Totally Chocolate Chocolate Chip Cookies

Half an hour into watching Nigella Lawson whip up a batch of 12 giant cookies in her Kitchenaid, Ed looked at me with a pitiful expression and described how much he wanted to eat them. I suppose it was no coincidence that the look came right after Nigella Lawson revealed that half a kilogram of chocolate went into those 12 cookies.

Suddenly inspired and thinking of the big block of Valrhona Dark Chocolate I had stashed away in the refrigerator, I pulled my Kitchenaid out of the sad recesses of the kitchen and placed it in it's rightful throne - between the sink and stove.

And these cookies were good! I wouldn't advise eating more than 1 at a go, though Ed downed 4 easily.

Now I'm thinking brioche or cinnamon rolls or just plain old brownies!

Christmas Cookies

I mentioned in my last post that this Christmas has been rather unusual. Ever since I got started on throwing dinner parties for friends (read: using friends as guinea pigs for new recipes), I have had a Christmas party every year for my close group of girlfriends - the ones with voracious appetites. Except this year.

Perhaps it is because this year we decided to run away to Phuket for a quick weekend trip instead. Perhaps it is because I got lazy. Whatever it is, I didn't throw any party. I did however, help out with the raclette party I mentioned in my last post.

You would have thought I'd have become more proficient over the years, having thrown a fair number of parties (brunches, teas, dinners). I thought so too myself! But alas, from the raclette party, it seems I have not.

The plan was to have the party at my friend's new home in the east. However, her home was so new it did not have a refrigerator. Some of the preparation therefore had to be done in the day at my place. My friend, G, came over in the morning and we settled on the Linzer sandwich cookie and pecan pie recipes we wanted to use before doing some grocery shopping.

Somehow, the massivity of the project did not occur to me (even as I was trying to cream 1.36kg of butter in my kitchenaid) until I had to sieve and mix 12 cups of flour with all the other dry ingredients. Yes, you read right. 12 full cups of flour. G and I had multiplied the recipe, thinking we could bake a couple more for our colleagues, and had to whip out our muscles and mix the ingredients together in the biggest pot I had. By 3pm, we had only managed to roll them into balls of dough to rest in the refrigerator.

At that point, we had to make a call. We had to do another round of grocery shopping for the actual raclette party and quickly chop and saute the accompaniments. And we were far away from where we had planned to be at 3pm. We decided to split up - I'd stay to finish up the cookies, he'd leave for the party venue and start the preparations on that end.

To cut the long story short, I only finished baking at 630pm; the dough was given too little time to firm up and became tricky to handle. I rushed to Holland Village to pick up the cheese and raclette grill before heading to the east for the party. Somehow, thankfully, we made it and the party was a success. I'm glad to report, so were the cookies.

Even though we had to substitute the hazelnuts with almonds, they turned out very well. Incredibly crumbly and just the right amount of sweetness, they were well received. I had half the dough i.e. 6 round discs of dough left and decided to bake a few more for my mum's guests this afternoon. Here's the recipe for those who might be planning belated Christmas parties and are thinking of edible gifts for guests to doggie bag home.

Linzer Sandwiches

Adapted from Martha Stewart dot com

Makes 16

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Ingredients

1 cup (or 150g) roasted, unpeeled almonds, ground

2 sticks (or 226g) butter, at room temperature

1/2 cup caster sugar

1 large egg

1 tsp pure vanilla extract

2 cups plus 2 tbpsn flour

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1/4 tsp ground nutmeg

1/4 tsp table salt

icing sugar (optional)

raspberry/cherry jam

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Method

With an electric mixer with a paddle attachment, beat butter and sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy for about 2 minutes.

Add egg and beat until smooth for about 3 minutes, then beat in vanilla extract.

In a separate bowl, whisk together almonds, flour, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt.

Add to butter mixture, beat on low until just combined - takes about 2 minutes.

Separate dough into 3 portions, rolling each between 2 pieces of plastic (I usually slice open an ordinary sandwich bag for one reasonably big piece of plastic. This also helps with mess management later on since it negates the need for a floured surface.) until 0.5cm thick.

Freeze each disc for at least an hour, or overnight, ensuring they are kept flat in the freezer.

