Choc-Chip Chocolate Cookies

Choc-chip chocolate cookies. Try saying that 3 times fast! I have this weird thing where when I'm eating a white choc & macadamia cookie, I feel a tiny bit annoyed when I bite into a macadamia nut when I think it's white chocolate. I know, it's so weird, but it happens every time! Oh the deception!

So no mucking around with nuts here, I decided to make chocolate cookies with white choc-chips thrown in. White, because milk or dark simply wouldn't look as pretty in photographs! The texture was somewhere between a cookie and a brownie... if you're into that sort of thing!

CHOC-CHIP CHOCOLATE COOKIES

Melt together 150g butter, 3/4 cup caster sugar & 3/4 cup dark brown sugar over medium heat.
Set aside to cool for a minute then add 2 eggs.

While cooling your wet ingredients further, get your dry ingredients.

Combine just under 2 cups plain flour, 4 tbsp cocoa, 1/2 tsp baking soda & 1/2 tsp salt.

If the mixture is too runny, add a little more flour.

Combine the wet & dry ingredients, followed by 1 cup of chocolate chips.

I added the choc-chips after spooning the cookies onto the trays.
I personally like seeing the chips point upwards and hold their shape!

Bake at 160C (fan-forced) for 10 minutes or so then cool on a rack.

Vanilla Cupcakes

I have a bad habit of wanting and buying things just because they're pink. I also want to eat things just cause they have sprinkles on them (e.g. fairy bread). So I whipped up these babies just so I could put sprinkles on them!

VANILLA CUPCAKES
Beat together 1/2 a block of unsalted butter and 1 cup caster sugar.

Add 2 eggs, one at a time, followed by 1 tbsp vanilla extract.

Alternate between adding 1 and 3/4 cups self-raising flour and 3/4 - 1 cup milk (depending on how dry the batter is).
Spoon into cupcake cases 2/3 full.
Because I was lazy I over-filled the 12 cases in my tin and ended up with muffin tops.
(I had enough batter to make 13 or 14 cupcakes)

Bake at 160 C and check at around 25 minutes with a skewer.

Prior to icing, cut off your muffin tops so you have a flat surface.
This is why not over-filling with batter is so important!

I topped these babies with cream cheese icing.
Simply beat together 1/2 a block of unsalted butter, 1/2 a block of cream cheese (both at room temperature) with 500g icing sugar.
Add 1 tbsp vanilla extract and add a bit of milk if the icing is too stiff.

Leche Flan

Along the same theme of my last 2 recipes, this is another from my childhood. In fact, it is the very first thing I learned to bake when I was a child. If you are Filipino or know Filipinos - chances are you have eaten this very common, easy to make dessert. Basically, some Filipino decided one day that French crème caramel wasn't unhealthy enough so they decided to super-size it.

LECHE FLAN
In a large bowl gently combine 6 egg yolks, 2 whole eggs, 1 can condensed milk and 1 can evaporated milk.
At this point add whichever flavouring you like - I use 1 tsp vanilla or 1 tsp lemon juice. You can use lemon zest too!

Set aside then make the caramel.

Place about 1/4 cup sugar in a saucepan with just enough water to dissolve it.

Boil over medium heat until the caramel is golden and bubbling.
I personally prefer dark brown caramel.

Carefully pour it into your cake tin.

The next part is a very important step. Pour your egg mix into the cake tin over the caramel THROUGH A SIEVE.

This ensures you have a smooth flan while minimising bubbles.

Cover your cake tin with foil and place into a deep baking tray.

Fill the tray with boiling water halfway up the sides of the cake tin.

Bake for about 1 hour at 150 C. Keep checking until a skewer comes out clean.

Cool to room temperature then place in the fridge for several hours, or overnight.

Run a knife around the edges then carefully flip upside down onto a serving plate.