The smell of Cinnamon.

I often find it hard to settle on just one cookie I want to make each week so now I decide on a search parameter before I start the research.  This week it was the need to use eggs in the cookies, as our chickens are producing faster than we can eat them at the moment, that inspired the choice of recipe. And cinnamon, I thought the house could use smelling like cinnamon today.  So off to the books I went.  If there were no eggs, I passed it by, no cinnamon, I passed it by and if I didn't have the ingredients at hand, I passed it by.  The grand result sounded so yummy and ticked all the right boxes.  Cinnamon and caramel cookies.  No fancy title just stating the obvious.  These little darlings sounded pretty yummy and the picture was screaming out for me to taste them! 

I followed the recipe to the tee and this was the result:

Hmm..this doesn't look like the picture?

 I didn't follow my instinct when reading the recipe as it did state to place the caramel on TOP of the cookie halfway through baking.  I should have done what I thought and pressed the caramel in just slightly.  So ended up with cookies with some running caramel blobs on top and a very messy baking tray.  I know should have also used baking paper, but I love this baking tray and never do.  Hint: if you do have caramel spillage, remove the cookies but not the caramel and just place pan in very hot water and the caramel will dissolve off. 

Next batch turned out like this!  Now these look pretty fantastic!

Yummy!

These little cookies were great!  My husband said how could they possibly not be a hit when they have cinnamon and caramel.  My son was disappointed, but I did make cookies with Smarties in them last week and my daughter just destroyed the cookie to get to the caramel - smart girl.  I wasn't as fond of them as I would have expected.  They were lovely, but I wanted more from them.  Next time I would put just a hint more cinnamon in them and think that would get them to near perfect.  I shouldn't complain, there are only 8 remaining after a half dozen drop off to our neighbour for a taste so that is always a sign of a successful baking experience in our house!

Tips for this one: make sure to push that caramel into the cookie when told to do so instead of placing on top, add a little extra cinnamon to the batter and if using jersey caramels remove the white icing portion in the centre and just use half per each cookie!

Cinnamon and Caramel Cookies

225g/8oz butter, softened

140g/5oz caster sugar

1 egg yolk, lightly beaten

1 tsp vanilla extract

280g/10oz plain flour

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp allspice

pinch of salt

25-30 caramels

Preheat the oven to 190C/375F/Gas Mark 5.  Line 2 large baking sheets with baking paper.  Place the butter and sugar in a large bowl and beat together until light and fluffy, then beat in the egg yolk and vanilla extract.  Sift together the flour, cinnamon, allspice and salt into the mixture and stir until thoroughly combined. 

Scoop up tablespoons of the mixture, shape into balls and place onto baking sheets, spaced well apart.  Bake in the preheated oven for 8 minutes.  Place a caramel on top of each cookie (push into dough)  and bake for a further 6-7 minutes.  Leave to cool on the baking sheets for 5-10 minutes, then transfer to wire racks to cool completely.

Perfect Party Food!

Today marks two significant occasions.  I have now been in Australia for 3 years and feel quite settled in.  The biggest news though is that my little Daisy Pad - breast pad business has launched it's own website. LimeDaisy Design is officially open for business!  So today's cookie celebrates the two occasions in one!

Party Cookies - they just shout, I'm going to be special.  They are indeed very yummy, kids want to eat them as they have those lovely sugar coated chocolate candies baked in them (Smarties in my case) and the flavour is fantastic.  You can taste the golden sugar/brown sugar combination that gives them a lovely rich sugary taste.  What is even better is they have no egg in them so will be able to take them to kinder for special treat days (as we are nut and egg free!).  Give these ones a go to mark an occasion they are so quick and easy!

Party Cookies
100 g (3 1/2 oz) Butter
100 g ( 3 1/2 oz) soft light brown sugar
1 tbsp golden syrup
150g (5 1/2 oz) self raising flour
85g (3 oz) sugar-coated chocolates

Preheat the oven to 180C/350F.  Line several large baking sheets with baking paper.  place the butter and sugar in a large bowl and whisk together until pale and creamy, then whisk the golden syrup into the mixture until smooth.  Add 1/2 of the flour and whisk together until mixed.  Stir in the sugar coated chocolates and remaining flour then, with your hands, knead the mixture until smooth.
Roll small pieces of the dough between your hands into smooth balls to make 15 cookies in total and place them on the baking sheets, spacing them well apart.  Bake in the preheated oven for 10-15 minutes, or until golden brown.
Leave on the baking sheets for 2-3 minutes, then transfer the cookies to a wire rack and leave to cool completely.

