My Go-To Never-Fail Cookie Recipe!

My brother and I first stumbled across these delicious cookies on one of our many trips to New York.  We'd booked a food tour in Greenwich Village and our final stop was Milk and Cookies.  We had our first taste of cookie heaven, still warm from the oven.  My brother insisted on going back the next day for more and bought me the cookbook so I could make more when we returned to England!  

They are super easy to make and I really recommend buying the book as it has so many different recipes and they are all super easy but mouth-wateringly good!  I mostly use the classic chocolate chip recipe and adapt the extras to whatever I feel like.  My two most common are double chocolate chip or white chocolate chip with cranberries and sour cherries.  

 Ingredients

• 7 1/2 ounces rolled oats
• 8 ounces plain flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 12 ounces unsalted butter
• 7 ounces granulated sugar
• 7 ounces light brown sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1/2 tbsp vanilla extract

Method

Step One: Make the Dough
Preheat the oven to 350F/180C/160C fan.  Whizz the oats in a food processor.  When they are finely ground, pour them into a mixing bowl and stir in the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.  In a separate bowl, beat the butter on a low speed until soft.  Beat on a medium speed until light and creamy.  Keep beating continuously as you add the granulated sugar followed by the brown sugar.  When it is really light and creamy, add the eggs one at a time.  If the mixture looks like it's going to curdle, add a spoonful of the dry ingredients as you mix.  Fold in the vanilla and the rest of the dry ingredients - do not overmix!

Step Two: Add the flavours
Now's the time to add whatever cookie flavours you prefer most.  

• Double chocolate chip - add 2 cups of semisweet chocolate chunks and 2 cups of bittersweet chocolate curls and fold in
• White chocolate, cranberry and sour cherry - add 2 cups of white chocolate chips, 1 cup sour cherries and 1 cup dried cranberries and fold in
• M and M's - add 3 cups of M and M's and fold in
• Peanut butter and chocolate chip - beat in 1 cup peanut butter before you add the eggs, then fold in 2 cups dark chocolate chips at the end

Experiment and see what works for you!

Step Three: Bake the Cookies
Roll tablespoons of the mixture between your hands and place them widely spaced on a lined baking sheet.  Press down with the back of a spoon, then bake for about 15 minutes.  Cool on a wire rack and then eat them warm!

I often make a double batch and freeze some for later - just place in a freezer-safe bowl, cover in parchment and foil and freeze for up to three months.  Get the dough out of the freezer the night before you want to bake and follow Step Three as above.

 My score: 5/5 Super easy!  Delicious on their own or white ice cream and chocolate sauce! 

Julia's Top Tips

• Don't over mix the dough - it doesn't matter if it's a little streaky.
• Try different flavour combinations and see what works - go crazy! :)
• Oven times vary so watch your cookies carefully - mine are sometimes done after 12 minutes

Happy Birthday Hedgehog Cake!

Every year, I make my husband an elaborate birthday cake.  Last year, for his 29th birthday, I made him an R2D2 cake.  I really wasn't sure how to top that this year for his 30th.  Some of the ideas I thought of were a Millenium Falcon cake or a tank cake, but Dan decided he wanted a chocolatey chocolate cake covered with chocolate :)  His favourite animal is a hedgehog, and his favourite chocolate is flake, so, after seeing a hedgehog cake on instagram, I knew that's what I had to make.

This is my go-to chocolate cake recipe for shaped cakes.  It's made with egg whites so it's very strong and easy to cut and shape.  It's from this book, Contemporary Cake Decorating Bible.  I find it really useful because it has ratios for different cake shapes and sizes, so you can adjust it to suit your own cake tins.  

These ratios are for a 7inch cake tin (greased and lined):

• 225g plain chocolate
• 175g unsalted butter
• 115g caster sugar
• 6 large eggs
• 40g icing sugar
• 175g self-raising flour

Step One: Make the Cake

Preheat the oven to 180C (160C fan).  Melt the chocolate and set aside to cool a little.  Cream the butter and sugar in a large bowl until pale and fluffy.  Separate the eggs and add the yolks to the creamed butter and sugar.  Now that the chocolate has cooled slightly, add the melted chocolate to the egg yolks, butter and sugar.  In a separate glass bowl, whisk the egg whites to soft peaks.  (Glass is best for whisking egg whites in).  Gradually add the icing sugar to the egg whites.