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Preheat oven to 180 degrees celcius.

Have 2 baking sheets lined with baking paper ready.

Using a 5cm round fluted cookie cutter, cut out cookies from one disc and transfer to baking sheets.

Using a 2 or 3cm round fluted cookie cutter, cut the centers out of half the cookies. Repeat for the other two discs.

Bake cookies for 10 minutes or until edges are golden, rotating halfway through if the heat distribution in the oven is not even. In the meantime, combine the scraps from the discs, reroll, freeze until reasonably hardened and cut for subsequent batches.

Remove from oven and place on wire racks until completely cool.

Lightly sift the icing sugar over the decorative tops (optional); set aside.

Spread a scant teaspoon of jam on the bottoms of each cookie and sandwich with their punched out tops.

Chocolate-Toffee Cookie

I've been stuck at home the whole weekend, or more accurately, I've been bound to my laptop because once in a while I'd receive an sms asking me to check my email as soon as possible. It's no fun, so I'm glad this won't last for long.

Given lemons, we should make some tangy, refreshing and spunky lemonade. Given bittergourd, we should stir-fry them with deliciously salty black bean sauce and pork ribs until meltingly soft. So I stopped whining about not being able to visit my favourite shopping haunts, and did something I had not done in a while - bake.

As easy as 1, 2, 3, 4.

Epicurious recently did an article about their most popular recipes on their website. Among a Three-Cheese Fondue with Champagne, Creme Brulee French Toast, and a Double Chocolate Layer Cake was a Giant Chocolate-Toffee Cookie that looked like all the elements of a great chocolate cookie rolled (or in this case, baked) into one.

Thinking it'd be a great idea to bring a big jar of chocolate cookies to work to help everyone cope with the Monday blues, I went out to buy some chocolate-coated toffee bars and eggs. When I settled into the whisking, stirring, scraping and chopping in my kitchen, I was reminded how much I really enjoy baking, cooking, preparing food. I literally stood in front of my oven, unable to peel my eyes away from the beautifully bubbling batter.

True enough, all elements of a great chocolate cookie - chewy, intensely chocolate-y and yummiliciously rich. Not to mention that these are not difficult to bake, and do not require any fancy equipment or ingredients.

I think I could get used to this. Not that I want to get stuck at home during the weekends, virtually chained to my laptop. But if this ever happens again, I know just the thing to do to help ease my pain.

Unfortunately (or not), Halloween is not very popular in Singapore. Other than a handful of themed parties at the more popular clubs and pubs, or a flourish of pumpkins, broomsticks and spider-web decorations at expat-heavy hangouts, the rest of Singapore lives in oblivion to this very fun celebration.

If I had more time, I would have had a Halloween themed party at my place, full of ghoulish treats and carved mini-pumpkins for decoration. It would have been such a blast surfing the net for inspiration.

The next best thing I could do was spent a couple of nights baking cookies to distribute during Halloween. I recently attended J's Cookie Decorating Class at Shermay's and that gave me plenty of confidence to try something on my own. Though these were nowhere as pretty as those I witnessed J making, they were a good start. I generally try to stay away from overly fiddly diddly stuff as I'm not particularly artistic nor nimble. But I could not resist putting what I learnt into practice.

I did spend quite a bit of time baking and decorating these lemon and orange cookies. I'm also casualty to horribly stained fingers as I'm not a particularly neat and careful cookie decorator. I desperately need to get myself some proper hardy disposable piping bags seeing how the makeshift ones I created out of normal plastic bags spontaneously burst a couple of times, spewing burgundy cream all over the cookies.

But all that effort, working way into the wee hours of the morning, was worth it when I went around the office the next day distributing the cookies to unsuspecting colleagues. Some even questioned when Halloween was, or whether those odd looking things were edible!

I really wished everyone would get into the mood and allow Halloween costumes for work, trick or treating each other's division. That would be amazing fun, but it'd probably take a million ghoul years to realise (read: never).

