchy with chunks of toasty almonds and a drizzle of creamy white chocolate. This recipe is quite a bit lighter than the biscotti that I used to get from the coffee house, and a bit easier on the teeth! It's very versatile so you can add nuts, dried fruit, chocolate chips, citrus zest, coffee, almost anything you can think of. It's all about experimenting and finding something you like. Finish these off with a dip in some melted chocolate and relax with a coffee and cookie on a sunny afternoon.

Biscotti

1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature

1 cup sugar

3 large eggs

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp salt

3 3/4 cup all purpose flour

1 cup chocolate chips/chopped nuts/dried fruit

2 tbs juice/coffee/liqueur/milk

Preheat the oven to 300 F. Cream the butter and sugar in a large bowl, add eggs one at a time and mix to combine thoroughly, scraping down the sides of the bowl. Sift baking powder, salt and flour together. Add to butter mixture, and gently stir to bring everything together to a dough. Add chocolate/chopped nuts/dried fruit, followed by the liquid. Knead lightly to bring everything together and to make sure the additions are distributed evenly. Shape the dough into a log. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, and shape the log to almost the same length as the baking sheet. Press the dough down until it's approximately 2 cm thick, making sure it is straight and even in thickness and width. Brush with egg wash if you want a shiny finish. Bake, rotating the pan after 15 minutes, until fully cooked but still soft to the touch. Remove from oven and let cool 5 minutes. Using a sharp serrated knife, slice biscotti 1-2cm thick. Separate cookies on the baking sheet to ensure air flow all around each one. Return to the oven to finish drying out the cookies, about 15 mins. Let cool fully before putting in an airtight container to keep them from getting soft. Dip in melted chocolate if you like once the biscotti are cool and let set on parchment paper. Enjoy!
 

**Sorry it's been a while since my last post! My computer got a virus a few weeks ago and it's taken me a little while to get it cleaned out and all of my files back. Thanks for your patience!

Hot Cross Buns

Oh hot cross buns, how you are either loved, hated or merely tolerated. I used to be one of the toleratrs. When I was little my Mom would buy them from the supermarket around this time of year and they never really excited me. A little too dry and not enough other good stuff (like chocolate), I didn't see what the big deal was. I used to pick off the white piping in hopes it would be sweet and delicious... every year the disappointment! That was all until a couple of years ago when I was working in a bakery that used to bake these by the thousands at Easter time. The spicy sweet smell grew on me and before long I was craving them. According to English Folklore, there is a lot of superstition surrounding these tasty little buns. "If hung in the kitchen, they are said to protect against fires and ensure that all breads turn out perfectly," according to Wikipedia. Maybe I should keep one hanging around just in case my bread skills start failing!

This is a recipe that I've adapted to suit my own tastes and at first glance probably looks very lengthy and intimidating to the first time bread baker, but trust me it's really not as hard as you probably think. Baking bread is one of those things that you're so much better at if you fully understand why things happen the way they do, so there's more explanation of sensory things than in my other posts, nothing to worry about. Traditional Hot Cross Buns have raisins, currants and candied/dried citrus zest. I decided to substitute dried cranberries for the raisins, as well as the zest of fresh lemon and orange for a brighter flavour. Split them in half, pop them in the toaster until lightly crisped, and smear with salted butter. Absolutely heavenly. Enjoy!

