Variation on a Theme: Chili Double Chocolate Cookies

For my first strange and unusual recipe for October, I offer you chili double chocolate cookies!

As I mentioned in my candied chili recipe, this idea was born out of a conversation I had with my brother's girlfriend, Stefi, who is originally from Ecuador. She was eating a gingernut biscuit, and wondered whether a hot and spicy chocolate variety could be achieved.

She said the main characteristic that she liked in gingernuts was how well the different flavours coalesced in a smooth and harmonious way. She wondered if such a harmony of tastes could be achieved in chilli chocolate cookies, where the cocoa and chilli would come together well, and that the spiciness would be consistent throughout the eating experience, instead of hitting you suddenly at the beginning, or growing on you as you chew.

I found the best way to balance instant heat and gradual heat is to use two different kinds of spiciness: cayenne pepper, for the gradual, burning heat; and white pepper for the insta-burn. I also decorated the tops with little tiny pieces of candied chilli pepper, picked from Stefi's own chilli plant (which were exceedingly hot).

DIFFICULTY

Easy!

~ ^_^ ~

INGREDIMENTS

7½ ounces (210 grammes) plain flour: spelt, wheat, or gluten-free

½ ounce (15 grammes) cocoa powder

½ teaspoon bicarbonate of soda

¾ teaspoon ground cayenne pepper

½ teaspoon ground white pepper

Pinch of salt

4 ounces (115 grammes) caster sugar

4 ounces (115 grammes) light brown sugar

4 ounces (115 grammes) butter, very soft

1 medium egg

8 ounces (225 grammes) chocolate chunks or chips: I use a mixture of equal parts dark and milk chocolate chunks

Optional: 1 tablespoon finely chopped candied chilies

~ ^_^ ~

METHOD

• Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F, Gas Mk.4) and line one or two flat baking trays with non-stick baking paper.
• In a mixing bowl, cream butter and sugars until creamy with a wooden spoon. Add in egg and beat vigorously until light and fluffy.
• Add in chocolate chunks and mix thoroughly. You can add any combination of milk, dark, or even white chocolate chunks or chips. I buy bars of chocolate and cut them up, but if you want the chocolate to keep its shape use shop-bought chocolate chips.
• Sieve in the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, salt, and spices and mix, continuing with the wooden spoon, until you have a stiff but tacky dough.
• Take roughly 1 ounce (30 gramme) portions of the dough and roll into balls. You can weigh the dough balls, or eyeball it. This mixture will make 30 one-ounce (thirty gramme) dough balls.
• Place dough balls on the tray(s), 2 inches apart from each other and the edge of the tray, and bake for 8 to 9 minutes, turning the trays back to front half-way through baking.
• Remove from the oven and allow to cool for a minute or so before transferring to a wire rack to cool. These cookies are delicious still warm from the oven, or cooled completely.

Schoko-Nuss Muffins: Double Chocolate and Pecan Muffins (Wheat Free, with Dairy Free Option)

Today is the last day of (Irish) spring, and before the summer recipe collection starts, here is my final springtime offering: chocolate and pecan nut muffins!

Apologies for the poor photo quality: I'm due a phone upgrade, and as my phone ages (for the whole two or so years I've had it) the camera quality has slowly degraded. The levels and contrast are all over the place. Hopefully, with my new odd job doing homework tutoring, I can save up for a new one!

But anyway, back to the recipe.

It's been a while since I did a muffin recipe: the last one was nearly eighteen months ago back in the September of 2016, where I was introducing my companion to the wonderful world of baking. I don't think I've done many muffin recipes at all on this blog, because I'm not a big lover of muffins, truth be told.

However, I was moved to try a new muffin recipe with inspiration from the Whoopie pie recipe. When I was eating a whoopie pie, I thought they tasted very muffin-like, which made me wonder if the recipe could be adapted. I took the whoopie pie recipe, and simply added an extra medium egg, 4 ounces (115 grammes) of chocolate chips, and 2 ounces (55 grammes) of pecan nuts. I divided the mix among 12 large muffin liners, and baked at the same temperature for 20 to 25 minutes.

They worked really well! Although, next time I think I'll try adding a little extra sugar because they were a little more bready than cakey. They turned out well for an experiment!

THIS TIME IN 2015: Tiramisù Mini Cheesecakes (Wheat Free)
THIS TIME IN 2013: Dinosaur Kimberleys (Wheat Free)
There were no blogs on or around this day in 2014, 2016, nor 2017.

Variation on a Theme: Chocolate Chip Wholemeal Banana Bread (Wheat- an Dairy Free)

I haven't done banana bread in ages, and seeing as I have a load of overripe bananas hanging around, it seemed timely...

This banana bread is made with wholemeal flour, with the naughty addition of some milk chocolate chips. You can't always be healthy in this life, and this doesn't have any butter so the odd chocolate chip should be okay!

