Chocolate Chip Butter Cookies

~ Posted on Thursday, October 28, 2010 at 12:50 AM ~

After mulling for a while and getting bored with muffins, roast chicken wings and cheesesticks, I decided to take the leap and do something new... cookies!

Was chatting on MSN with a fellow SAHM bloggy friend (Yes, Catheryn, YOU!) when she told me there are premixes for cookies and she tried it long ago. Some time back while grocery shopping, I saw it! Cookies premix! I immediately read the instructions and ingredients required and decided to take the leap on Tuesday 5th Oct.Needless to say, my first attempt at baking the cookies are disastrous!

I attempted this again on 26th October 2010 and yes!

Finally a success!!

Before I forget, I would like to thank this white and gray stray cat (picture on the left) for distracting and keeping my boy busy enough to let mummy attempt to bake this cookies again!

So without further ado, here goes:

CHOCHOLATE CHIP BUTTER COOKIES

PREPARATION TIME: LESS THAN HALF AN HOUR

* About 5 minutes to mix & knead dough
* 10 minutes for baking process 

Ingredients / Tool Required:

* Nona cookie premix (400g)
* 1 egg (at room temperature)
* 150g butter (melted)

* Chocolate chips

* A bowl to mix ingredients in
* Kitchen scale
* Metal cup to store melted butter
* Spatula
* Baking sheet & paper

(*Note: The above measurements are from the premix instructions.
I actually halved the amount to minimise wastage  :P
hence there were 2 attempts for this recipe)

What to Do?

Add premix, add in melted butter Add in egg mixture The mixture after adding choc chips

* Mix to a smooth dough, add in chocolate chips.
* Roll the dough into small balls and place on the baking sheets/tray, spaced slightly apart.
* Flatten each balls slightly.

BAKING PROCESS

* Set oven to 200℃ and bake for 10 minutes until golden brown.

THE RESULTS

5th October 2010-disaster!
Butter cookies with choc chip

27th October 2010-success!!
Chocolate chip butter cookies

REACTIONS FROM MY "GUINEA PIGS"

ME
5th Oct 2010: "Yikes...this is a disaster!! It looks more like chocolate cookies... I should've stayed around and keep an eye on the baking process... it's kinda hard on the outside and just nice inside. Tastewise, not too sweet."
26th Oct 2010:"Yes! This is more like it! Delicious!"
BEN
See pictures below... btw, he had 3 cookies on the day itself!
HUBBY
5th Oct 2010: "You mean this is not chocolate cookies?!" This was followed by jokes while grocery shopping at night about how we could use my cookies as a ninja weapons etc etc... -_-
26th Oct 2010:"Mmm... so much better!"
MIL
5th Oct 2010: "Very hard to bite. Don't give Ben eat."
26th Oct 2010:"Yes! This is more like it! Delicious!"

So there you go.... my CHOCHOLATE CHIP BUTTER COOKIES disaster & success attempts!

Overall, I'm happy with the 2nd attempt! I failed in the 1st attempt as I didn't stay around and keep an eye on the baking process. I realised the instructions stated to bake for 15 minutes and I set it at 20 minutes and went out to the porch to play with Ben and forgot about keeping an eye on the cookies. Yikes! With the experience from the 2nd attempt, I felt much more confident and am going to attempt few more times before I stop relying on premix for cookies..

To view my other recipes, feel free to hop over to my Recipe Library page for more info!

I leave you with some snapshots of my cheeky little man...

Cheeky Ben

Cheeky Ben

Cheeky Ben

Cheeky Ben

Cheeky Ben

Brought to you by: Mama Baker wannabe aka

Cheddar Cheese Popovers

~ Posted on Tuesday, October 26, 2010 at 12:22 AM ~

After quite a long search for a cheesy recipe, I finally decided to do this recipe which was adapted from Cooks.com, although it calls for the use of a popover pan, I substitute it with my new mini muffin pan which is so cute it felt like I'm playing cooking when I was a little girl heheheh.... Apologies as I didn't take the process pictures (busy rushing off the baking cos Ben is pretty fussy today). So anyway, this is my 1st attempt of making:

CHEDDAR CHEESE POPOVERS.

 PREPARATION TIME: Almost an hour, yields 12 mini cheese popovers & 5 in muffin cups

* About 10 minutes to prepare and mix batter
* 50 minutes for baking process

Ingredients / Tool Required:

* A bowl to mix ingredients in
* 2 eggs
* 1 cup water
* 1/2 tsp salt
* 1 cup all-purpose flour
(I used wheat flour)
* 1/4 cup shredded sharp Cheddar cheese, well packed
* Baking tray & mini muffin pans (can make 12 mini muffins)

What to Do?

* In a bowl, beat eggs, water, salt and flour until smooth, using a wire whisk (I don't have a wire whisk, I just use a knife hehehe). Blend in the cheese.
* Grease popover pans generously.
* Cut ham slice into squares and place in on each muffin holes
(I added ham slices into this recipe :D)
* Fill popover cups 2/3 full. (My mistake is my laziness to bake the extra batter in few batches.. instead I poured the rest into muffins cup)

BAKING PROCESS

* Pre-heat oven at 210℃ for about 5 minutes
* Bake at
210℃ for 15 minutes.
* Reduce heat to 180
. Bake 35 minutes longer.
* Remove from cups. Pierce a hole into the side of each popover to allow steam to escape to keep popovers crispy.
* Hold in warm oven no longer than 10 minutes before serving.

