Mountains of New Year Cookies and a... Chocolate Bread-Cake...

Chinese New Year is approaching, it's the season where all families stock up all kinds of goodies to welcome the new year and for all to enjoy. For me, the excitement of having Chinese New Year has gradually decreased over the years... Why so? Well, when you are younger, the thought of receiving red packets and gorging on never-ending supply of sweets and chocolates would really seem like a dream come true and to add to that, no school! But as I grew up, the excitement seems to fade away with each approaching year, though I still enjoy not having to attend school of course. 

But this year, for some reasons... I am looking forward to the Lunar New Year, maybe it was because I wasn't here to celebrate it with my family last year so I sort of miss having reunion dinner with the rest, all the laughters and noise of having all the relatives over at my place, and not to forget... listening to those irritating Chinese New Year songs... =)

This year, I took time off to make some cookies for Chinese New Year. A must have - Pineapple tarts! Healthier choices - 1) Cranberries and Oatmeal Cookies, 2) Pecans and Chocolate Chips Cookies. They turn out quite well except for the pecan cookies, it was a little flat but awfully crispy so that made up for its appearances I guess.

Well, I have to say most of the cookies turn out quite well and are quite delicious! Hopefully, I won't be snacking on them too often or there would nothing else left for the rest.

I tried to make another chocolate bread but change the proportions of the flour and water, thanks to my itchy fingers, the chocolate bread or maybe it should be called a cake... no... it is a hybrid of both... chewy, spongy yet soft at the same time. It was still quite enjoyable, maybe it was due to the loads of bittersweet chocolate chips that I invested in the bread-cake. Haha.

The Oatmeal and Cranberries Cookie Recipe

this is specially for my sis-in-law who enjoyed the oatmeal and cranberries cookies, here it is:

70g rolled oats

210g soft unsalted butter

100g caster sugar

220g all-purpose flour

1 tsp baking powder

1 packet dried cranberries (add/subtract to individual's liking)

1. Preheat oven at 150 degrees celsius

2. Mix butter and sugar until it is pale and creamy

3. Add the flour, baking powder, oats and cranberries to the mixture

4. Place the firm dough in the refrigerator for about half an hour

5. Roll it into a slim cylinder shape

6. Cut the dough at intervals of half a centimeter (0.5cm)

7. Place on baking try lined with backing paper

8. Bake for 15 mins, or till the top of the cookies has a nice pale golden color

9. Remove from oven and cool

10. Enjoy!

Tips:

Add the cranberries last, this prevents the cranberries from breaking up into small pieces, I prefer it whole.

Try not to cut the dough too thick as unlike some cookie mixture, the dough will not spread out and become flatter in the heat of the oven, it maintains its shape quite well.

this is for daff! =)

mr. original chocolate chip cookie

i baked my original chocolate chip cookie today, after refrigerator it for more than 18 hours. it turned out crispy outside, and a little fudgy on the inside, just the way i love my cookies!!

and this one below is a gift, a gift to apologize for over-reacting, which i wonder... was it due to my hormones screwing up my system [my aunt came knocking the very next day =)], although i have not said anything to that person yet, i was hurt badly and while licking my wounds, i used words that i shouldn't have, so this is gift of words...

COOKIES... COOKIES...COOKIES

the recent upload of photos taken in melbourne tells me only one thing... it's time to lose some weight, sista! but all i did was bake more cookies! well, i had a valid reason, i needed them, i needed them to elevate my spirits, ease my pissed-off soul and calm myself down before i transformed into a sarcastic bi*ch *giggles*

mr. totally chocolate chip cookie did wonders to my spirits with its lasting bittersweet chocolate after-taste, every mouthful was filled by the crumbly cookie dough, the cookie crumbles the moment your teeth sinks into them, clinging onto the melted chocolate chips as a lifeline.

miss. oatmeal cookie was wonderfully created by tangy cranberries and oatmeal which gave the cookies a subtle but wonderful earthy smell. i was surprised by how juicy the cranberries buried in the cookie dough were!

look forward to the appearance of mr. original chocolate chip cookie tomorrow!

totally chocolate chip cookie recipe (nigella's website):

125g dark chocolate, minimum 70% cocoa solids

150g flour

30g cocoa, sieved

1 tsp bicarbonate of soda

1/2 tsp salt

125g soft butter

75g light brown sugar

50g white sugar

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 egg, cold from the fridge

350g semi-sweet chocolate morsels or dark chocolate chips

1. Preheat oven to 170°C/gas mark 3. Melt the 125g dark chocolate either in the microwave or in a heatproof dish over a pan of simmering water.
2. Put the flour, cocoa, bicarbonate of soda and salt into a bowl.
3. Cream the butter and sugars in another bowl. Add the melted chocolate and mix together.
4. Beat in the vanilla extract and cold eggs, and then mix in the dry ingredients. Finally stir in the chocolate morsels or chips.
5. Scoop out 12 equal-sized mounds - an ice cream scoop and a palette knife are the best tools for the job - and place on a lied baking sheet about 6cm apart. Do not flatten them.
6. Bake for 18 minutes, testing with a cake tester to make sure it comes out semi-clean and not wet with cookie mixture.
7. leave to cool slightly on the baking sheet for 4-5 minutes, then transfer them to a cooling rack to harden as they cool.