Hot Cross Buns

180g milk, warmed

10g fresh yeast (or 4g active dry yeast)

50g brown sugar

1 large egg, beaten

25g unsalted butter, melted

2g salt

3g ground cinnamon

1g ground nutmeg

zest of half a lemon

zest of half an orange

350g bread flour

40g dried currants

40g dried cranberries, chopped

Cross Topping

45g all purpose flour

10g icing sugar

30g water

Glaze

apricot jam or honey

Line a 9x13" pan with parchment paper and set aside. In a medium bowl combine the milk, yeast and sugar, and whisk to dissolve. Let sit for 10-15 minutes until bubbly. Add the egg, melted butter, salt, spices and citrus zests, and whisk again until evenly mixed. Combine this mixture with the flour in a large bowl with a wooden spoon, or in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the bread hook attachment. Once the dough starts coming together, turn it out onto a floured surface and begin kneading until a smooth dough forms. If using a stand mixer, continue mixing until a smooth dough forms. You don't really need a lot of gluten development here because this is meant to be a soft bun. The dough should be fairly moist and sticky since the dried fruit will absorb some of the moisture. Feel free to add more flour if needed but be careful not to add too much (a very firm, dry dough) or else the buns will turn out to be very firm and dry also. Add the currants and dried cranberries and knead again until they are fully incorporated throughout the dough, since you don't want some buns with tons of fruit and others with not very much. Cover the dough loosely with plastic wrap or a damp cloth and leave to rest for 15-20 minutes. Divide the dough into 12 relatively even sized pieces (each one should be approx 65g but it will depend on how much flour is added during kneading and how precise you want to be!) and shape each into a round ball using a cupped hand and a circular motion on a clean surface, or just do the best you can to get a round ball shape, it can take a while to get the hang of that technique. Place them in the prepared pan, cover with plastic wrap or a damp cloth and leave in a warm place for about 45 minutes, or until they have almost doubled in size and are very soft to the touch. This time will depend on how warm the space is where they are left to rise so don't worry if it takes a little longer. Keep an eye on them to make sure they aren't drying out or getting too big. In the meantime, prepare the cross topping by combining the flour, icing sugar and water in a small bowl until smooth. Fill a small piping bag fitted with a small round piping tip with this mixture and set aside until ready to use. Preheat your oven to 375F. Just before the buns go in the oven, moisten each one with a little water with your fingertips or a spray bottle filled with water. Pipe straight horizontal and vertical lines over the buns to make the cross pattern and put in the oven. Turn the heat down to 350F and let bake for 20 minutes. Rotate the pan and allow to continue baking until golden brown, about 15 minutes more depending on your oven. While the buns are baking, gently heat the apricot jam or honey with a little water until runny. As soon as the buns come out of the oven, brush all over with the hot glaze. Try and grab one without burning yourself and go enjoy the wonderful smell of your house, you'll thank me later!

Classic Lemon Loaf

Lemon loaf. Not exactly the most exciting name, but is it ever good! Just a perfectly cheery citrus pick-me-up to get us through these last few days of winter. More of a pound cake, this tasty sponge is soaked in a light lemony syrup that cuts through it's buttery sweet crumb. This recipe comes from my Mom, and it's one of the food memories I have from growing up that always makes me think of her. Unlike her daughter, her sweet tooth is on the smaller size, but from what I know this is one of her favourites. Similar recipes I've found over the years call for adding chopped walnuts, but since my Mom hates walnuts with a passion, I wouldn't dream of putting them in there! Feel free to throw some in there if your little heart desires though, some dried cranberries would also be delicious, and bring a slice or two of this delicious cake to your Mom, I know she'll appreciate it. Enjoy!

Lemon Loaf
1/2 cup butter, room temperature
1 cup sugar
2 large eggs, room temperature
1/2 cup milk, warm

1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 large lemon, or two small lemons (preferably unwaxed organic)

1/2 cup toasted chopped walnuts or dried cranberries (optional)
1/4 cup sugar

Preheat oven to 350F.

Line a square 8" pan or loaf pan with parchment paper. Cream the soft butter and sugar until light and creamy. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then slowly add the milk. Scrape down the sides of the mixing bowl with a rubber spatula and mix again, to ensure that the everything is smooth. Sift together the flour, baking powder and salt. Zest the lemon(s) and combine with the flour mixture*. Gently fold the butter and flour mixtures together until just combined, followed by the walnuts (optional), avoid overmixing. Spoon into the prepared pan and bake until golden and just fully cooked in the centre (check with a toothpick or knife). While the loaf is baking, combine the juice of the zested lemon(s) and second addition of sugar, and heat in a small pan until the sugar is dissolved and the mixture is hot. When the loaf comes out of the oven, prick the top all over with a fork and pour the hot glaze evenly over the whole surface. Let cool in the pan. Serve warm or at room temperature. 

