Baby Shower Onesie Cookies

Just a quick post so no one thinks I've fallen of the face of the earth. I have some great new recipes to share shortly, as soon as I get a chance to sit down and write something.

I made these cookies a few weeks ago for a friend to take to a baby shower.

They make me want to go shopping for onesis and booties but I doubt my cat would appreciate being dressed in baby clothes.

Happy New Baby!!

Salted Brown Butter Choc-chip Cookies

Autumn is awesome! It has been getting cooler and cooler the last couple of weeks. The one maple tree in my street has been dropping red and orange leaves for me to crunch through on my walk to work. I am loving the cooler days and chilly nights, its the perfect time to enjoy some hot chocolate with some yummy cookies.

Before I started blogging I had a bit of a bad habit of repeating the same recipe over and over again. I'd become obsessed with a particular treat and bake it time and time again until we got tired of eating it. I still haven't been able to face another red velvet cupcake and its been at least 2 years.

These choc-chip cookies were one of those recipes I made many times in a row, but the cool change in weather and a couple of tweaks to the recipe have made me fall in love with them all over again. I think its hard to find a bad choc-chip cookie so its nice to have something a little different, the dark brown sugar and browned butter add extra caramel and nutty flavours to these cookies that make them really special. Want to take it a step further? How about a little sprinkle of salt flakes for that salty sweet taste that works so well.

For the Cookies (for the uninterrupted recipe scroll to the end of the post)
250 grams unsalted butter
2 1/4 cups bread flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup white sugar
1 cup dark brown sugar
1 egg plus 1 egg yolk
2 tablespoon milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup dark choc chips
1 cup roughly chopped dark eating chocolate (pick your favorite)
Rock salt flakes

To make the Cookies- preheat oven to 190 degrees c. and line 2 trays with baking paper.

Melt the butter in a small pan.

With the heat on medium allow the butter to simmer until a golden brown colour skimming any foam off the top as you go, this takes about 10 minutes. Allow to cool.

Add the butter, sugars and cream together.

Add in the egg yolk and milk and mix until well combined.

Gradually add the sifted flour, salt and baking soda, mixing until all the flour is incorporated.

Lastly stir through the chocolate chips and pieces.

Cover the bowl with cling wrap and chill the dough in the fridge for half and hour.

After the dough is chilled scoop heaped tablespoons and roll into balls.

Place the balls of dough onto the cookie sheets about 5cm apart.

Flatten the dough down slightly.

This next part is optional, sprinkle the unbaked cookies with a tiny bit of salt flakes. (I did half with salt and half without.)

Bake the cookies for about 15 minutes until golden brown. Allow the cookies to cool on trays.

If you can wait that long! Enjoy.

Brown Butter Salted Choc Chip Cookies
250 grams unsalted butter
2 1/4 cups bread flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup white sugar
1 cup dark brown sugar
1 egg plus 1 egg yolk
2 tablespoon milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup dark choc chips
1 cup roughly chopped dark eating chocolate (pick your favorite)
Rock salt flakes

• Preheat oven to 190 degrees c. and line 2 trays with baking paper.
• Melt the butter in a small pan. 
• With the heat on medium allow the butter to simmer until a golden brown colour skimming any foam off the top as you go, this takes about 10 minutes. Allow to cool.
• Add the butter, sugars and cream together.
• Add in the egg yolk and milk and mix until well combined.
• Gradually add the sifted flour, salt and baking soda, mixing until all the flour is incorporated.
• Lastly stir through the chocolate chips and pieces.
• Cover the bowl with cling wrap and chill the dough in the fridge for half and hour.
• After the dough is chilled scoop heaped tablespoons and roll into balls.
• Place the balls of dough onto the cookie sheets about 5cm apart. 
• Flatten the dough down slightly. 
• This next part is optional, sprinkle the unbaked cookies with a tiny bit of salt flakes. (I did half with salt and half without.)
• Bake the cookies for about 15 minutes until golden brown. 
• Allow the cookies to cool on trays.

Anzac Biscuits

I feel like I had to post this recipe before the end of April, last Wednesday was Anzac Day so of course I made Anzac Biscuits. Anzac Biscuits were originally sent to Australian soldiers during World War I, due to them be egg free they didn't spoil and lasted the trip. Anzac biscuits make a great anytime cookie, it is pretty likely you have all the ingredients needed already in the pantry and they take hardly any time at all to make.