Sift the flour into another bowl.  Slowly fold in a spoonful of egg whites into the chocolate mixture (using a large metal spoon) followed by a spoonful of flour.  Repeat until everything is folded in.  Gently pour into the prepared tin and bake for about an hour.  Test with a skewer - if there is still cake mix sticking to it, bake for another 15 minutes.  Once a skewer comes out clean, allow the cake to cool completely in the tin, then wrap in foil and rest overnight before cutting and shaping.

Step Two:  Cut and Assemble the Cake 

Cut the cake in half and fill with chocolate buttercream.  I always use 1 cup salted butter to 3 cups icing sugar for buttercream, plus 2 tsp vanilla extract.  For chocolate, swap one tbsp of icing sugar for cocoa powder.  Beat the butter until very creamy, then slowly add the icing sugar and cocoa powder until you have a spreadable buttercream.  

Go to this website for a full tutorial for assembling the hedgehog cake.  

Once you have filled the cake, cut the cake into sections like this:

The little parts can be frozen for another time (or eaten whilst you are decorating the cake!) Place the rounded parts on top of the cake to make the hedgehog shape:

Step Three: Decorate the Cake

Cover the entire cake with buttercream, then cover with flakes.  You will need to cut them to the correct length, so the shorter 'spines' are at the front of the cake, and the longer 'spines' are towards the back.  Make the hedgehog face using giant chocolate buttons and a glace cherry!

I used leftover flake crumbs to cover the area between the spines, and to create the 'forest floor' effect.  I also made some cupcakes and decorated them green for 'grass'.

My score: 4/5 Reasonably tricky but well worth it :) A very Happy Birthday cake!

Julia's Top Tips

• DON'T make your hedgehog too tall - I did and it looked a bit bizarre (another reason for the cupcakes was to hide its height!)  Trim a bit off your cake if it is looking too tall.
• You want a stiff buttercream so that the whole creation holds it shape - use a bit of extra icing sugar and store the finished cake in the fridge so the flakes don't fall out if soft icing!
• Don't worry if it looks a bit messy, it adds to the overall rustic woodland effect! ;)

Keeeeeep baking!

Week Four: Churros!

I'm off to Barcelona!  I'm heading off next weekend so this week's challenge could only be churros!

I have made churros before, so I was at a little bit of an advantage (and I've eaten churros many times before!) but my churros have never looked pretty so that was my aim this week.  Also, presentation is an issue for me as a baker and I often feel my bakes taste wonderful but look 'informal' as Mary would say!

Full recipe here - http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/2459641/churros-with-chocolate-dipping-sauce 


Ingredients

• 50g butter
  
  

  
  

  
  
  

  
  , melted
• ½ tsp vanilla extract
• 250g plain flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
  
  

  
  

  
  
  

  
• about 1 litre sunflower oil
  
  

  
  

  
  
  

  
• few chunks of bread

For the sauce

• 200g bar dark chocolate, not too bitter, broken into chunks
• 100ml double cream
• 100ml whole milk
• 3 tbsp golden syrup
• ½ tsp vanilla extract, if you have some

For the cinnamon sugar

• 100g caster sugar
• 2 tsp cinnamon

Method

Step One: Make the Churros
Mix the butter and vanilla extract with 350ml boiling water.  Sift the flour and baking powder together and add a pinch of salt.  Then make a well and mix the wet and dry ingredients together quickly with a wooden spoon until smoooooooooth!  Leave to rest while you make the sauce.

Step Two: Make the Sauce
Easy peasy - melt all the ingredients together, either in the microwave, a bain-marie or in a saucepan.  I melted mine in a saucepan on the hob because the cream spreads the heat and ensures the chocolate doesn't burn.  