I used the same recipe as my vegan banana bread, with the totally un-vegan addition of two medium eggs. I mixed them into the bananas, oil, and sugar before adding the dry ingredients. I personally like to add eggs for texture and structure, but you don't have to add any eggs if you want to keep it eggless. I also stirred in some milk chocolate chips for added interest.


If you would like to make the bread yourself, here is how you do it.

INGREDIMENTS
This will yield one 8x4 inch (20x10 centimeter) loaf.

• 8 ounces (225 grammes) wholemeal spelt flour
• 1 tablespoon (15 millilitres) baking powder
• 2 teaspoons (10 millilitres) mixed spice
• Pinch of salt
• 3 large overripe bananas
• 3 ounces (85 grammes) soft brown sugar
• 3 fluid ounces (85 millilitres) sunflower oil
• 2 medium eggs
• 2 ounces (55 grammes) chocolate chips, milk or dark, or use dairy free chocolate
• Optional: Golden syrup or honey, for brushing

HOW-TO

• Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F, Gas Mk.4, or moderate). Grease and flour a loaf pan.
• Sift the flour, baking powder, and spice into a large mixing bowl. In another bowl or large jug, mash the bananas with the sugar and salt until smooth and runny. Beat in the oil and eggs.
• Make a well in the middle of the dry ingredients and pour in the banana mixture. Mix with a wooden spoon only until combined. You don't need to beat it, as the texture will be tough if you do.
• Gently fold in the chocolate chips, then pour the mixture into the prepared tin and bake for about 40 to 45 minutes. Test the loaf with a cocktail stick, and if it's still sticky in the middle, bake for a further 5 minutes. Repeat this process if needed.
• Remove from the oven once baked and allow to cool in the tin for 10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
• If you would like to glaze your bread, brush the top of the loaf with some golden syrup of honey as soon as it comes out of the oven.
• Eat when it has fully cooled, and store the leftovers in an airtight container for up to two weeks.

Happee 4th Birthdaee, Sweetie Pie Bakes Stuff!

Happy birthday to you,

Happy birthday to you,

Happy birthday, my dear blog,

Happy birthday to you!

It has been a whole four years since I started writing this little blog. It started as a hobby, and now has a life of its own, with readership all over the world, and nearly 22,000 views overall! I am so proud of my blog: she's fabulous!

For the second and third anniversaries, I made little birthday cakes, so why break the tradition? Seeing as it was St Patrick's Day yesterday, I thought I'd make a green cake, like I did for the second anniversary.

Green is not really a common colour in baking, as not many flavours evoke that colour as a mental image: for me, I only think of mint or lime. On asking my companion, he said apple and kiwi, which are two thoughts that had never occured to me.

In keeping with a green cake, I decided to go with mint. But mint by itself in a cake I feel would be a little toothpasty, as mint usually needs a carrier, and works best as a secondary flavour. Last time I used coffee (which is actually a fabulous combination), and this time I went for the more common used chocolate.

I then got out my sketchbook and came up with some ideas and came up with something like this:

mint chocolate chip ice cream <= CHOCOLATE CHIPS => choc-chip muffins

As such, I made a chocolate chip muffin in the shape of a small cake, and iced it with mint flavoured green buttercream icing. I also grated some chocolate into the icing, and decorated with chocolate icing and chocolate chips.

So chocolatey and minty!

As usual, I will include the recipe, and my traditional list of the top posts of the last year. Even though 2016 was light on blogs on account of life and health difficulties, I think I made some really interesting things, and made huge strides in pastry and yeast dough techniques. I also did some really cool layer cakes and gâteaux

So here are the most popular blogs in order of the last 12 months:

1. Neapolitan Cheesecake Gâteau
2. Spotted Dick: a Traditional English Pudding
3. Buttermilk Scones
4. Caramel Macchiato Ombre Gateau
5. Milky Ice Pops: Chocolate Flavour
6. American Style Cookie Dough Ice-Cream
7. American Style Chocolate Chip Muffins
8. Chocolate Lime Cupcakes
9. I've Finally Cracked It! Working with Yeast and Spelt: Iced Finger Buns
10. Birthday Cupcakes and Centre Piece Cake: Wheat-Free Lemon Sponge

And finally, the recipe.

