I prefer my cookies slightly soft and chewy - so from my point of view this recipe is perfect! I owe their perfection to the use of muscavado sugar, since it is so soft and gooey in the packet. Although you can't taste the vanilla essence, I still feel that it adds a little detectable something; another level of flavour perhaps.
These spread out alot during cooking, so be sure to evenly space them, because even they you may still have to slightly separate them with a palate knife when they come out of the oven.
These spread out alot during cooking, so be sure to evenly space them, because even they you may still have to slightly separate them with a palate knife when they come out of the oven.
White Chocolate and Macadamia Nut Cookies
(adapted from Waitrose Kitchen January 2012)
Ingredients
170g unsalted butter
200g light muscavado sugar
100g (golden) caster sugar
1 egg yolk and 1 whole egg
2tsp vanilla extract
250g plain flour
1/2tsp bicarbonate of soda
pinch of salt
200g chopped good quality white chocolate
100g halved macadamia nuts
Method
Method
Method
- Pre-heat your oven to 170C
- Beat the butter untill soft and creamy, before beating both types of sugar. Beat in the egg mixture and the vanilla extract.
- Stir in the flour and bicarbonate of soda and a tiny pinch of salt.
- Fold in your chocolate and nuts so that they are evenly distributed throughout the mixture, and then drop spoonfuls onto baking trays lined with greaseproof paper, and press down ever so slightly.
- Bake in the oven for 10-12 minutes, or until they are golden but still quite soft, as they will harden up as they cool, to give you that lovely chewy, gooey, soft texture.
On the Sunday of last weekend, I had some time set aside to bake for a cake sale at school in aid of Beat and Young Minds. I decided to start with something realtively easy from my Hummingbird Bakery book "Cake Days" as I wanted to ease myself in before attempting some of their more complicated creations at a later date. Despite the fact that I used skimmed milk instead of the whole milk they suggested, my Mixed Berry Muffins were moist and fluffy, although you must take care not to over-bake them - they will still be quite soft when they come out of the oven due to the fruit inside.
The left over muffins after the cake sale were perfect for breakfast - and easily justifiable because of their fruit content!
Mixed Berry Muffins
(Adapted from Cake Days by The Hummingbird Bakery)
Ingredients
300g plain flour
155g caster sugar
1/2tsp bicarbonate of soda
1tbsp baking powder
a couple of grinds of salt
250ml milk
2 large eggs
1tsp vanilla essence
85g melted unsalted butter
100g blueberries
50g raspberries
(if you are using frozen fruit - be sure to defrost it!)
Method
- Preheat your oven to 190C and line a muffin tin with muffin cases.
- Sift together the flour, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda, salt, and 115g of the sugar in a large bowl and mix together.
- Mix the beaten eggs, milk and vanilla essence together, and then incorporate into your dry mixture. To do this, make a well in the centre and add the wet ingredients a little at a time to avoid curdling.
- Pour in the melted butter and beat again.
- Fold the berries in by hand, taking care not to crush them too much as you still want lovely whole bits of juicy fruit.
- Spoon the batter into the cases. Be very careful as the mix will be very runny.
- Sprinkle over the remaining sugar and bake in the centre of the oven for 25-30 mintues. Do not worry if they still seem very soft when they come out - it is because of the oozing fruit inside.
- Leave to cool for 5 minutes in the tray before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
I can't wait to try more recipes from this book. I will keep you updated on my attempts!
No comments:
Post a Comment