Hazelnut Shortbread

Everytime I endeavour cookies, I tend to pick those whose dough keeps well in the chiller or freezer, so that I can retrieve them for any emergencies. By keep well, I mean that they can be pre-shaped but would not require too much space in the refrigerator. Friends who have taken a peek into my refrigerator sometimes get a little (perhaps slightly understated) taken aback by how packed it is. It is probable, however, that with just some proper organisation (something I swear to get down to in my lifetime), my refrigerator can be trimmer.

Digression aside, all that means that shortbread cookies that are shaped into logs, refrigerated and sliced only before baking have a permanent place in my repertoire of recipes. Flipping through Gordon Ramsey's Just Desserts on one of those rare slow nights, I spotted a simple enough recipe for Hazelnut Shortbread. Coincidentally, I had all the necessary ingredients at the moment and started working on the dough immediately.

I shaped it into 4 logs, that I have since used up on different occasions. As after dinner souvenirs for girlfriends, as a post-lunch accompaniment to Gryphon's vanilla sencha tea, as a way to show my appreciation or care, or simply to let my mum know that I love her (Mothers' Day is coming up, and one can never start giving too early).

Buttery, crumbly, delicately thin and rich, with the amazing aroma of hazelnuts, they disappear almost as quickly as they are baked. I had already tripled the quantities, but still wish I had made a few more logs to leave behind for my family as I'll be overseas for the next week or two.

I have had friends comment that my family must feel so fortunate to have an almost loony daughter who would bake way past midnight just to destress, as they get to enjoy the foods of my labour. But I realise that I usually share these with my friends more than I do with my family, and they sometimes get a wee bit neglected.

I guess it is never too late to repent.

Hazelnut Shortbread

From Gordon Ramsey's Just Desserts

Makes about 20

Ingredients

200g plain flour

1/4 tsp sea salt

125g unsalted butter, softened

90g caster sugar

1 large free-range egg, beaten

50g finely ground roasted hazelnuts

Method

Sift flour with salt.

Cream the butter and sugar together using an electric mixer until smooth and creamy.

Gradually work in the egg.

With the mixer on its slowest setting, add the flour a spoonful at a time, then the nuts.

Stop mixing as soon as the dough comes together.

Lift the dough on to a sheet of cling film.

Shape into a roll, about 4cm in diameter and wrap well.

Chill for at least 2 hours until firm.

To bake, preheat the oven to 160 degrees celcius.

Slice off rounds of dough, 5mm thick.

Place on a non-stick baking sheet and prick lightly with a fork.

Bake for about 20 minutes until very pale golden.

Leave on the baking sheet for a minute, then lift on to a wire rack.

For a classic appearance, sprinkle with sugar as they cool.

Dough keeps for up to a week in the refrigerator, or for yonks in the freezer - just let it defrost in the chiller section overnight or at least a few hours. If dough is too hard to slice cleanly, dip knife into a cup of hot water and wipe dry with the kitchen towel before slicing.

Butter Pillows

Delicate cookies that are firm between your fingers but which crumble more than willingly under the bite. Buttery, laced with ground almonds and rolled in cinnamon sugar, giving it a nice hint of spice and the slightest crunch with each mouthful, these cookies when hand-shaped and baked, puff up into extremely adorable crescents blushing golden brown at their tips.

I made them fairly plump and substantial, the kind that you would dig out from the large cookie jar to munch on senselessly, wrapped up in a faded yellow fleece blanket and watching your favourite drama serial (Judging Amy) or bitchy reality show (Project Runway).

But make them small and bite-sized, and they'll be perfect for a chic tea party - uber cute and easy to pop into your mouth without any unglamourous mess. The only problem would be restraining yourself from grabbing too many at a time lest it runs out before you can have your third piece. If you have a few girlfriends over who want to help with some cookie-making, these are also perfect since the only time consuming part is the shaping of the cookies. Plenty of fun and girl bonding is guaranteed. The dough took just about 5 minutes to put together (with a KitchenAid or any sturdy electric mixer with a paddle attachment).

I have no idea who would turn down these beautiful buttery pillows, which are actually called Fleisher Family Hornchen. Made with finely ground blanched almonds, these are German cookies that I found in Carole Walter's 'Great Cookies: Secrets to Sensational Sweets'. The recipe can actually be found online as well. If you're looking for a cookie to add to your repertoire of Christmas Cookie Recipes, this is a definite must-have.