Peanut Butter-Chocolate Chip Cookies

Peanut Butter-(white or dark) Chocolate chip cookies: 
The best thankyou gift ever... just add the girly twirly ribbons and the "Wisteria Lane" looking-like basket...


I could consider myself an expert by now on baking these peanut butter-chocolate chip cookies, as  I have baked them about four times in the past two weeks! And I never get tired of wipping my finger in the yummy scrummy cookie dough.....


These cookies are an all-time American favourite, with it's crucnhy peanuty texture and the wistful combination between both dark and white chocolate flavours... I'm starting to fly off tto the Olympus of cookies... Peanut butter cookies could consider themselves Zeus "father of all cookies and man-kind" in the greek mythology...


So, what about I stop flying off to the Olympus and tell you how they're made?! 

Ingredients:

• 225g unsalted butter (I recomend at room temperature)
• 200 g white sugar
• 200 g brown sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon of almond exctract
• About 4 tablespoons of crunchy peanut butter
• 340 g plain flour
• 2 and 1/2 teaspoons bicarbonate of soda
• A pinch of salt
• Dark chocolate (chopped)
• White chocolate (chopped)

How it's made:

First of all, preheat the oven to about 200ºc (You'll lower the temperature down at 170ºc when you put the cookies in)

Put the butter and both sugars in a bowl and mix well together until light and fluffy-puffy (I recomend you use an electric mixer/minipimer to do so).

Add the eggs one at a time, beating themand mixing well after each addition.

Beat in the vanilla and almond extract and the  4 tablespoons of crunchy peanut butter (It depends on how you like it... you can always put more or less peanut butter in, you don't have to follow the recipe word for word!)

Add the flour, bicarbonate of soda and salt and mix well until you are left with a soft and smooth dough.

Divide the dough into two separate bowls. In one bowl, you will mix the white chocolate chips and in the other, you will mix the dark ones.

Prepare baking trays lined with greaseproof paper (so the cookie dough balls won't stick to the tray when baking) and arrange about 6 balls spaced apart to enable them to spread while baking.

Bake the cookies for about 10 minutes, or whengolden brown around the edges.

Leave the cookies to cool down before you enjoy them and fly up ti the Olympus with me!

Lots of love, Dessert Disaster XXXXX

Re-invented Bannana Bread

Bannana Bread:

Let's face it, we all fall into the latter group of comfort seekers. And why am I saying this, you may ask? Well, I believe lacking the time or patience to bake unecesary complex recipes, makes us buy horrible junky falseys*.

*(Junkey Falseys= Plastic-tasting, chemicle-filled, unidentified tasteful cakes and sweets...)

That is why I am proud to re-inforce my traditional Bannana Cake, with that extra-moist, warm comfort, that can be enjoyed with a cup of tea or a glass of milk (or, why not, even ice cream!). So eeeeeasy to make, so quick to bake!

Ps: So many variations can be invented and re-invented!! Just add some extra ingredients (Blueberry, Chocolate Chip, White Chocolate Caramel Walnut, Butterscotch Caramel and Walnut...) to the basic dough and... voilà!

My first deliciously devil-sweetened "healthy" Bannana Bread:

• 280g of all-prupose flour
• 1 teaspoon of baking soda
• A pinch of salt
• 140g of salted butter, softened.
• 270g cup of light brown sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 200g mashed bananas (Remember: They must be very ripe!)
• 2 tablespoons of vanilla extract
• 1 tablespoon of honey (to give it a sweet twist)
• Chopped walnuts
• 1/3 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/3 teaspoon ground cinnamon

So here comes the adventure....

Before putting all the ingredients together  in one large bowl, I mixed and matched, I cut, I mashed, I chopped (few... nearly left  my fingers on the chopping board... ) I preheated the oven 200cº  to enable the banana loaf to grow into a yummy size!

In a bowl beat the sugar and eggs until well incorported and fluffy.

Chop the bannanas into tiny pieces  and put them in a bowl. Add the honey (So the bannanas will absorve the sweetness in it and will give the bread a twist)

Mix the fruit and honey together with an electric mixer and add some milk so the mixing is easier and the result much more smooth. Set that aside too.

Add the fruit into the egg mixture and set aside.

Add the flour, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda, cinnamon and ginger to the sugar mixture. Mix** well until all the dry ingredients have been incorporated into the egg mixture. 

**(It's good arm and shoulder exercice.... There, now you've got a good excuse so you won't feel bad when cheating on your diet and eating this heavenly tasting bread!!)

 Mmmmmmmmm..... I am just trying the dough and it is absolutely A-mazing!! :)

Finally, chop the walnuts (they are optional but I would put them in, as they are a sort of... solid surprise you discover every time you chew on the exquisite master piece! - I am getting rather inspired!)

Add the chopped walnuts and stir.

Then pour the masterpiece into the buttered rectangular base and put it in the oven.

Let the bannana bread baby bake for about 45-60 minutes or until firm to the touch and the fork incserted in the centre comes out clean. (But do be carefull not burn the dessert!)

