It’s cookie time!

In this house we love baking! We like to bake cakes, brownies and cookies. Sometimes we also bake bread. Just started this year!

I started showing James how to bake last year and he has really taken to it. He loves mashing banana for banana bread or bannoffee muffins, to mixing ingredients for me.

It’s also a great way to teach him about numbers (not sure if he listens though). We just love baking together!

So, here are our recipes for two batches of cookies we made this week! Each batch makes 12 cookies. Once in a sealed container they last 2-3 days. If you don’t eat them in one whole seating! As you can see the methods are the same and they are so easy to make. Just remember to chill the dough!

They are chewy and taste amazing (according to my family and friends). We hope you enjoy them!

Dark chocolate and mint cookies

Ingredients: 

• 110g (4oz) butter, softened
• 200g (7oz) soft light brown sugar
• 1 large egg
• Seeds of 1 vanilla or 2 drops of vanilla extract
• 165g (5 1/2 oz) plain flour (sifted)
• Pinch of salt
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
• 30g (1 1/4 oz) cocoa powder (sifted)
• 1 teaspoon of american peppermint extract
• 100g (3 1/2 oz) dark chocolate chips

Method:

1. Line 4 large baking trays with baking paper.
2. Put the butter and sugar in a large bowl and cream together until combined. It does not need to be light and fluffy. I do this with a wooden spoon but you can use a hand mixer. Stir in the egg and vanilla and mix well. It may look like it has curdled at this stage but not to worry. Give it a good mix and it will come good. Add the flour, salt, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda and cocoa powder and mix until the dough looks uniform. The dough will be very stiff. Add the chocolate chips and continue to mix with a wooden spoon.
3. Gather all the dough into a ball and wrap in clingflim. Chill in the fridge for 30 mins or freezer for 15 mins. While they are chilling preheat the oven to 190c (375f), Gas Mark 5.
4. Divide the mixture into 12 balls ( approx 30g each) and space about 10cm (4in) apart on the prepared baking tray. Bake in the oven for 10-12 minutes. The cookies will have a cracked top and will be very soft. Remove the cookies from the oven and leave to cool on the baking trays. They will quickly harden up as they cool.

Cinnamon cookies

Ingredients: 

• 110g (4oz) butter, softened
• 200g (7oz) soft light brown sugar
• 1 egg
• Seeds of 1 vanilla or 2 drops of vanilla extract
• 165g (5 1/2 oz) plain flour
• Pinch of salt
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
• 1 tsp of ground cinnamon
• 1 tap of ground mixed spice

Method:

1. Line 4 large baking trays with baking paper.
2. Put the butter and sugar in a large bowl and cream together until combined. It does not need to be light and fluffy. I do this with a wooden spoon but you can use a hand mixer. Stir in the egg and vanilla and mix well. It may look like it has curdled at this stage but not to worry. Give it a good mix and it will come good. Add the flour, salt, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda, cinnamon and mixed spice and mix until the dough looks uniform. The dough will be very stiff.
3. Gather all the dough into a ball and wrap in clingflim. Chill in the fridge for 30 mins or freezer for 15 mins. While they are chilling preheat the oven to 190c (375f), Gas Mark 5.
4. Divide the mixture into 12 balls ( approx 30g each) and space about 10cm (4in) apart on the prepared baking tray. Bake in the oven for 10-12 minutes. The cookies will have a cracked top and will be very soft. Remove the cookies from the oven and leave to cool on the baking trays. They will quickly harden up as they cool.
5. Eat after they are cooled. Serve with a hot chocolate or an ice cold glass of milk!

Hope you enjoy these recipes! I am new at this so please bear with me!

Stay safe

💖