Step Three: Pipe the Churros
I tried piping butterfly churros - it did not work!  Too complex a shape.  So I went for party rings instead ;) I drew small circles onto baking paper.  I didn't have a round cutter so I drew round my baking powder pot!  Then I piped my ring-shaped churros using a star nozzle.  Finally, I chopped the baking paper into squares so that each churro ring was sitting on its own personal magic carpet!

Step Four: Cook the Churros
Fill a deep saucepan about 1/3 full of oil.  Heat the oil until a small piece of bread cooks in about 1 min.  Cover a tray with kitchen paper ready for your churros.  Using a slotted spoon, place your churros and baking paper into the oil.  (You can probably do 3-4 at a time)  After about a minute, flip the churros and paper.  The paper should come off and you can drag it out with the slotted spoon.  Drain the churros rings on the paper.  Once you've cooked them all, dip them in sugar and enjoy with the chocolate sauce!

My score: 5/5 super easy and quick!  Loved the piping - took them to the next level!  Absolutely delicious!

Julia's Top Tips

• Watch the churros carefully when cooking.  They need to be a deep golden brown.  If they are not cooked long enough they will be doughy.  If they are cooked too long they will be oily.
• Keep your design simple!  Circles work well, hearts etc...
• Maybe try flavouring the dough?  I think orange essence would be DELISH
• Try different dipping sauces,  Salted caramel, white chocolate, raspberry cream cheese... the options are endless!

Leftover Egg White Meringues!

So, I had some leftover egg whites from making the custard for the dampfnudel.  I could have made macarons - but I would have had to go out for ground almonds.  I could have made chocolate mousse - but I would have had to go out for double cream.  (Are you sensing a theme here?!)  So I decided to make meringues, as they only require egg whites and sugar :)

Full recipe here - http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/2445/ultimate-meringue

(Although I did modify it slightly...)

Ingredients

• 4 large organic egg whites, at room temperature
• 115g caster sugar
• 115g icing sugar

Method

Step One: Make the Meringue

Preheat the oven to 100C.  Beat the egg whites until they look like a fluffy cloud.  Add the caster sugar one spoonful at a time until the mixture is thick and glossy.  Then sift in the icing sugar and fold.  (I then divided the mixture in two and added 1 tablespoon of cocoa powder to create a chocolate swirl.)

Step Two: Pipe the Meringue

I decided I wanted a chocolate swirl meringue, so I spooned my two mixtures into either side of my piping bag.  If I did this again, I would only make 1/3 of the mixture chocolate so as to have a more clearly defined swirl.  I drew small circles onto baking paper and piped my meringue into swirls.  I don't think I beat it enough though as it did not keep its shape perfectly.  Bake for 1 1/2 hours (check after 1 hour) until the meringue sounds hollow when you gently tap the bottom.  

Step Three: Assemble the Meringues

Finally, I made a quick chocolate buttercream.  I have to admit that I have no "recipe" for buttercream, I just add ingredients until it reaches the right consistency!  I always start with a tablespoonful of salted butter, otherwise I find icing is always too sweet.  Then I add icing sugar and beat until stiff.  Obviously, as this was a chocolate buttercream, I also added a tablespoon of cocoa powder.  When it gets stiff, I add a tablespoon of boiling water and beat until smooth.  As I said, I add different amounts of butter and icing sugar until I get a smooth, spreadable buttercream.  I matched up my meringues into similar sizes (I must get better at consistency!)  Then I piped buttercream onto one meringue and sandwiched it with the other.

My score: 5/5 Very easy, quick to make (you do need to be around long enough for them to cook though), absolutely delicious!  Need to be made with something that needs egg yolks though, unless you are happy to use the egg whites in a carton (I'm not)

Julia's Top Tips

• Make sure the mixture is really stiff before you fold in the icing sugar
• Only make 1/3 of the mixture chocolate for a clearer swirl.
• Experiment with different colour and flavour combinations.  Maybe banana essence in the meringue with a caramel buttercream??  Or mint essence and chocolate ganache??  The possibilities are endless :)
• Don't leave them in the oven too long - mine were a little overdone.
• Do hide them from your husband if you want any left!