After you've taken the bread out of the oven, let it cool down for a while so you can then enjoy a "healthy" devil-sweetened bannana bread full of exquisitiviness, mmmmmmmmmmmmmm......

It will fly you up to heaven!

Yours faithfully, the Dessert Disaster.

XXX :)

Smartylicious!!

What about a trip back to childhood?

 Although I ain't religious, it could be said that smarties are created by the big man up there...

Ingredients:

1 cup of butter

1 cup of brown sugar

1/2 cup of white sugar

2 eggs

2 teaspoon of vanilla extract

1 teaspoon of baking soda

2 and 1/2 cups of all-purpose flour

Coco powder (optional)

SMARTIES!!!

 Procedure:

First of all preheat the oven to 200 degrees.

After laying a parchment paper sheet on the tray (for baking the yummy scrummy cookies...), mix the flour, the baking soda and the pinch of salt in a bowl.

Set aside.

 In another bowl, mix the melted butter and both types of sugar, until a creamy texture.

Add the beaten eggs, the vanilla extract and stir it all together.

Gradually, join the flour in and mix it all up. Add some cocoa powder (this optional!).

Finally, and most importantly; ADD THE SMARTIES!! Yummmmmmmyy..... I'm already flying...

After mixing all the ingredients, scoop some yummy-scrummy cookie dough and roll it into a ball. Place the cookie dough balls on the tray; you should get about four balls per tray.

Put the cookie balls in the oven for about 12-15 minutes for crispy cookies.

Ps: remember to take the cookies out of the oven when they are still soft and "wobbly". They will cook themselves when you leave them to rest over a tray.

Ps2: I added a teeny-weeny bit of cinnamon to the mixture... Every little helps!

Enjoy!

:)

My sweet trip to heaven... or shall I say hell?

Brownie: 

Ingredients: 

Chocolate cocoa 

1/2 cup of butter 

1 cup of white sugar

1 teaspoon of vanilla extract 

1 teaspoon of baking powder 

A pinch of salt 

1 and 1/2 cup of flour 

2 large eggs 

Walnuts 

Chocolate chips (As you'll see, adore putting chocolate chips in any mixture! Its a funny surprise you discover while enjoying a delightful bite of the heavnly-hell monster)

Procedure: 

First of all, after preheating the oven to 180 Cº, melt the butter (in the microwave, if possible). 

Then mix the melted butter in with the sugar. After mixing leave the creamy texture to rest. 

Add both beaten eggs to the creamy mixture. 

After that, add a spoonfull of vanilla extract (with the mary poppins song included :p Bahahahahaahhahaha.... Ok, bad joke!), the pinch of salt and the baking powder. 

Next, add the flour and the cocoa powder* to the mix.

* As I didn't have any cocoa powder I decided to do this:
I mixed some Nestlé tablet chocolate and some Nestlé dessert cream chocolate (special chocolate for chocolate dressings). I put both types of chocolate in a bowl and melted them together (adding a teeny weeny bit of whole milk).
How did I melt them? Easy peasy! You boil water in a small casserole and put the bowl with both chocolates in, so the heat won't affect the chocolate directly. We call this "Baño Maria"... Don't ask me why or who the hell Maria was and why was she having a bath in a casserole.... Bahahahahahahahaha.... Ok, another bad joke! :s

After mixing the chocolate in, chop the walnuts and add them too! 

Bake the heavenly-hell monster for 35-40 minutes in the oven. 

Finally.... Bon apétit! 

Love, Dessert Disaster XXX

My fairy godmother... the Cupcake!

Chocolate Cupcakes

There is nothing that makes me happier than a lovely, icing-topped chocolate cupcake!

When I'm sad... I eat cupcakes

When I'm bored... I eat cupcakes

When I'm in a bad mood... I eat cupcakes

When I'm in a good mood... I eat cupcakes

When I'm happy... I eat cupcakes

When I'm hungry... I eat cupcakes

Got the idea? 

The good thing about cupcakes is that they are the perfect size. 
You can eat one yourself (and not have to share with anybody!) And not feel guilty after eating it :)
And they are topped with delicious icing sugar... Did I mention when I eat cupcakes??

Ingredients:

1 and 1/2 all purpose flour

1 cup of boiling hot water (Be very careful, don't burn your self!)

2 cups of chocolate powder

2 teaspoons of baking powder

1 teaspoon of salt

1/2 cup of butter

1 cup of white sugar

2 large eggs

2 teaspoons of vanilla extract

1 teaspoon of almond extract

(White) chocolate chips- I decided to add this extra chocolaty surprise :)

Process:

First of all, pre-heat the oven 200 c.

In a separate bowl, mix the steamin' (suuuuper) hot water and the chocolate powder. Let the mixture cool down.

In another bowl, mix the flour, salt and the baking powder. 

Melt the butter and beat it up with the white sugar (in another bowl, of course). Add the eggs to the mixture. After mixing (preferably with an electric mixer) add the vanilla and almond essence.

