I hope everyone is enjoying the beginning of 2012. Mine has held some ups and downs, but I am trying to remain positive.  Now to talk about those wonderful New Years resolutions that people always make, but rarely stick to. As you may have noticed from some of my food posts I love sweets, and making sweets. No I am not talking about giving up these wonderful treats (that could quite likely send me over the edge frankly). I am proposing an effort to make some healthier treats.

To my friends out there who occasionally enjoy my biscuits, chocolates, or baking, I will continue to produce these yummy treats, but for home and for my health I am going to try to make my cooking for home happy and healthy. Good yummy treats, but good for me too :)  There will be photos, there will be blog posts, and there will be disaster. This is not a New Years resolution... this is just a new lifestyle choice.  Now to check what ingredients I need to make my Choc Chunk Cookies for visiting friends this weekend. See, not a resolution, so not breaking anything.

Merry Christmas everyone. This Christmas I am spending with my wonderful boyfriends family for the first time. In an effort to pitch in I am bringing sweet treats. My baking efforts have included Chocolate chunk cookies, Gingerbread and Chocolate brownies. To top it off I have also made Chocolate truffles and will be making Tiramisu. I have been a baking and chocolate queen this week.

Firstly lets have a look at the Chocolate chunk cookies. My work colleagues always love when I bring these into work. My secret is...... doubling the vanilla and using milk and white chocolate melts instead of chips. I am a big fan of vanilla, and if I am putting it in a recipe I want to taste it. Hence the double shot of vanilla in these cookies.

Recipe

125g unsalted butter

3/4 cup of brown sugar

1/2 cup white sugar

2 eggs

2 teaspoons of vanilla essence (it is worth getting essence or even vanilla paste if you can)

2 1/4 cups plain flour

1 teaspoon of bicarb

1 cup of white chocolate melts (roughly chopped)

1 cup of milk chocolate melts (roughly chopped)

It is a basic recipe, and simply a case of preheating the oven to 180 C, then creaming the softened butter and sugars together until light and creamy in texture. Add the eggs and vanilla and mix on medium until well combined. Add the sifted flour and bicarb and stir until they are well mixed in then add the melts. Using a desert spoon, place spoonfuls on the baking tray (lined with baking paper, no greasing or flouring required). Place them in the oven for 10-12 min until the are turning golden. Remove from the tray with spatula and place on a cooling rack, then repeat. This recipe makes between 3-4 dozen depending on the size of the biscuits.

I will post the other recipes over the coming days but here are some pics of the yummy foods I have prepared.  Merry Christmas everyone :)