White Chocolate Chunk Cookies

Delicious, super sweet white chocolate chunk cookies with a big hit of vanilla.

I always favour thinner cookies over thicker – crisper at the edges and (providing you watch the cooking time) gloriously gooey in the centre!

–

White Chocolate Chunk Cookies
Makes 20-24 Cookies

Ingredients:

170g Unsalted Butter (Room Temperature), 130g Plain Flour, 1/2tsp Salt, 3/4tsp Baking Powder, 1 Large Egg, 160g Light Brown Sugar, 30g Caster Sugar, 1/2 tsp Vanilla Bean Paste, 125g White Chocolate (Chopped)

–

Method:

1) Pre heat the oven to 200c and line a baking tray with baking paper.

2) Combine the flour, salt and baking powder in a small bowl. In a separate bowl, beat the butter and two sugars together with a mixer on medium speed until well combined (2 minutes). Add the egg and vanilla to the mixture and beat on medium speed until fluffy (2 minutes). Add the flour and fold to combine. Add the chocolate chunks and fold lightly to combine.

3) Spoon heaped teaspoonfuls of the dough on to the baking parchment, leaving a good 2″ gap around each spoonful. Bake in the oven for 6 minutes or until brown round the edges. When ready, remove from the oven and allow to cool a little before transferring to a wire rack to cool fully. Continue to cook the mixture in batches until exhausted.

4) Store the cookies in an airtight container.

–

Enjoy!

Advertisement

Chocolate Coconut Slice

This is the ultimate coffee break snack – soft coconut filling underneath a rich chocolate and peanut butter topping, all sitting on a crunchy biscuit base.

A mixture of milk and dark chocolate stops the slice becoming too sweet – making it the perfect accompaniment to a tall caramel latte!

You can easily substitute the digestive biscuits for a gluten free alternative which will not alter the flavour.

–

Chocolate Coconut Slice
Makes 12-24 Slices

Ingredients:
125g Digestive Biscuits (Crushed)
200g Desiccated Coconut
110g Butter (Melted)
400g Condensed Milk
175g Milk Chocolate (40%)
175g Dark Chocolate (70%)
130g Smooth Peanut Butter

–

Method:

1) Preheat the oven to 180C. Line a medium sized baking dish with baking parchment. Pour the melted butter into the baking tin – topping with the crushed biscuit and levelling. Cover this with the coconut and then pour over the condensed milk.

2) Bake in the oven for 25 minutes until golden brown. Remove and set aside to cool slightly.

3) Melt together the chocolate and peanut butter in a bain-marie, stirring well to combine. Pour over the baked slice and allow to cool. Transfer to the fridge to set fully (around 2 hours).

4) Once set, cut into equal squares and store in an airtight container in the fridge.

–

Enjoy!

Nutella Cheesecake (Gluten Free)

 
This truly is the simplest of recipes and makes a delicious dessert – I loved Nutella as a child and was forever caught digging my spoon into a big jar of the stuff! A little dark chocolate stops everything becoming a little too sweet.

This recipe is made with a gluten free base (the topping is naturally gluten free) which can be substituted for an ordinary biscuit base if desired.

–

Nutella Cheesecake (Gluten Free)
Serves 6

Ingredients:
170g Gluten Free Digestive Biscuits
80g Unsalted Butter (Melted)
25g Flaked Almonds (Toasted)
2 tsp Cocoa Powder
400g Cream Cheese
270g Nutella
70g Dark Chocolate

Method:

1) Pre heat oven to 160C. Combine the digestives, almonds and cocoa powder in a food processor, whilst blitzing slowly pour in the butter until well combined. Transfer to a small lined cake tin (preferably spring form).

2) Bake the base in the oven for 10 minutes. Transfer to the fridge to cool.

3) Melt the chocolate and Nutella in a bain-marie, stirring frequently to combine. Allow the Nutella mixture to cool slightly. In a large bowl, whisk the cream cheese to loosen. Add the Nutella mixture and whisk to combine.

4) Spoon the mixture on to the biscuit base and level. Place in the fridge to chill for at least 4 hours but preferably overnight.

–

Enjoy!

Banana-Chocolate Chip Caramel Cake

 

This magnificent cake went down a storm with my flatmates – I highly doubt it will last until tomorrow!

Lighter than banana bread – milk and dark chocolate chips and caramel frosting make this cake super decadent. It is relatively simple to make and is perfect with coffee.

The caramel frosting featured in a previous recipe and is very versatile.

If you are left with excess cake batter make some extra muffins and top with a little of the frosting for a great mid-morning snack.

–

Banana-Chocolate Chip Caramel Cake

Ingredients:
3 Cups Plain Flour
2 tsp Baking Powder
1 tsp Salt
2 Cups Caster Sugar
250g Unsalted Butter (At Room Temperature)
3 Eggs
2 tsp Vanilla Extract
4 Ripe Bananas (Mashed)
300 ml Sour Cream
100g Milk Chocolate Chips
100g Dark Chocolate Chips

1 Quantity Caramel Frosting

2 x 8 3/4 Inch Sandwich Pans

–

Method:

1) Line the cake pans with baking parchment. Pre heat the oven to 180C.

