Category: Snack
Chocolate Chip Cookies

Chocolate Chip Cookies

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Can anything truly top a good chocolate chip cookie? Especially when they’re warm from the oven and the chocolate is just melted when you bite into them. It’s always hard with classics like these to  know which recipes will work and which won’t. The expanse of the internet means that there’s thousands of variations out there, and unfortunately too many of them result in burnt, tasteless disappointments. After some research, though, I think I’ve found the perfect combination which’ll, fingers crossed, work without fail.

I do have a couple of top tips though to make sure that they end up the best they can be. Firstly, it’s important to make sure the dough is as cold as possible before going into the oven. Why I hear you ask? Well this means that they’ll keep their shape more in the oven, which will stop them from spreading too thinly. This makes it easier to get a soft, chewy bake, rather than a crisp, burnt one. It’s also kinda obvious, but when buying your ingredients make sure you buy chocolate you like the taste of. Sometimes it can be tempting to buy super cheap chocolate to bake with, but when you have chunks of chocolate, like in this, you can really taste it. My general rule is go for a chocolate you’d be happy to eat on it’s own, that way your cookies will be super delicious.

Recipe

Makes 20

Time 25 minutes, plus time for chilling

Ingredients

  • 220g Unsalted butter, softened
  • 170g Light brown sugar
  • 150g Caster sugar
  • 1 tsp Vanilla extract
  • 2 Large eggs
  • 330g Plain flour
  • 3/4 tsp Baking powder
  • Pinch of Salt
  • 100g White chocolate, roughly chopped into chunks
  • 100g Milk chocolate, roughly chopped into chunks
  • 1 tsp Sea salt to top (it’s really worth it)

 

Method

  1. In a bowl put the butter, sugars and vanilla, and beat together until pale and fluffy. Using an electric mixer can help with this.
  2. Add the eggs, one at a time, to the mix and whisk together after each addition to combine.
  3. Sift the flour, baking powder and salt into the main bowl and stir to combine.
  4. Stir the chocolate chunks into the mix so that they’re evenly distributed.
  5. Turn the dough out onto some clingfilm, wrap it up and then put it into the fridge to chill for at least 2 hours. (If you’re short on time or just can’t wait put it into the freezer for 30 minutes).
  6. 20 minutes before the dough finishes chilling, pre-heat the oven to 170˚C.
  7. Line 4 baking trays with baking paper.
  8. Roll the dough out between two sheets of clingfilm (I find this easier than using a floured surface). You want the dough to be the thickness of about 2 pound coins.
  9. Using a round cookie cutter, cut out circles of the dough. Put the circles onto the baking sheets, making sure they’re well spaced out as they will spread. I put about 5-6 on each of mine. Put them back into the fridge for 30 minutes to re-chill.
  10. Take the baking trays out of the fridge and sprinkle the dough circles with the sea salt. You only want a little on each cookie, but it works wonders in bringing out the flavour.
  11. Bake in the oven for 15-20 minutes until just starting to brown at the edges and puffed up. They will feel fairly soft, but they’ll firm up some more once they’ve cooled down. Eat as soon as you can!

Thanks for reading!

Emma x
Firework Bark

Firework Bark

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It’s bonfire night this Saturday, and I can’t wait for the fireworks, wrapping up warm, and hot chocolate which comes with it all. This is a really tasty snack, which can easily be wrapped in clingfilm and popped in a bag- perfect for taking to the bonfires as a little treat. This is also really good for dunking in hot chocolate, giving as gifts, or even as a decoration for the top of a cake, so you can let your imagination run wild!

When I was little, my sister and I would make chocolates full of our favourite sweets. We used to wander around Sainsburys, trying to decide which ones to put into the mix, and then once we got home we’d smoother them all in some melted milk chocolate, and then dollop it onto baking paper to set. Whilst this is shards, and not blobs of chocolate, the same idea applies. You can use any type of chocolate as your base and then top it with any decorations you wish. Here I’ve gone bonfire theme, so I’ve added marshmallows, popping candy, popcorn, and lots of sweets – but you could go much more simple, for example cranberry and pistachio is very good! You’re essentially making your own chocolate bar, so you can stick to my suggestions or improvise your own, it’ s completely your choice!