Anzac biscuit fans can be be divided into two teams, some go for hard crispy cookies while others prefer the soft chewy variety. I am happy with either way, its the oaty golden syrup flavour that I really enjoy, though this recipe makes flat chewy biscuits.

For the Anzac Biscuits (for the full recipe scroll to the end of the post)

1 cup rolled oats
1 cup shredded coconut
1 cup pain flour
3/4 cup caster sugar
125 grams butter (chopped)
2 tablespoons golden syrup
2 tablespoons boiling water
1 1/2 teaspoons bicarb soda

To make the Anzac biscuits- Line baking trays with baking paper an preheat oven to 170 degrees c.

Add the oats, flour, sugar and soda to a large bowl and mix together.

Stir the butter and golden syrup in a medium saucepan until melted.

Turn off the heat and add the bicarb soda and give it a little stir. The mixture will froth and expand, so make sure you use a big enough pan so it wont overflow.

Pour the butter and syrup mixture into the bowl with the dry ingredients.

Mix until well combined.

Take tablespoons of the mixture and roll it into balls, place the balls of mixture onto the prepared pans and flatten slightly. Space the unbaked cookies about 5 cm apart on the trays as they will spread quite a bit.

Bake the Anzac biscuits for 15 to 20 minutes or until they are a nice golden brown. Keep and eye on them toward the end they will brown quickly, I got distracted and ended up over cooking my first batch. Take the biscuits out of the oven and allow to cool completely on the baking trays.

Chewy Anzac Biscuits
1 cup rolled oats
1 cup shredded coconut
1 cup pain flour
3/4 cup caster sugar
125 grams butter (chopped)
2 tablespoons golden syrup
2 tablespoons boiling water
1 1/2 teaspoons bicarb soda

• Line baking trays with baking paper an preheat oven to 170 degrees c.
• Add the oats, flour, sugar and soda to a large bowl and mix together.
• Stir the butter and golden syrup in a small saucepan until melted. Turn off the heat and add the bicarb soda and give it a little stir, the mixture will bubble and froth.
• Pour the butter and syrup mixture into the bowl with the dry ingredients and mix until all combined.
• Take tablespoons of the mixture and roll it into balls, place the balls of mixture onto the prepared pans and flatten slightly. Space the unbaked cookies about 5 cm apart as they will spread quite a bit.
• Bake the Anzac biscuits for 15 to 20 minutes or until they are a nice golden brown. Remove biscuits from oven and allow to cool completely on the baking trays.

Hot Cross Bun Cookies

I have been thinking about making some more hot cross buns but had a hard time coming up with a flavour I'd enjoy more than the Raspberry White Choc-Chip Hot Cross Buns from last year. Rather than making the same buns again I decided to take the idea in a different direction, Hot Cross Cookies. Studded with currants and full of yummy spices these cookies take the best parts of hot cross buns and turn them into a cute little treat you can dunk in your tea.

For the Cookies (makes 12)

65 grams butter (softened)

1/3 cup caster sugar
1 egg

1/4 cup dried currants

1 cup self raising flour (sifted)

1/2 teaspoon mixed spice

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

1 tablespoon milk

3 tablespoons Jam (I used mixed fruit because it was all I had)

To make the Cookies- Line cookie tray with baking paper and preheat oven to 160 degrees c.

Add the butter, sugar and egg together in a mixing bowl, beat with an electric mixer until light and fluffy.

With a spoon or spatula stir in half of the currants, flour, spices and milk.

Mix in the second half of the dry ingredients and milk until well combined.

Scoop heaped teaspoons of cookie dough and roll into balls. Place the unbaked cookies on the prepared tray about two inches apart. Do not flatten.

Bake the cookies for about 15 minutes. While the cookies are baking place the jam in a small saucepan and warm until thin and smooth.

After removing the cookies from the oven brush with jam and allow to cool on the tray. While the cookies are cooling making the frosting for the crosses.

For the Frosting

1/2 cup icing sugar

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

1 teaspoon of water

To make the frosting- mix the icing sugar, cinnamon and water in a small bowl until smooth.

Fill a squeezy bottle or fine tipped piping bag with the cinnamon frosting, pipe a cross on top of each cookie and allow to set.