INGREDIMENTS
for one 4 inch (10 centimetre) round cake

For the sponge cake:

• 3 ounces (225 grammes) white spelt flour
• 1 teaspoon (5 millilitres) baking powder
• 2 ounces (55 grammes) butter
• 2 ounces (115 grammes) caster sugar
• 1 medium egg, beaten
• 2 tablespoons (30 millilitres) warm water
• 1½ teaspoons (7 millilitres) cocoa powder
• 1 teaspoon (5 millilitres) vanilla essence
• 2 tablespoons (30 millilitres) chopped chocolate, or chocolate chips

For the icing:

• 1½ ounces (40 grammes) white vegetable fat, very soft
• 1½ ounces (40 grammes) butter, very soft
• 6 ounces (170 grammes) icing sugar, sifted
• 1 teaspoon (5 millilitres) cocoa powder
• 1 or 2 tablespoons (15 to 30 millilitres) milk
• 2 teaspoons (10 millilitres) grated chocolate
• Peppermint essence, to taste
• Green food colouring

HOW-TO

Prepare the cake,

• Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F, Gas Mk.4), and grease and flour a tall 4 inch round cake tin. I use a tin from a shop bought steamed pudding.
• Cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Gently and gradually incorporate the egg, beating between each addition, until pale and creamy.
• In a cup or small bowl, place the cocoa powder and gradually mix in the water. Sieve half the flour and baking powder into the butter and sugar mixture, and fold with a spatula. Add in the cocoa water and vanilla, and fold again. Finally, add the last bit of the flour and fold until completely mixed.
• Gently fold in the chocolate chips, and then scoop the mixture into the prepared tin and smooth out as much as possible. Bake in the centre of the preheated oven for about 25 to 30 minutes.
• Check for doneness with a cocktail stick, and if it is fully cooked, cool in the tin for about 10 minutes before turning out onto a wire rack to cool completely.

Prepare the icing,

• Make the buttercream according to this recipe, if you don't know how to make buttercream already, omitting the cocoa powder. Only use as much milk as is needed to keep the icing soft and spreadable.
• Split and fill the cake and ice the outside, leaving about 3 ounces of the icing leftover. Mix the cocoa powder with a little milk in a cup or bowl to make a paste, and mix into the remaining icing to make it chocolatey.
• Use this icing to pipe the top and bottom borders and decorate with chocolate chips.
• Allow to set completely, either in the fridge for up to an hour, or on the work surface for up to 3 hours.
  
  
  

3rd BIRTHDAY CAKE: Strawberry and Chocolate Mini Cake, and top blogs of the year

2nd BIRTHDAY CAKE: Mint Coffee Mini Cake, and top blogs of the year

1st BIRTHDAY BLOG

American Style: Chunky Double Chocolate Cookies (Wheat Free)

After all of the early 2017 breads and savoury meals, it's nice to go back to what I'm known for: sweets! And here is my first biscuity concoction of the year: American style double chocolate chip cookies!

I know what you're thinking, and yes I already have a chocolate chip cookie recipe. But, sometimes when you've been using one recipe for while, you begin to see its flaws. My original recipe was quite dry, and doesn't have the fudginess that I like in bakery style chocolate chip cookies. I wanted to tweak with it until I found that ideal level of chewiness to crispiness.

I found that the key factor is the amount of sugar to flour, and how long you cook them for (I think I said as much in my previous post on the topic), but my previous recipe didn't have as much sugar as needed. However, when they are made as plain cookies, they are woefully sweet, and don't hold their shape very well. But when I added more flour, they became more cakey, which isn't what I wanted either.

The breakthrough came when I tried to made some double chocolate chip cookies, and they worked a treat. It seems this recipe works best with the addition of cocoa powder, which is dry enough to suck up the excess wetness from the sugar (yes: sugar technically speaking is a wet ingredient, not a dry ingredient, in the world of baking).

Apologies for the photographs: I use natural lighting, and there was no light yesterday.

INGREDIMENTS
For 12 cookies, depending on size

• 1½ ounces (40 grammes) caster sugar
• 4½ ounces (135 grammes) brown sugar
• 4 ounces (115 grammes) butter, at room temperature
• 1 medium egg
• 1 teaspoon (5 millilitres) vanilla essence
• 10 to 12 ounces (280 to 340 grammes) candy coated chocolate drops, to taste
• 5 ounces (140 grammes) white spelt flour
• 1½ ounces (40 grammes) cocoa powder,
• ½ teaspoon (3 millilitres) baking soda

HOW-TO

• Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F, Gas Mk.4), and lightly grease one or two flat baking trays.
• In a mixing bowl, cream together the butter, brown sugar, and white sugar, until light and fluffy.
• Beat in the egg and vanilla essence, then stir in the candy coated chocolate drops thoroughly.
• Sieve in the flour, cocoa, and baking soda, and mix only until combined: if you overmix the flour, the cookies will be tough.
• Flour your hands, and roll the mixture into small balls, about an ounce (30 grammes), and lie out on the tray about two inches (5 centimetres) apart to allow for spreading.
• Cook for 10 to 14 minutes, depending on the level of chewiness you want. Allow to cool on the tray for about 5 minutes to set a little before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

These are delicious warm, and keep well for up to a week in an airtight container. They also go very well with ice-cream right out of the oven...

No blogs on this day in previous years