After that, join the egg and butter mixture into the flour. Stir until you get a creamy texture.

Add the chocolate-water mixture into the creamy texture. The choco mixture should have cooled down by now. Mix well. Then, add the chocolate chips.

Scrape the bowl's sides into muffin cups. Remember, you should only put about three inches in each cup. (They groooow!)

Put them in the oven and let them bake for about 15 minutes. Let the cupcakes cool so you can put the icing on top! 

Hope you enjoy,
Bisous!

Ps: Please note it is 12 o'clock (IN THE FREAKIN' NIGHT!) and I'm pleasantly baking wonderdful cupcakes..... 

When It's 12 at night and I want to eat cupcakes because my tummy is saying "I want yam-yam!".... I eat cupcakes.

My American friends...

Biiiiiig sized Hershey's chocolate chip cookies. 

They are big, they are strong, they are tough, they are... Heaven! 

Ingredients:

2 and 1/2 cups of all-purpose flour 

1 teaspoon of baking soda 

1 cup of butter  

1/2 cup of white sugar 

3/4 cup of brown sugar 

1 teaspoon of vanilla extract 

1 teaspoon of almond extract 

2 eggs 

HERSHEY'S chocolate chips... Yummy!!

(You could also add some macadamia nuts. It sure gives the cookie a tasty twist!)  

Procedure: 

First of all preheat your oven to 200 degrees.

After laying a parchment paper sheet on the tray (to bake the cookies afterwards), mix the flour, the baking soda and spread a pinch of salt in a bowl. Set aside.

In another bowl, mix the butter and both types of sugar until a creamy texture is left. 

Add the beaten eggs and both vanilla and almond extracts into the mixture. Mix and stir with an electrical mixture.

Gradually add the dry ingredients into the cream mixture and continue to mix, until a smooth batter forms. 

The most important step: ADD THE CHOCOLATE CHIPS!!! Yummmmmmmmmmy....  

So, after mixing all the ingredients, scoop some yummy-scrummy cookie dough and roll it into a ball. Place the cookie dough balls on the tray; you should get about 4 balls per tray. 

Put the cookie dough balls in the oven and wait 12-15 minutes for crispy cookies. 

Hope you enjoy and fly up to heaven with these A-mazing cookies... 'Cause they ain't normal cookies... They are biig mammas! 

Bahahahahahhahahaha ;) 

Yours faithfully,
Dessert disaster.  

XXX

Marble cake... also known as zeebra!

Marmel kuchen or marble cake is a traditional recipe that has run through a good friend's family history.

The secret ingredient? Sorry, it's in the genes! Haha...

If this cake was an animal it would be a giraffe or a zeeeebra 'cause it's double coloured! Ain't that cool??
But why am I even writing about animals?! - you have to know that sometimes I act like a crazy woman with twelve cats... But I ain't no crazy woman with twelve cats! Bahahahahahhahahahah  :)


The mysterious delight: 


First of all...

How is the marbelling effect created??  By running your knife (do not stir!) through the two mixtures creating a fun pattern!
Ps: The classic marble cake is chocolate and vanilla, but there are thousands of different variations: chocolate and orange, chocolate and banana...

Ingredients: 


200gr of butter
2 cups of sugar (I usually put: 1 cup of white sugar and 1 cup of brown sugar)
4  teaspoons of vanilla flavouring
3 eggs
2 and 1/2 cups of self-raising flour
6 tablespoons of cornstarch
1or 2 teaspoons of baking soda
A pinch of salt
1 cup of milk
Chocolate (mmmmm... The best part!)

Proceedure:


First of all pre-heat the oven 250 degrees (although I always do it at the end because I can literally spend hours mixing and matching different ingredients just to bake a cake! I'm kinda like Ferran Adrià in the experimenting sense jiji)and then lower to 180ºc once you've put the cake in.
Mix the butter and the two different types of sugar in a bowl until you're left with a smooth texture.
Beat the eggs and add them into the mixture.

Mix the milk and the vanilla together in a bowl aside and then mix it up with the main mixture.
After that, add the flour, the cornstarch (although I added custard powder made out of corn... Wish me luck for the cake to come out well :s) and sprinkle in a pinch of salt.
Beat veeeeeeerry well and separate the delicious, sweet delight into two different bowls.
In the fisrt bowl,  put in  chocolate powder or melted chocolate tablets and some chocolate chips (just in case you didn't have enough chocolate!)
And  in the other bowl, add some ground cinnamon (yes ma dear, zat is the extre tastyness...)
Alternate vanilla-cinnamon mix with double chocolate, while pouring them into the buttered base.
Use a knife (or your fingers... yummy!!) to gently create the marble effect... but careful! Don't get too happy and start mixing,  'cause you'll lose the effect completely!
Wait 35 minutes for the baby to bake and... Let me know how delicious it tastes soon!


Lots of love,  Dessert Disaster.
XXX