Recipe

Ingredients 

  • 200g Dark chocolate
  • 200g Milk chocolate
  • 150g White chocolate
  • Edible glitter
  • Popping candy
  • Marshmallows
  • Smarties
  • Sprinkles
  • Haribos
  • Pistachios
  • Pecans
  • Cranberries
  • Raisins
  • Popcorn

Method

  1. Break the milk and dark chocolate and put into a heatproof bowl. In another heatproof bowl put the white chocolate. Put each bowl over a pan of simmering water and melt gently.
  2. Line a shallow tin with cling-film. Put your nuts, berries, sweets and toppings of choice into bowls ready to decorate your bark.

3. Pour the dark and milk chocolate mix into the lined tin and smooth out with a palette knife. Spoon the white chocolate in circles onto the dark chocolate. Using a cocktail stick, or the tip of a knife, spiral the chocolate around the tin to make a firework pattern.

4. Cover the chocolate with your chosen toppings, chopping up any large nuts or sweets into bite sized pieces before putting it into the chocolate.

5. Leave to set before breaking up into shards and serving.

Thanks for reading! Look out for my next post on Sunday…

Emma x
Chocolate Tiffin

Chocolate Tiffin

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It’s tiffin time! This little treat is a favourite in my family and is also my Dad’s speciality. Whenever we see piles of chocolate and digestive biscuits in the kitchen, we know a tray of this is on the way. What essentially amounts to a collection of digestives, nuts, dried fruit all encased in a chocolate block is surprisingly tasty, and whilst it’s not great for anyone on a diet, it’s perfect as an any-time treat.

As this is fundamentally a tray bake, it also works really well for cake sales and sharing, as it’s easily transportable and can be cut into as many pieces as you want. This is also really easy and quick to make, so even if you’re not a whizz in the kitchen you can give this one a go. It’s also a great one to make with kids as it’s hands on but not too complicated.

Whilst I’d recommend sticking to the quantities of chocolate, syrup and butter in the main mixture (as this gives the ideal soft set mixture you want in tiffin), you can from there customise these however you want. I’ve included a list of variations you can try at the end of this post, but you can go as crazy with additions as you want.

Recipe

Makes 12 squares

Time: 30 minutes, with extra time for chilling

Ingredients

  • 250g Digestive biscuits
  • 150g Milk chocolate
  • 150g Dark chocolate
  • 100g Unsalted butter
  • 150g Golden syrup
  • 50g Pistachios, chopped roughly
  • 100g Dried apricots
  • 75g Dates, chopped
  • 50g Raisins
  • 50g Pecans, chopped roughly
  • 50g White chocolate to decorate

Method

  1. Put the biscuits into a large bowl and crush by smashing them with the end of a rolling pin.
  2. Put the two chocolates, butter and golden syrup into a large heatproof bowl and melt slowly over a pan of simmering water. Stir to combine.
  3. Whilst waiting for the chocolate mixture to melt, line a square tin with cling film. If you’re having trouble with this, lightly greasing the tin with butter can help as the cling film will stick to it.
  4. Remove the chocolate mixture from the heat and stir in the biscuits, dried fruit and nuts until it’s all coated in the chocolate.
  5. Spoon the mixture into the lined tin and smooth out with the back of a spoon until all the same thickness.
  6. Put the tin into the fridge to set for at least 1 hour, until hard enough to slice.
  7. Melt the white chocolate in a heatproof bowl over a pan of simmering water. Drizzle the chocolate over the tiffin, top with any more fruit and nuts you want, and then leave to set.
  8. Take the tiffin out of the tin, remove the cling film and slice into 12 pieces.

Variations

As I said above, this recipe is really yours to change and make your own. I’ve given 5 other variations which are also great to try. All these run on the basis that you use the same amount of chocolate, butter and syrup as above and then add to the melted mixture the following ingredients…

  1. Cranberry and Pistachio – 250g crushed digestive biscuits, 75g dried cranberries, 100g raisins, 100g chopped pistachios, 150g white chocolate Maltesers.
  2. Black Forest – 250g crushed dark chocolate digestives, 100g dried cherries, 50g glace cherries, 75g quartered mini chocolate brownies.
  3. Cookies and Cream – 250g crushed Oreos instead of digestives.
  4. Chocolate Heaven – 250g crushed chocolate digestives, any chocolates or sweets you like chopped into bite size pieces (e.g Twirls, Maltesers, Crunchies, Double Deckers, KitKats, Popping candy, Jelly babies, Smarties…).
  5. Rocky Road – 250g digestive biscuits, 100g mini marshmallows, 75g raisins.