Week One : Jaffa Cakes

My husband has begged me since Wednesday (Bake Off night) to bake him some Jaffa cakes.  I wasted hours (Ok, 5 minutes) looking for vegetarian orange jelly - couldn't find it anywhere. So I gave up - these are NOT vegetarian friendly!

Prior warning - these are not an easy bake!  Very fiddly and time-consuming - I was ready to tear my hair out by the end!  Here are my step by step instructions with pics, hints and tips - so you can learn from my mistakes!

Full recipe here - http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/mary_berrys_jaffa_cakes_58695 


Ingredients

For the jelly

1 x 135g packet orange jelly

150ml/5fl oz boiling water 

1 small orange, finely grated zest only 

For the sponge

unsalted butter, for greasing 

1 large free-range egg

25g/1oz caster sugar

25g/1oz self-raising flour, sifted 

For the topping

180g/6¼oz plain chocolate 

Method

Step One : Make the Jelly

Make the jelly as per packet instructions.  I had to stir mine for a loooooooong time - I ended up popping it in the microwave for a few seconds to get the last bits.  Also, I didn't have an orange so I used two clementines instead!

Pour it into a tray to set.  I had a LOT of issues getting it out of the tray when it had set.  I've since googled the issue and a lot of people suggest wiping the tray with vegetable oil so it doesn't stick.

Step Two : Make the Sponge

First, preheat the oven to 180 (160 fan) and grease a bun tin.  I also added a sprinkle of sugar to help the cakes come out cleanly.  This worked well so I recommend you try it.

Then, whisk the egg and sugar until it is pale and fluffy (should look almost white).  I used my trusty mixer  (£5 from Sainsbury's!) to save my arm muscles!  After that, fold in the flour. (I always use a metal spoon to fold)

Use a FULL dessert spoon to fill each well in the bun tray (about 3/4 full), then smooth the tops.  Bake for about 7 minutes.  THEY WILL NOT GO GOLDEN BROWN so you do need to do the 'finger' test (sponge should bounce back when pressed lightly with a finger) and not rely on colour (mine were dry because I left them in too long).

Step Three : Jaffa Cakes - Assemble!

Welcome to the fiendishly difficult part!  Up to now it's been relatively straightforward.  The jelly and the chocolate are a NIGHTMARE.

I always melt my chocolate in the microwave.  Some people may find this daunting but the trick is to do it in quick blasts.  Break 2/3 of the chocolate into a bowl and melt in 20 second blasts, stirring in between.  When it's melted, add the remaining 1/3 of the chocolate and just stir - the remaining heat will melt the rest of the chocolate.  This reduces the risk of the chocolate spoiling and usually guarantees me a gorgeous shine.  Leave it to cool for a while until it is quite viscous.  Mine refused to thicken as it was so hot when I was making them.

My jelly was a DISASTER.  As I mentioned earlier, it stuck to the dish so I couldn't turn it out.  I was forced to cut the circles in the dish, which then meant they lost their shape as I transferred them onto my buns - very messy!  Definitely not the polished look I was going for!

Finally, spoon the chocolate onto the jaffa cakes and smooth carefully around.  I was NOT patient enough - my chocolate was still too runny and dribbled down the sides.  Also, I was forced to put my jaffas in the fridge to set as they refused to set at room temperature.  This meant they lost their beautiful shine and went misty.  The criss cross was a disaster too.  Again, I was impatient and dragged the fork across when it was still too wet, resulting in messy crosses.

My score: 1/5  This is far too difficult for the pay off involved.  They were absolutely delicious but frustrated me so much!  Don't do it.  Buy a pack instead! :)

Julia's Top Tips

• Wipe your jelly dish with flavourless oil before you begin so that your jelly doesn't stick.
• BE PATIENT - the chocolate will spread better if it's slightly cool and thicker.
• Don't bother with the criss cross - it looks rubbish!

Keeeeeeeep baking!