Chocolate Chip Cookies

My dear friend was coming to the country for just a day. I wanted to give her something to take back for her kids. I decided to bake her cookies, something that I had always told her I would. I found this recipe at joyofbaking. The cookies turned out absolute perfect, and now I am scrambling to save them for my friend as my kids and hubby are gobbling them up faster than I can say cookie!

You need:

• 1/2 cup unsalted butter
• 1/4 cup granulated white sugar
• 1/4 cup heaped firmly packed light brown sugar
• 1 large egg - I used a regular egg, that's what I had at home
• 3/4 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 heaped cup all purpose flour
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 3/4 cup semi sweet chocolate chips
• 1/2 cup finely chopped nuts - I used walnuts, pistachios, cashew nuts and almonds

Steps:

• In a bowl combine the flour, baking soda and salt.
• In a separate bowl, with a stand mixer or a hand mixer, beat the butter till smooth and creamy. Add the white and brown sugar and beat for approximately 2 mins till fluffy.
• Add the egg and beat well. Add vanilla and beat till incorporated. Scrape the sides down as required.
• Add the dry ingredients to the egg and beat till well mixed. Mid way add the chocolate chips and the nuts.
• In case the dough is soft, cover and refrigerate between 30 minutes to 2 hours until firm.
• Preheat the oven to 190degrees C. 
• Line a baking tray with parchment paper and place spoonfuls of the dough at about 1.5inch gaps.
• Bake for about 10-14 minutes till the edges are golden brown. Mine got done in about 13 minutes.
• Cool completely on a wire rack.

Notes:

• The original recipe mentioned walnuts or pecans. I used assorted nuts.
• I have halved the original recipe. I made approximately 50 cookies of 1.5" - 2" size with this amount of dough.
• If you like your cookies a tad sweeter, add 2 tbsps extra sugar.
• The original recipe mentions that you can make balls and freeze them by placing them on a parchment paper. Once frozen place the balls in a plastic cover, seal and freeze. When you want to bake them, just place the dough balls on a lined baking tray and let them bake for a few more minutes.

Eggless Chocolate Cupcakes

There are very few people who would be able to resist a chocolate cupcake if they were to see one in front of them. This is an anytime indulgence for both children and adults.

The kids had a sudden demand for chocolate cup cakes. I was ready to make them, but I did not want to spend too much time on it. I remembered this recipe from joyofbaking.com. It is a simple one bowl cake that I had made many times earlier. Soft, moist and delicious, the cake is just perfect. I halved the recipe and had absolutely beautiful 24 mini cupcakes that my children and family loved in less than 35 minutes.

You Need:

• 3/4 cup flour
• Less 1/2 cup sugar
• 3 tbsp cocoa
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• Heaped 1/4 tsp baking soda
• 1 big pinch salt
• 40 gms unsalted butter
• 1/2 cup warm water
• 1/2 tbsp lemon juice
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 3 tbsp chopped nuts - cashew nuts, almonds, pistachios
• 24 dark chocolate buttons - my son's contribution to the recipe

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 180degrees C.
• Line the cup cake tray or grease it well.
• Sieve all the dry ingredients separately.
• Add the wet ingredients along with the nuts to the dry ingredients and mix together till well blended.
• Evenly fill the batter into the cups. Add one chocolate button on the top of the batter in each cup.
• Bake for 15-18 minutes. Mine got done in 17 minutes. Check with a toothpick at the centre of the cupcake, if it comes out clean, they are done.

 

• After 5 minutes place the cupcakes on a rack to cool.
• These stay fresh for 3-4 days if kept in an air tight container at room temperature. If you want to store the cupcakes for longer periods, refrigerate them. Slightly warm them in the microwave before you serve them.

 

Notes:

• The quantity of sugar as per the original  recipe would have been half cup. I used less than half and the sweetness was perfect for us.
• Warm the cake and serve with vanilla ice cream as a dessert.
• You can also frost these cupcakes with chocolate ganache or butter cream.