Thanks for reading! If you haven’t already, check out my Instagram and Facebook to stay updated (links on the side bar). New post coming out on Wednesday…

Emma x

 
The Ultimate Nacho Pyramid

The Ultimate Nacho Pyramid

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This summer I spent some time in  Canada and I found that alongside snow, bears and lakes, Canada should also be famous for its incredible nachos. Tortilla chips piled high with mountains of cheese, peppers, jalapenos, and beef, served with tubs of guacamole and sour cream creates a pyramid of pure comfort. Whatever the weather, they can’t fail to put a smile on your face.

The following recipe is my ultimate nacho pyramid. I’ve added some personal touches to suit my taste preferences, however the great thing about nachos is that you can pretty much put anything with them and they’re still amazing. So if there’s any ingredient you love or hate you can easily swap it in or out to create your own perfect combination.

Recipe

Serves 6

Time: 1 hour

Ingredients

  • 4 tbsp Sunflower or vegetable oil
  • 8 small tortillas (no more than 14cm in diameter)
  • 2 rashers of smoked bacon
  • 1 Small red onion, finely chopped
  • ½ a small red, green and orange pepper, diced
  • 100g Mozerella, torn into pieces
  • 100g Cheddar cheese, grated
  • 1 jalapeno, chopped into discs
  • 1 beef tomato, diced
  • 80g Sweetcorn
  • 80g kidney beans, drained and rinsed
  • Sour cream and guacamole to serve

Method

  1. Preheat the oven to 180˚C. Put 2 tbsp of the oil into a small bowl.
  2. Place one tortilla onto a chopping board and brush lightly with oil, ensuring it’s covered all over. Place another tortilla on top of the oiled one and brush it with oil. Continue with the others until you have a stack of oiled tortillas.
  3. Take a large knife and cut the pile in half. Then cut each half in half again, and repeat twice more so you have 8 tortilla stacks.
  4. Line 3 trays with baking paper and brush each with oil. Separate the tortilla stacks so that each chip is a single layer. Place the chips on the oiled tray so that their non-oiled surface is in contact with the oiled tray. It’s best if the chips don’t overlap, but if they do just move them around on the tray half way through cooking so that they crisp up all over.
  5. Sprinkle the chips with a generous pinch of sea salt so that all the chips are seasoned. Then put the trays in the oven for 8-12 minutes.
  6. To check if the chips are done test the edges to see if they are crisp and dry. The middle may be slightly softer, but they’ll crisp up as they cool down. If the middles don’t crisp up once cool, place them back into the oven for 2-3 minutes. Leave the chips to cool.
  7. Meanwhile pre-heat the grill to a high heat. Place the bacon rashers on a grill pan and heat under the grill. Grill for around 5 minutes and then turn the rashers over and grill for a further 5 minutes on the other side so that they become crisp all over.
  8. Take the bacon off the grill pan and cut into strips with scissors. Place the strips to one side.
  9. Now prepare the veg. Put the remaining 2tbsp of oil into a pan and put on a medium-high heat. Put the chopped onion in the pan and stir to coat in the oil. Stirring occasionally, fry the onions until they start to caramelise (go brown and sticky).
  10. Then add the chopped up peppers and stir to mix and coat them in the oil. Place to one side.
  11. Line a baking tray with baking paper. To assemble the nachos, begin by loosely scattering a few of the tortilla chips on the lined tray. Top with some of the peppers, onions, bacon strips, mozzarella and cheddar. Layer up with more tortilla chips to make a pyramid shape. Top with the rest of the bacon, peppers and onions, as well as the jalapenos, tomatoes, sweetcorn, and kidney beans. Top with the rest of the mozzarella and cheddar and then place in the oven.
  12. Bake the nachos until the cheese is just melted, it should take around 10 minutes, but it may take longer for the mozzarella to melt. If the chips start to colour too much, loosely cover the pile in tin foil.
  13. Take the nachos out of the oven and leave to cool for a few minutes before eating. Serve with sour cream and guacamole. Enjoy!

Top tip – Lining the trays with baking paper can be hard as the paper inevitably roles back on itself. To prevent this just scrunch up the paper, as though you’re about to throw it away, and then unfold it. It’ll make it easier to work with.

Thanks for reading, more coming soon…

Emma x