Cookie Time!

I needed something quick and easy this time round, and I always like chocolate and peanut as a flavour combo, so these cookies fit the bill nicely. I was given the recipe for my Hen's Party with the name "Gran's Peanut Cookies" - they seemed quite familiar when I was making (& sampling!) them, so I did some sleuthing and found they're an old favourite from the Edmonds Cookbook. I used to make them as a kid!

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Gran's Peanut Cookies

1 egg
125gm butter
1 C sugar
1 C flour
1 tsp baking powder
2 Dsp coca
1 C peanuts
1/2 tsp salt

• Beat the butter & sugar until well mixed and pale in colour.
• Add egg, beat again. Then add all the sifted dry ingredients.
• Mix again then add the peanuts.
• Place spoonfuls on a greased/lined tray & bake for 15mins at 170'C

NB: If you use raw peanuts toast them slightly first. I just used roasted salted peanuts (it's what was in my cupboard!) and omitted the salt from the recipe!

Happy Munching!

Nan's Chocolate Cake

Everyone loves a good chocolate cake don't they? I saw this recipe included a few spices so I was interested to try it. Only problem...its a very small recipe - so I made it in my 18cm cake tin (which is pretty small to start with) and it didn't rise much, so it looked like half a cake. Easily fixed though - I just made another one and layered them together!

Topped off with a rich chocolate buttercream frosting and this cake was delicious - the spices gave it that little extra depth of flavour.

Nan's Chocolate Cake

125 gm Butter
2 Dsp Golden Syrup
1 C sugar
1/2 C Milk
1 1/2 C Flour
1-2 Tbsp Cocoa
1/2 tsp Cinnamon
1/4 tsp Mixed Spice
1/2 C Milk
1 tsp Baking Powder
1 tsp Vanilla

• In a pot, melt butter, golden syrup and first quantity of milk
• Sift dry ingredients and then add to the butter mix
• Mix together second quantity of milk with baking powder and vanilla, then add the cake mixture.
• Bake 30-40mins at 180'C

Let me know if you bake it - maybe yours will magically rise & you'll only need one cake!

Heartbreak Cookies

I actually sampled these cookies at a Christmas Cookie swap, which doubled my motivation to make them! Yes, they are good. My niece came for a baking date to help me with my Good Bitches Baking bake, so we made a double batch to have enough for her to take some home (and so my husband could enjoy some baking too!).....it was once we'd eaten the last of our cookies that I discovered why they were probably named Heartbreak Cookies - because you're heartbroken when you run out! But with the amount of chocolaty goodness in them, they're probably pretty medicinal when you've got a broken heart for other reasons too.

My niece and I had a fun time together baking these, & talked a little about how they were going to the local hospice with the hope they'd make someones day a bit better.

Heartbreak Cookies

225g butter, softened
2c sugar
3 eggs
2tsp vanilla
1 1/2c flour
1c cocoa
1tsp baking powder
1tsp salt
1c chocolate pieces (mix of white & dark goes well)
1/2c chopped almonds (or more chocolate!)

• Preheat the oven to 190'C Fan bake
• Cream butter & sugar
• Beat in eggs & vanilla
• In a seperate bowl stir together flour, cocoa, baking powder & salt
• Stir about 1/2 flour mix into creamed mixture
• Add chocolate, nuts & then the remaining flour
• Drop tablespoonfuls onto lined baking trays
• Bake 8-10mins until firm but still springy.
• Eat!

I really think you should make these - you'll thank me later!