Notes: I placed an extra smartie on the top of each ball before going into the oven so there would be a least one colourful spot showing.  You could use chocolate buttons in the place of smarties if you did not want the harder candy coating.

Enjoy!

A Little Love (of Chocolate) this Valentine's Day

Valentine's Day is fast approaching.  I'm not one for making it into a big celebration.  A simple card, some sweet treats and telling those you love that you love them is what is important.  So for this Valentine's Day try these two takes on one recipe.  Chocolate Brownies are a favourite in this household.  Getting them right does sometimes come with practice as you really want that fudgey texture with a crisp top.  With this recipe you can achieve that too. 

Chocolate Brownie Heart Cake

 For the first have of the batter I made it into a Heart Shaped Brownie.  Finished it off with a dusting of icing sugar and some love hearts sprinkled on top.  Baked for around 25 minutes - times do depend on your pan shape as well.  This one also served as my birthday cake this year.  Turned out great, but did have little extra crunchy edges at the point and on the rounded top.  Still tasted and looked fantastic.  Very Valentine's!

Mini Brownie Cupcakes

These were for the kids.  Perfect sized for a 3 and 1 year old to have two and think they are getting more!  Baking of these can be a little tricky as you really need to watch that you don't over bake them.  They only need around 12-15 minutes.  But watch them carefully! Finished the same way, dusted with icing sugar and sprinkled with some love.

Wishing you and yours a Happy Valentine's Day!

Chocolate Brownies

150g Butter
1 cup baking cocoa
4 eggs
2 cups sugar
1 tsp vanilla essence
3/4 cup plain flour
1 tsp baking powder

optional extras:
packet of white choc bits or cup of nuts

• Preheat oven to 160C.  Line base of a 27cm x 18cm x 3cm tin with baking paper.
• Melt butter and stir in cocoa, allow to cool slightly.  Beat in eggs.  Stir in sugar and vanilla.
• Sift flour and baking powder together.  Add to mixture and stir until thoroughly mixed.  Stir through choc bits or nuts if being added.  Turn mixture into tin.
• Bake in a preheated oven for 45-50minutes or until just firm when pressed in the centre.  Leave in tin for 20 minutes then turn out onto a rack.  When cold, cut into bars.

Hints:

• If using different shape pans, baking times will vary so be sure to keep an eye on brownies
• An option is to bake in the full size pan, then use cookie cutters once cool to cut into desired shapes such as a heart cookie cutter.
• Can drizzle melted chocolate over or dust with icing sugar to fancy it up!

Midnight Snack?

For the last week I seem to have gotten into a terrible habit of staying up way past my usual bedtime.  I am forever cutting circles for my Daisy Pads and have been trolling the Internet looking for design inspiration for my online store.  It is during these wee hours of the night I find I need a little snack and a cup of tea.  I could go for the healthy option, but it usually is something sweet that I crave.  And now I have come across what is just the perfect temptation for the recipe of the week Midnight Cookies.  They are fast to make (under 10 mins of preparation) and they have all the elements that I love.  Little crunch, softer middles and chocolate.  Yes, my friends chocolate.  Any good creative mind knows that we all work better when there is tea and chocolate involved.  I would say wine, but as I sew, wine does not seem to mix well with sharp scissors and needles. 

Midnight Cookies

These are tasty little morsels and so quick and easy to make.  I fancied mine up a little with a dusting of icing sugar and put them on my good china!  Does make them just that little bit more special.  I would give these a most definite thumbs up!  They are chocolatey without being too sweet.  I've even added a few options for you to try out as well to make them your own. 

Enjoy!

Midnight Cookies
125 g/ 4 1/2 oz butter softened
175g/ 6 oz caster sugar
1 egg, lightly beaten
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
125g / 4 1/2 oz plain flour
35g / 1 1/4 oz cocoa powder
1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda

Preheat oven to 180C/350F.  Line several large baking sheets with baking paper.  

Place the butter and sugar in a large bowl and beat together until light and fluffy.  Add the egg and vanilla extra and mix until smooth.  Sift in the flour, cocoa and bicarbonate of soda and beat until well mixed.

With dampened hands, roll walnut-sized pieces of the dough into smooth balls.  Place on the baking sheets, spaced well apart.  

Baked in the preheated oven for 10-12 minutes, or until set.  Leave to cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer the cookies to wire racks to cool completely before serving.

Additional options:

1) Drizzle melted chocolate in a zigzag fashion across the cookies and leave to set before serving

2) Sprinkle granulated sugar on a large plate and roll the ball of dough in the sugar to coat before placing on the baking sheets

3) After baking and cooled, dust with pure icing sugar.