THE RESULTS

The yummy ones were baked using the mini muffin pans...

All the Cheddar cheese popovers...

REACTIONS FROM MY "GUINEA PIGS"

* Test subject 1 (aka me): "Presentation OK... But I shouldn't be so lazy! Should've bake in few batches instead of pouring the excess batter into the muffin cups! Those made using mini muffin pans are delicious because of the right amount of batter but those in the muffin cups are failures!"

* Test subject 2 (aka Ben): "Ammm ammm ammm" (opening mouth big-big) - my son can gobbled up anything!

* Test subject 3 (aka hubby): "Super yummy! See! I told u to get the bigger mini muffin tray! U SEE, U SEE!!?? How now? Better get another 2-3 trays!!!"

* Test subject 4 (aka MIL): "Hey the smaller types are delicious. Can I get some more? But the ones in muffin cups are a bit watery - not nice. Next time you make, add some sugar!" (Err... this recipe is called cheese popovers? It's supposed to be salty?!)


So there you go.... my 1st Cheddar Cheese Popovers attempt! Overall, I'm happy with the little ones, but not the ones baked with muffin cups!  Apart from MIL's weird request for me to add sugar for the next attempt, I will definitely bake in few batches when I do this another time. No more laziness and trying to save some time. To view my other recipes, feel free to hop over to my Recipe Library page for more info!

Brought to you by: Mama Baker wannabe aka

Scones

~ Posted on Wednesday, October 20, 2010 at 2:22 PM ~

When my brother in law heard about my journey into the baking world, he suggested I tried making scones. He told me to make in big batches and he'll be glad to pack them off and freeze them and eat it whenever he wants to. I've delayed making this cos I don't have the sufficient ingredients before this. Hence, this is my 1st attempt of making:

SCONES.

A brief info in case you're wondering what it is:

"The scone is a small British quick bread (or cake if recipe includes sugar) of Scottish origin. Scones are especially popular in the United Kingdom, the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and Ireland, but are eaten in many other countries. They are usually made of wheat, barley or oatmeal, with baking powder as a leavening agent."

This recipe was adapted from "Baking (Frame By Frame Cookery) " book. FYI, I revised some of the exact recipe so am not sure whether mine turns out nice or not compared to the actual one. Btw, the last time I had scones was about 5 months before I delivered Ben. Was on a 3D 2N trip double date with my BFF at Cameron Highlands and that was the 1st time I tasted scones, though hubby doesn't even remember this anymore... sigh...

PREPARATION TIME: About 40 minutes, makes 9 scones

* About 10 minutes to mix & knead dough
* 12 minutes for baking process

Ingredients / Tool Required:

* A bowl to mix ingredients in
* Kitchen scale
* Baking tray lined with a baking sheet
* 450g plain flour plus extra for dusting
(I used wheat flour)
* 1/2 tsp salt
* 2tsp baking powder
* 2 tbsp caster sugar
* 55g butter, diced and chilled
* 250ml milk
(I used full cream milk) plus extra for glazing (I forgot to reserve some for glazing, ended up using choc milk to glaze)

What to Do?

* Sift the flour, salt and baking powder into the bowl, add the butter and rub in until mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs.
* Stir in the sugar and make a well in the center.
* Pour in the milk and stir in using a palette knife and bring together to make a soft dough.
* Turn out the dough onto a floured surface.
* LIghtly flatten it until it is 1/2 inch thick.

* Cut out scones using a 2.5 inch biscuit cutter (I don't have a biscuit cutter, I used a round glass) and place on a lined baking sheet, brush with a little milk.

BAKING PROCESS

* Pre-heat oven at 220℃ for about 5 minutes
* Set oven to 210℃ and bake for 10-12 minutes until golden and well risen. Leave to cool on a wire rack.

THE RESULTS

As I totally have no fruit jams at home, I made do with kaya (coconut) spread for hubby and butter for myself.

REACTIONS FROM MY "GUINEA PIGS"

* Test subject 1 (aka me): "Presentation wise, OK... though I think I really should not use chocolate milk to glaze it, but what the heck... Taste wise... Yummy!!! I love it! Even eating it plain also is delicious! And it definitely should be thicker!"

* Test subject 2 (aka Ben): "Ah ah ah" (opening mouth big-big) - check out the pictures below of Ben chomping down one of my scones... He had a few more bites later during tea time :D

* Test subject 3 (aka hubby): "They are nice in fact if you said you bought it I also believe only that the kaya a bit too little :P"

* Test subject 4 (aka MIL): "I just pinched some and tried. Taste like bread."


So there you go.... my 1st SCONES attempt! Overall, I'm happy with it! I cannot remember how the ones I first tasted few years back taste like but I love how mine turns out-kinda like the buns from McDonalds' McMuffin breakfast set mmmm mmmmm... To view my other recipes, feel free to hop over to my Recipe Library page for more info! I leave you with a few pictures of my little man chomping down one of my scones:

Brought to you by: Mama Baker wannabe aka