Chocolate Chip Shortbread

I was a little unsure how the chocolate would taste with the shortbread, but the results were surprisingly good. I really like these cookies. I made them small because they are really rich... really good...

1 cup unsalted butter
1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1 3/4 cups flour
1/4 cup cornstarch
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Preheat the oven to 325. Cream the butter, sugar and vanilla together. Combine the flour and cornstarch then add to the mixture. Blend until its a creamy consistency then add the chocolate chips being careful not to over mix. Form into balls and bake for about 18 min.

Lemon Alligator Cupcakes

I am in love with my alligator mould. I personally think it is so much fun. I have only used it once before and that was to make my "See you later alligator" baked good for my roomates farwell party... And that alligator got some damn good reviews.

So I decided it was time to bring the mould out again.

Cupcakes
3/4 cup flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
pinch of salt
8 tbsp unsalted butter
1/2 superfine sugar
2 eggs, lightly beaten
freshly grated rind of 1/2 lemon
2 tbsp milk

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Sift flour, baking powder and salt into a bowl. Add the butter, eggs, lemon rind, sugar and milk and mix together. Spoon the batter out and cook for 16 min.

Lemon Buttercream Icing
6 tbsp softened butter
1 1/2 cups icing sugar
1 tbsp fresh lemon juice

While the cupcakes are cooling mix the butter, icing sugar and lemon together - then ice away...

Peanut Butter Cookies

I made these for my brother on the weekend. I think this is a great recipe. Its from William Sonoma and the cookies are so soft and crumbly.

½ cup melted unsalted butter

½ cup firmly packed light brown sugar

½ cup granulated sugar

1 cup creamy peanut butter

1 large egg

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1.5 cups plain flour

½ tsp. baking soda

½ tsp. salt

In a large bowl add the melted butter, brown and granulated sugar, peanut butter, egg and vanilla extract and stir with a wooden spoon until combined. In another bowl add the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. With a whisk, whisk the ingredients together. Add the flour to the butter mixture and mix together. Cover and put in the fridge for at least 2 hours.Preheat the oven to 350F. Grease two baking trays. Using dampened hands shape the dough into small (1-inch) balls. Place on the baking sheets, and either slightly press down with your finger tips, or press the top down with a fork. Bake until the bottoms are golden brown (12-15min).

Easy Lemon Bars

I love lemon bars - especially this recipe which has the easiest crust ever!!!!


So I took 1/2 cup of butter and placed it in the bottom of a 9" cake pan. I preheated the oven to 350 and put the pan with the butter in it into the oven to melt (approx 5 minutes). Once the butter had melted I added a cup of flour and 1/2 cup icing sugar directly into the cake pan and mixed it together. I pressed the dough into the bottom of the pan and put it back into the oven for 15 minutes until the crust was a golden brown.


While it was baking I mixed the filling. I took 1 cup of sugar and 2 eggs and beat the mixture together. I then added 2 tbsp flour, 1/2 baking powder, zest of 1 lemon, 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice and a pinch of salt. I mixed this all together, then poured it over the hot crust. Put the entire pan back in the oven and baked it for another 20 min.


When the top of the bars were golden brown I took them out of the oven and let them cool. Before serving I dusted the top of the bars with icing sugar.

So good!

Lemon Bars Crust
1/2 cup butter
1 cup flour
1/2 cup icing sugar

Lemon Bars Filling
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
zest of 1 lemon
2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
2 tbsp flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
pinch of salt

Coconut Macaroons

So I came home with the plan of taking a picture of these cookies because I had left a whole bunch of them at home... and my brother ate them. So no image of these cookies.

But, I preheated the oven to 350 and lined a tray with my silpat.

1 package shredded coconut
1/2 can condensed milk
1/3 cup flour
1 tsp vanilla extract
pinch of salt

Mixed it all together and baked until it was golden brown - about 18 minutes. Would probably cook for 16 minutes next time, the tray closest to the top of the oven got a little crunchy.

Chocolate Cheesecake Cupcakes

I wasn't a huge fan of this recipe. Mainly because you don't expect the cream cheese flavour when eating a cupcake. My brother ate one without knowing what ingredients were in it and thought it tasted weird. But when I told people at work that it was a cheesecake cupcake they really enjoyed it. Its funny how knowing what your eating or rather not knowing, can change your opinion of it.

Ok, so I started by preheating the oven to 350 degrees, and lining a muffin tin.

Cream cheese topping:
1 package - 250 grams - cream cheese
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1 egg
1/2 vanilla extract

I beat the cream cheese until it was smooth and then added the sugar, egg and vanilla. I beat the mixture until it was creamy and smooth.

Chocolate cupcake:
1 1/2 cups flour
1 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup water
1/3 cup oil
1 tbsp white vinegar
1 tsp vanilla extract

I sifted together the dry ingredients. I mixed the water, oil, vanilla and vinegar together. I then made a whole in the middle of the dry ingredients and slowly poured my wet mixture in, stirring until it was smooth.

I then divided the chocolate mixture into my muffin tins - probably about 15 muffins. And then topped each of the cupcakes with the cream cheese mixture.

I baked it for about 20 minutes.