One biscuit - two variations

Both of the following biscuit recipes are made using the same base, then varied, and they can be changed again by you according to what you like and what you have at home! For instance try choc mint by adding peppermint essence instead of vanilla extract. Add M and M's instead of choc chips (I have done this before but don't have a photo!), or smashed up Malteser's - the possibilities are endless. 

The base is very sweet and rich, so if you don't like that then this biscuit is not for you! I think they're lovely and they have a nice chewy texture. The original recipe was normal chocolate chips, but I like white chocolate instead, and then adapted it for a jaffa recipe as well, as the husband is a bit jaffa mad! 

White Chocolate Chip Biscuits

Ingredients

2 1/4 cups plain flour
1 tsp bicarbonate soda
1 tsp salt
160 g softened butter
3/4 cup white sugar
3/4 cup soft brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 eggs
2 cups white chocolate chips

Method

Preheat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius. Sift together flour, bicarbonate soda, and salt into a bowl. In a separate bowl cream the butter, sugar, and vanilla until light and fluffy. Add eggs and beat until just combined. Gradually add the flour mixture to the creamed butter, mixing until well combined, then stir in the chocolate chips. Drop teaspoonfuls of the mixture onto ungreased baking trays, allowing plenty of room for spreading. Bake for 8 - 10 min, then transfer onto a wire rack to cool.

Note: The biscuits are quite fragile while hot but they seem to set somewhat once cool, so just be careful when removing them from the baking tray.

Jaffa Biscuits

Use the above recipe and method, but substitute orange essence for the vanilla extract and substitute smashed up jaffa's for the chocolate chips. The easiest way to smash them is to add them to a strong sandwich/ziplock bag, then smash with a mallet - this way its mess free!

Treacle Snaps

Treacle snaps are one of my husband's favourite biscuits; in case you're wondering - yes most of the sweets I make I don't eat, I just make them for my husband!

What I love about these biscuits is that first of all they are easy, second they are a little different since they're quite crunchy, and contain ground cloves, cinnamon and ginger (and smell really nice when baked), and third is that because they are coated in sugar they catch all the light from my down lights in my kitchen! They look so pretty under light and so many people have commented on them when they walk into my kitchen - telling me how professional they look. If only they knew how easy they were!

Ingredients

185 g softened butter

1 cup white sugar (and extra for coating)

1/4 cup treacle

1 egg

2 cups plain flour

pinch of salt

1 tsp bicarbonate of soda

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1 tsp ground cloves

1 tsp ground ginger

Method

Cream butter, sugar and treacle until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg. In a seperate bowl, sift together the flour, bicarbonate of soda, ginger, cloves and cinnamon. Add to the creamed mixture and beat until just combined.

Preheat oven to 190 degrees Celsius and lightly grease two baking trays.

Roll spoonfuls of the mixture into small balls, then roll these into sugar and place onto the baking tray, allowing plenty of room for spreading. Bake for 10 min, cool on the tray, then transfer to a wire rack.

Makes approximately 30.

Double chocolate Hazelnut Rocky Road

If you're looking for a super simple sweet to make look no further than Rocky road. While I don't actually like it myself I make it all the time for my husband and my father. Rocky road should be made according to your personal taste. For instance my husband doesn't like the Glace Cherries so I leave them out for him but add them for my dad. Also my husband prefers Hazelnuts while I make it with Macadamia's for dad.

Either way, pick what you like, throw it into a dish and leave to set in the fridge for a few hours and you have a yummy and fuss-free dessert!

Ingredients

2 x 180 g blocks Milk cooking chocolate
2 x 180 g blocks White cooking chocolate
125 g Hazelnut kernels
1 pkt large pink and white marshmallows (I have used the small ones before and they don't work as well!)

Method

In a large microwave-safe bowl add two blocks of milk cooking chocolate broken into small pieces and microwave in short bursts until the chocolate is melted and smooth. Add baking paper to a square tin, then place marshmallows and hazelnut kernels in the base and pour over the milk chocolate. In a separate microwave-safe bowl add 1 - 2 blocks of white chocolate (depending on your preference) broken into small pieces and microwave in short bursts until melted and smooth. Pour over the milk chocolate, gently flattening it out to cover, but without trying to mix the two. Refrigerate for about 3 hours, then slice into small pieces and serve. 

Chocolate Rocks

Love brownies? These are the biscuit form of brownies, soft, chewy, easy to make and very yummy.

Ingredients

100 g dark cooking chocolate

80 g butter

1 cup plain flour

2 tbs cocoa powder

1/4 tsp bicarbonate soda

1 egg, beaten

icing sugar to coat

Method

Melt the chocolate and butter in a saucepan over a low heat. Sift the flour, cocoa and bicarbonate of soda into a bowl. Add to to the chocolate, with the sugar, and egg, and mix well.

Chill in the refrigerator for ~ 20 min.

Preheat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius and line a baking tray with baking paper.

Roll dough into small balls, then roll each ball in icing sugar, then place on the baking trays, leaving plenty of room for spreading. Bake for 15 min, leave to cool for on the tray then transfer to a wire rack.

Triple Choc Chip Shortbread

An easy (but flash looking) dessert to take to a party is choc chip shortbread. The shortbread is baked in a flan tin, then cut into smaller pieces. I used three different types of chocolate chips in this recipe, as I only had a small amount of each - white, milk and dark chocolate chips but you can use any of the three if you like.

My top tip for this dish is to cut the wedge shapes as soon as the shortbread is removed from the oven but then leave it in the tin until it cools completely as shortbread is very fragile!

Ingredients

115 g plain flour

55 g cornflour

55 g golden caster sugar

115 g butter, diced (plus extra to grease the flan tin)

40 g chocolate chips

Method

Preheat the oven to 160 degrees celsius, and grease a 23 cm flan tin.

Sift the cornflour and flour into a bowl and stir in the sugar. Add the butter, and rub into the mixture using your fingers until the mixture comes together. Transfer into the prepared dish and press it in to create an even surface. Prick the base with a fork. Sprinkle the chocolate chips over the shortbread and press them into the mixture.

Bake in the preheated oven for 35 min, or until cooked but not browned. Immediately cut into wedge shapes but leave in the tin to cool for at least 10 min. Then transfer to a wire rack to cool.

White Chocolate Mud Cake

This recipe produces a moist, dense, and rich white chocolate mud cake. A sure hit at any family get together, and its quite simple to make as well!!

Ingredients

250 g butter, chopped
200 g white chocolate, broken into small pieces
2 1/4 cups caster sugar
1 1/2 cups water
2 cups plain flour
2/3 cup self raising flour
3 eggs, lightly beaten
1 tsp vanilla extract

Icing

Place 250 g white chocolate, 1/2 cup cream and 70 g butter in a bowl over a pan of simmering water. Stir until entirely melted. Set aside to cool, then beat with an electric beater until thickened and fluffy. Spread over chilled cake.

Method

Preheat the oven to 120 degrees Celsius, Place the butter, chocolate, sugar and water in a saucepan over medium heat and stir until the mixture is smooth. Transfer mixture to a large bowl and whisk in the flours, then whisk in the eggs and vanilla. Pour the mixture into a 22 cm cake tin lined with baking paper. Bake for 2 hr or until cooked when a skewer is inserted in the centre. Stand for 10 min then remove from tin and allow to cool on a wire rack. Add icing and serve.

White chocolate mud cake with white chocolate fudge icing.