Triple Chocolate Cookies

The Boy who Bakes - Ed Kimber

I added 200g of vanilla white chocolate chunks and they were amazing!!! My favourite, I can't wait to make them again!

Mini Pina Colada Cupcakes

From Hummingbird Bakery's Cake Days cookbook

These were really nice and coconutty but if I was to make them again I would skip the rum in the frosting and add some of the rum syrup from the pineapple.

I love this cookbook though, the recipes always come out really well.

Chocolate Courgette Cake

www.cinnamonspiceandeverythingnice.com/chocolate-zucchini-cake-with-sour-cream-frosting/

I did 1.5 times the recipe to make a 3 layer cake and it took 1 hour 45 to bake. I added chocolate ganache with Kahlua over the top of the finished cake and then sprinkles for that birthday extra!

Banoffee Brownies & Blueberry Lime Blondies

One More Slice - Leila Lindhom

The book does not mention anywhere about what size tin to use so I used a standard UK brownie tin. The recipe would not cook and took 1.5 hours in the end with burnt top. bottom and sides and only just cooked middle!!!!! I had to cut off the sides and the top and bottom and then half like a layer cake and cut into squares. Next time I will have the quantities in this brownie section of the book! 

Peanut Butter Swirl Brownies
I replaced the Peanut butter with banoffee spread (Asda) and skipped the salted peanuts as I was catering for someone with a nut allergy. The banana worked really well and I would use again.

Raspberry Blondies
I swapped the raspberries for blueberries and added 150g chopped vanilla white chocolate. Everyone said the lime was quite strong so would reduce to 2 limes in future.

Oatmeal, Sultana, Pecan & Vanilla White Chocolate Chunk Cookies

2 Cups Mixed Oats (Jumbo, Rolled etc)
1.5 Cups Flour
0.5tsp Bicarbonate of Soda
1 tsp Baking Powder
0.5 tsp Salt
2 tsp Ground Cinnamon
1 tsp Ground Ginger
0.5 tsp Ground Nutmeg
1 Cup Unsalted Butter at Room Temperature
0.5 Cup Dark Brown Sugar
0.5 Cup Light Brown sugar
1 Large Egg
0.25 Cup Whole Milk
2 tsp Vanilla Extract
1 Cup Chopped Pecans
0.5 Cup Sultanas
0.5 Cup Chopped Vanilla White Chocolate

Heat oven to 180 c and mix oats, flour, soda, baking powder, salt and spices together.

In a separate bowl cream the butter and sugars until fluffy then add egg, milk and vanilla.

Add creamed butter to the oats and mix then add nuts, sultanas and chocolate and mix.

Roll into small golf balls and place on lined baking tray with 5cm gaps and bake for 13 minutes.

Chocolate Orange Cupcakes

From Humminbird Bakery's Cake Days cookbook

I swapped the orange zest for orange essence in the cake and the frosting and it worked really well, they are really light and tasty and very child friendly. I skipped the candied orange decoration and use an orange chocolate button and edible gold glitter as this batch was for children (and some very big kids!).

Chilli, Cheese & Sweetcorn Muffins

from Hummingbird Bakery's Cake Days cookbook

I swapped the chilli paste for a sliced red chilli without the seeds. They are a bit dry, if I was to make a gain I would use more cheese (sprinkle some on top at the end before baking), more sweetcorn and more onion. Very nice accompaniment to soup.

Orange Pistachio & Dark Chocolate Cookies

This one was a combination a few recipes to make something a bit middle eastern in flavour which was what I fancied that day!

220g Unsalted Butter
145g Caster Sugar
1 Egg Yolk
2 tsp's Orange Essence
1 tsp Ground Ginger
275g Plain Flour
Pinch Salt
150g Chopped Pistachios
250g 60% Dark Chocolate
1 tbsp Honey

Cream butter and sugar then beat in egg yolk and orange essence. Sift flour, salt and ginger and mix in with the creamed butter until they form a dough and mix in 100g of the chopped pistachios. Put into a ball, wrap in cling film and refrigerate for 30 minutes.     

Heat oven to 180 c and line baking sheet. Roll dough out between baking paper until 1cm thick and use a cookie cutter as desired. Bake for 12 minutes or until golden.

Chop the dark chocolate and put in a microwavable jug with the honey for 30 second bursts until melted. Dip a corner of the cookies in then sprinkle with the rest of the chopped pistachios and leave to set in the fridge for 20 minutes.  

Everybody said these were fantastic and have asked me to make these again and pass the recipe on - well here it is!