Simple and delicious chocolate cookies

These are the easiest cookies to make, as they don't require me to lift down the kenwood chef from the high shelf, as they are made in a saucepan. 

Ingredients: 

• 125g butter
• 175g soft light butter
• 1 large egg
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 150 plain flour
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 100g white, milk or dark chocolate chopped (I used a bag of chocolate chips)

Method

Preheat oven to gas mark 5 (180 degrees) and line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper

Melt butter in a large saucepan, then add the sugar and take the pan off the heat. Beat in the egg, add the vanilla extract, then sift in the dry ingredients, giving it a good stir so that you don't start cooking the egg. Stir in the chocolate chunks.

These spread well, so leave a good gap when you spoon onto the baking sheets. 

Bake for about 10 minutes.

Leave for a few minutes to settle before sliding them on a wire rack to cool

Yummiest Chocolate fudge cake

Tomorrow is the summer party at my daughters' playgroup and I normally bring a cake most weeks, like a lemon drizzle or a banana cake, although I did do kiwi cake when I had a few too many kiwis in the house. However, as tomorrow is a party, I thought I'd do something special, a chocolate fudge cake - something I have never made! 

So here goes......

I have managed to find what looks like a very complicated recipe in the hummingbird baker book. 

Firstly make fudge (again never made before !!)

• 55g unsalted butter
• 180g caster sugar
• 90g soft brown sugar
• 125ml double cream 
• 1/4 tsp double cream 

Mix together in a pan until sugar is dissolved, stirring continuously. Then turn heat down and leave until the sugar reaches the hard crack stage. 

(Hmmm i didn't get to the hard crack stage, i'm sure it will be fine if i carry on)

Pour into a baking tray covered with baking parchment and leave to cool.

Ok so this isn't what it looked like in the picture, and certainly isn't crispy. Never mind i'll use it anyway!

Frosting

• 725ml Double Cream
• 1 tbsp vanilla extract
• 170g unsalted butter
• 60g golden syrup 
• 450g dark chocolate chopped (minimum 70% cocoa)

Mix double cream, vanilla extract, butter and golden syrup in a medium pan and bring to a gentle simmer over low heat. 
Remove from the heat.

Place the chopped dark chocolate in a mixing bowl. Pour the hot cream mixture onto the chocolate, stirring until all the chocolate has melted and is smooth. Cover with cling film and refrigerate for a couple of hours until set but still soft enough to spread.

  

Yummy, chocolate icing after a couple of hours in the fridge

Cake

• 110g cocoa powder sifted
• 2 tbsp instant coffee mixed with 240ml boiling water 
• 125g soured cream
• 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract 
• 210g plain flour
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 3/4 tsp bicarbonate of soda 
• 225g unsalted butter softened
• 340g caster sugar 
• 2 large eggs 

1. In a medium bowl, mix the cocoa powder and hot coffee together well with a whisk to ensure the cocoa powder is fully dissolved in the coffee. Allow to cool
2. In a jug mix the cooled coffee mixture, soured cream and vanilla extract together. In a medium bowl, sift the flour, baking powder and bicarbonate of soda together.
3. Cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing well and scraping down the bowl after each addition.
4. On a slow speed, add the dry ingredients, alternating with the soured cream mixture. Mix until batter is smooth and glossy
5. Divide the batter evenly among three 8 ins cake tins, covered with baking parchment.
6. Bake for 30-35 mins or until the sponge bounces back when lightly touched. Allow to cool completely in the tins before frosting.

Once the sponge layers feel cool to the touch, you can assemble the cake.

1. Place the first layer of the cake on a plate or cake card - i used a purple plastic plate! 
2. Top with 3-4 tbsps of frosting
3. Smooth the frosting out using a palette knife,a adding a little more if needed.
4. SO the book says sprinkle with a handful of the fudge pieces, but as mine is soft and not crispy, I spread some in between the layers along with the chocolate.
5. Sandwich the second layer on top, then add more frosting and fudge, followed by the third layer of cake.
6. Frost the sides and top of the cake, covering it completely so that no sponge is showing.
7. Eat!