Each week I aim to use one lunch hour to go home (my apartment is a five-minute walk from my office), bake something from scratch, and come back to work. Suggestions for items to make in this time are most welcome, keeping in mind that I effectively have 50 minutes (and I should be able to eat my lunch in this time as well!).
Today I made chocolate chip cookies; not much of a challenge as they're an old favourite but they are delicious, and it only took me 45 minutes from leaving the office till I was walking back in the door with a plate of warm chocolate chip cookies - much to the surprise and delight of my colleagues!
The recipe is pretty simple, and I'm yet to mess it up (even though it's been used for many late-night study-fuelling baking sessions, where I'm most prone to error!).
The most important thing as far as taste is concerned is the chocolate chips. It might sound obvious, but they're the backbone of chocolate chip cookies and good chocolate = good cookies! I use these Callebaut bittersweet chocolate chips (about 50% cocoa solids, I think), which are delicious and counter the sugary cookies perfectly.
Chocolate Chip Cookies
Recipe
180g butter
1 cup brown sugar, packed
1/2 cup white sugar
1 egg + 1 egg yolk
2 tsp vanilla extract
2 cups + 2 Tbsp flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 cups chocolate chips
Method
Preheat oven to 160 C.
Melt the butter then beat together with sugar until fluffy. Beat in eggs and vanilla.
Mix together the dry ingredients then beat with butter until just combined. Mix in chocolate chips.
Form into balls on a greased baking tray (no need to flatten them) then bake for 11-14 minutes.
Enjoy warm!
(the photo of the finished cookies will come later, when I've had a chance to get it off the camera at home. I uploaded these ones while the cookies were baking!).
Hi! I'm Rosa, a.k.a. Mrs Cake, and I live in Wellington, New Zealand. I love food in all its forms, my fabulous family, and a bit of good old-fashioned Kiwi DIY. This blog started around food but has evolved to include some other bits and pieces - I hope you'll join me for the journey!
yummy! Must try this one...
ReplyDeleteI'm still a fan of brownies for the speed of them - 30 minutes from start doing stuff to out of the oven.
ReplyDeleteCan't beat afghans for a quick cookie fix, though you might have to ice them at work once they've cooled. Anzac biscuits also a quick option.
ReplyDeleteAnistasya: thanks! It's well worthwhile, trust me. ;-)
ReplyDeleteDaniel, I haven't made brownies for so long they'll definitely have to go on the list. Plus they're a well-proven crowd pleaser, for more brownie points (heh) with my workmates.
Mark - mmm, afghans, maybe they're next week's challenge. There's a cafe called Enigma just around the corner from your work on Courtenay Place, and they sell afghans the size of dinner plates (well, maybe a bit of an exaggeration but they're HUGE) for $3 a pop.
Bought afghans are NEVER as good as homemade ones. I don't know why. Maybe they are stingy with the cornflakes.
ReplyDeleteI reckon you should experiment with microwave cakes - I used to make this delicious (and not dry) mocha cake and it took about 10 mintues from start to finish (including icing).
Sylvia, the afghans at this cafe are amazing! But I agree usually - and definitely mass produced ones never come close.
ReplyDeleteMicrowave cake is a good idea - I hadn't thought of that but I'm sure my workmates would be completely amazed if I walked back in with a cake after an hour out of the office. ;-) I like the way you think!