Chocolate Chip Cookies

May 1, 2024

Crispy on the edges, chewy in the centre — these classic chocolate chip cookies are the ultimate comfort bake.

Perfect with a cup of tea or a glass of cold milk, they’re easy to make and hard to resist.

Ingredients #

• Plain flour – 280 g / 2¼ cups
• Baking soda – 1 tsp
• Cornflour – 1½ tsp
• Salt – ½ tsp
• Unsalted butter (melted & cooled) – 170 g / ¾ cup
• Light or dark brown sugar – 150 g / ¾ cup
• Granulated sugar – 100 g / ½ cup
• Large egg – 1
• Egg yolk – 1
• Vanilla extract – 2 tsp
• Chocolate chips – 220 g / 1¼ cups

Recipe #

1. Whisk the flour, baking soda, cornflour, and salt together in a large bowl. Set aside.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk the melted butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar until smooth and lump-free.
3. Whisk in the egg and egg yolk, then add the vanilla extract.
4. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and mix with a spatula. The dough will be soft, thick, and slightly greasy.
5. Fold in the chocolate chips. They may not stick easily due to the melted butter, but mix as well as you can.
6. Cover the dough tightly with cling film and refrigerate for at least 2–3 hours or up to 3 days.
7. Let the dough soften at room temperature for 10 minutes before baking.
8. Preheat oven to 160°C (325°F). Line baking trays with parchment paper.
9. Shape the dough into tall balls (like small cylinders) to ensure thick cookies. Place 8–9 per tray.
10. Bake for 12–13 minutes, or until edges are lightly browned and centres are soft.
11. Cool on the tray for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Storage:
Cookies stay fresh in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week.

Cherry and Almond Cake

November 11, 2018

Cherry and Almond Cake is one of my all-time favourites — a dependable classic that never disappoints. It’s soft and moist on the inside, with a thin golden crust and a beautiful balance of sweet cherries and nutty almond flavour. Always a hit with family and friends!

Ingredients #

• Butter, softened – 175g (or 200g for extra richness)
• Golden caster sugar – 175g (or 200g if preferred sweeter)
• Eggs – 4
• Almond extract – ½ tsp
• Self-raising flour – 175g
• Baking powder – ½ tsp
• Ground almonds – 125g
• Milk – 100ml
• Glacé cherries – 300g
• Flaked almonds – 2 tbsp

Recipe #

1. Preheat oven to 140°C fan (160°C conventional).
2. Line the base of a 20cm deep round cake tin with baking paper and grease the sides with butter.
3. Rinse the glacé cherries thoroughly, pat dry, halve them, and toss them in a little flour to prevent sinking.
4. In a large bowl, beat the butter and sugar together until pale and fluffy.
5. Add almond extract.
6. Beat in the eggs one at a time, mixing on low speed until just incorporated.
7. Gently fold in the flour, baking powder, and ground almonds.
8. Add half of the cherries to the batter at this stage (optional), and stir in the milk to loosen the mixture.
9. Pour the batter into the prepared tin.
10. Arrange the remaining cherries on top, then scatter over the flaked almonds.
11. Bake for 45 minutes, checking after 30–35 minutes. If needed, bake an additional 5–10 minutes until a skewer comes out clean.
12. Let the cake cool in the tin for 10 minutes on a wire rack before removing.

Serve slightly warm or at room temperature with tea or coffee — or even a scoop of vanilla ice cream!

Pumpkin Casserole

November 26, 2017

“Remember that it is a one-off dish, I am not sure if I will make it again but it was definitely unique.”

Pumpkin Casserole #

When you grow pumpkins on your allotment and end up with too many, you inevitably start searching for creative ideas. After giving a few to friends and leaving some in the hen run for the chickens to feed on, I was still left with a good number.