2) Beat the butter, sugar and vanilla extract with an electric whisk until light and fluffy (2 minutes). Add the eggs one at a time, whisking to combine.

3) Measure the flour, baking powder and salt into a bowl and mix to combine. Slowly add to the wet mixture, whisking slowly to ensure it is fully combined.

4) Lightly whisk the bananas and sour cream into the mixture. Add the chocolate chips and fold to combine.

5) Divide the mixture between the two cake pans and place in the oven. Bake for approx. 40 minutes until a skewer inserted into the centre of each cake comes out clean.

6) Transfer to a wire cooling rack to cool. Once cooled, sandwich the two layers of the cake together with a little caramel frosting. Use the remainder of the frosting to cover the top of the cake.

–

Enjoy!

Chocolate Snowball Truffles

 

Christmas is the best excuse to devour far too much chocolate! And what is more indulgent than chocolate truffles?!

Truffles are great at any time of the year, but rolling them in a little desiccated coconut turns them into the perfect festive treat!

These make great little stocking fillers for friends and family, who will be amazed at their deliciousness (just don’t tell them how easy they are to make!)

–

Chocolate Snowball Truffles
Makes 20-30 Truffles

Ingredients:

100g Good Quality Milk Chocolate (35-40% Cocoa)

100g Good Quality Dark Chocolate (70% Cocoa)

200ml Double Cream

200g Desiccated Coconut

–

Method:

1) Break the chocolate up in to a large glass bowl. Pour the double cream into a saucepan and bring to the boil over a medium heat.

2) Pour the boiling cream over the chocolate and stir continuously with a spatula until the chocolate has melted and is well combined. Allow to cool then cover and place in the fridge until the mixture is fully set (minimum of 3 hours – preferably overnight).

3) Scoop out small balls of the mixture with a melon baller or teaspoon. Roll into small balls using the palms of your hands and fingertips. Roll the truffles in the coconut until evenly coated.

–

Store in the fridge for up to 5 days. Enjoy!

White Chocolate Fudge

 

I have my mum to thank for this wonderfully simple recipe. Gloriously sweet with a perfect sticky texture. Guaranteed to be gone in a flash, this fudge has become a firm favorite with my flatmates.

I normally shun the microwave; however, it is the perfect technique to use when making white chocolate fudge – this recipe is foolproof and super quick. Using good quality chocolate is key and will guarantee success time after time.

Please don’t limit yourself to white chocolate. Experiment – the technique works equally as well with milk and dark chocolate (or a good splash of rum)!

–

Speedy White Chocolate Fudge

Ingredients:

30g Butter

1 Tin Condensed Milk

450g White Chocolate (High Quality)

1tsp Vanilla Extract

–

Method:

1) In a bowl – break up the chocolate and add the butter, vanilla and condensed milk.

2) Microwave for 1 minute on full power. Remove and stir.

3) Microwave for 30 seconds, remove and stir then return for another 30 seconds.

4) Beat the mixture for around 2 minutes by hand and pour into a lined small, shallow baking tray.

5) Let set in the fridge for at least 2 hours. Once set cut into squares and store in the fridge.

–

Enjoy!

 

Flourless Chocolate Praline Cake

 

On the odd occasion that I do have a crack at baking, the ingredients are predictable. A variation of chocolate and praline almost always ensues with varying degrees of success!

Now that we are firmly into autumn and the weather is horrendously cold (in Scotland at least) I was searching for something comforting and laden with chocolate to eat by the fire. Yet it couldn’t be too heavy – that is to be saved for the depths of winter.

Flourless cakes have always intrigued me – light and airy and still magically holding themselves together without the addition of flour. The lack of flour also intensifies the flavour of the ingredients. A flourless chocolate and praline cake it was to be!

–

Flourless Chocolate Praline Cake

Ingredients:
100g Dark Chocolate (Good Quality)
100g Milk Chocolate (Good Quality)
100g Hazelnuts, Toasted with the outer layer roughly rubbed off.
125g Unsalted Butter
125g Caster Sugar
4 Eggs
1tsp Vanilla Extract

–

Method:
1) Pre heat your oven to 180C. Grease and line a medium-sized springform cake tin.
2) Melt the chocolate and the butter in a bowl over a pan of simmering water in the usual fashion.
3) Finely chop the hazelnuts in a food processor.
4) Combine the melted butter and chocolate with the hazelnuts and vanilla in a large bowl.
5) Whisk the eggs with the caster sugar until thick and very fluffy – around 5 minutes.
6) Carefully fold the whisked eggs and sugar into the chocolate mixture until fully combined.
7) Spoon the mixture into the cake tin and bake in the oven for around 45 minutes or until ready.

–

Best served with a big spoon of crème fraîche and a cup of tea!