*For a Lemon Poppy Seed Loaf variation, add 1/4 cup poppy seeds into the flour mixture at the same time as the lemon zest. 

Warm Banana Crumble Muffins

Fragrant banana muffins with a buttery crumb topping, fresh and hot out of the oven. Doesn't that sound comforting on chilly, dark winter days like these? I discovered this recipe a couple of months after moving overseas, and desperately wanted something familiar and comforting that reminded me of home and these muffins were perfect. It was like a warm blanket of banana scented therapy. If you're like me, you probably have a few old spotty bananas lurking around your fruit bowl or freezer just waiting to be used up. These would be really delicious with some toasted chopped walnuts or milk chocolate chips thrown in, but they're pretty tasty just as they are. I hope these will bring you the same cozy, familiar memories as they brought me. Enjoy!

Banana Crumble Muffins

1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp salt
3 very ripe bananas, mashed
1/2 cup white sugar

1/4 cup brown sugar
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1/3 cup unsalted butter, melted

Crumble Topping
1/3 cup brown sugar
2 tbs all purpose flour
1/8 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tbs butter, cold

Preheat oven to 375 F.

Lightly grease 12 muffin cups, or line with muffin papers. In a large bowl, sift together flour, baking soda, baking powder, nutmeg and salt. In another bowl, stir together bananas, sugars, egg, and melted butter. Gently fold the banana mixture into the flour mixture until just mixed. Avoid overmixing or the muffins will be tough. Spoon batter into prepared muffin cups. For the crumble, mix together brown sugar, flour and cinnamon in a small bowl. Cut the butter into the brown sugar mixture with a fork or your fingers until mixture resembles coarse breadcrumbs. Sprinkle the crumble evenly over the muffins. Bake in the preheated oven for about 16 to 18 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through, until a toothpick inserted into center of a muffin comes out clean. Let cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then remove and let cool... if they last that long.

White Chocolate Blueberry Cookies

A few years ago I was fortunate enough to stumble across a job posting for a pastry assistant position at a brand new hotel. All of those early mornings really paid off with the professional baking experience that I gained from working there, despite the Pastry Chef at the time being... unbalanced at best. I used to bake different variations of these cookies, and they were my absolute favourite! I remember making these on my very first day, so proud of myself, and passing one to my neighbour through her window from our driveway. These are amazing as they are, but feel free to swap the white chocolate for milk or dark chocolate, and the dried blueberries for other dried fruits or nuts, or simply more chocolate. A must-try, extremely addictive treat for anyone with a sweet tooth for chewy cookie goodness.

White Chocolate Blueberry Cookies

1 cup granulated sugar

3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened

1 1/2 tsp vanilla

1 tbs honey

1 large egg, lightly beaten

2 cups all purpose flour

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp baking soda

1 cup white chocolate chips

1/2 cup dried blueberries

Preheat oven to 350 F. 

Cream sugar and butter until light and fluffy. Add the vanilla, honey and egg, scraping down the sides of bowl and mixing again to ensure the mixture is smooth. Sift flour, salt and baking soda, and add to butter mixture, stirring to combine. Gently stir white chocolate and blueberries into dough. Scoop into balls (whatever size you like, I like to use an ice cream scoop so they're all the same size), flatten gently and bake on parchment lined baking sheets until puffed and lightly browned around the edges, 8-10 minutes, rotating the pan about halfway through. These are better when they're still a bit chewy in the middle, so keep an eye on them so they don't overbake. Let cool before removing from baking sheet. Enjoy!