Chocolate M&M Chip Cookies

Ingredients

185g Butter

½ brown sugar 

½ cup caster sugar

1 egg

13/4 self-raising flour (sifted)

1 tsp vanilla essence

1 cup chocolate chip

1 cup peacan or any other nuts

Method

·         Beat butter, sugar, egg and vanilla essence in a small bowl with an electric mixer until soft and creamy

·         Stir in the sifted flour, nuts and chocolate chip

·         Drop tablespoonfuls onto greased baking trays, allow room for spreading

·         Bake 180oc for 10-12 mins

·         Transfer to a wire rack. Cool completely, Store in an air tight container

Additional

You can drizzle chocolate over the biscuits.

Chocolate Glazing or Icing

Cocoa Powder

Butter, melted

Powdered sugar

Warm Water

Vanilla essence

Directions

Melt your butter

Add all ingredients

Stir until well mixed and smooth

Add more water if you want it thinner

If using as icing and you think it’s too thick just let it sit for a few mintues

For this recipe, I did not follow the exact recipe from the book, I omit the caster sugar and just added in the brown sugar and for the additional taste and colour, I’ve added a tablespoon of cocoa powder (therefore you need to mins 1 tablespoon of self-raising flour) to the ingredients. 

Iced Cupcakes

Ingredients

115 g butter

120g superfine sugar ( i used 50g)

2 eggs, beaten

120 g of self raising flour      

½ tsp baking powder

1 tsp vanilla extract

For Frosting

170g icing sugar

2 tbsp of lemon juice

1 tsp of hot water

Few drops of food colouring

 Method

 ·         Preheat oven to 180c

·         Put the butter and sugar in a large bowl and use electric whisk, beat together until light and fluffy

·         Add eggs gradually, beating well after each addition.

·         Sift in the flour and baking powder and gently fold into the mixture. Stir in the vanilla extract

·         Spoon the mixture equally into the paper cups

·         Bake in the oven for 12-15 mins until springy to touch.

·         Transfer to a wire rack  and leave to cool.

 Frosting
 

 ·        Sift the icing sugar into a large bowl and gradually stir in the lemon juice and water until smooth.

·         Put half the frosting in another bowl and add in the food coloring (exceptional unless u want to create different colour frosting).

·         Spoon a little frosting on each cupcake and smooth the surface with a palette knife. Decorate with what you like ..

Sifting Flour

Sifting is the process of sending flour through tiny grates, whether using a flour sifter or a sieve. Often times flour that has been sitting in a container or bag will lump over time.  The sifting process aerates the flour, making it much finer, softer and able to absorb liquids more evenly. The softer flour creates lighter, evenly cooked pastries, cakes and pancakes.