dinsdag 16 september 2008

TWD: Chocolate Chunkers




Oh my God!!! That's my first reaction after tasting these cookies. If like cookies, you're going to love these cookies! If you're a chocoholic, you're really going to love these cookies! If you're a browniedan, you're definetely going to love these cookies! Thank you Claudia of Fool for Food, for picking this recipe!

Since I get a headache from bittersweet chocolate I only used this for the melting chocolate part. For the chunks of chocolate in these Chunkers I used milk chocolate and white chocolate. Besides all of the chocolate I also opted to use pecans and golden raisins.

I must admit: I had my worries when I saw the batter after adding all the chocolate, pecans and raisins. I couldn't imagine that this lumpy mess would be cookies that would hold their shape. But they turned out great!!

To protect myself from eating all the Chocolate Chunkers I took them to work. My colleagues absolutely adored them: the entire tin was empty by 2 pm!! Some reactions were: OMG, this is the best cookie ever!! What are you doing to us? Where can I buy these cookies? How can I get my fix after you leave? (I got a new job and start there the 3rd of November... I think some of my colleagues are actually going to miss the baking more than they are going to miss me!! ;))

Since my crappy old camera refuses to cooperate with me right now my pictures will follow later. (Don't get too excited, they will look horrible and very dark as it is a really crappy camera!!! :()

Check out the results of my co-bakers at TWD. If you want to start making these wonderful recipes, please consider buying Baking:From My Home to Yours by Dorie Greenspan. So far it is the best cookbook that I have bought!!

Dad's verdict: 9,5 out of 10.

N.B. Out of all the pictures I took only one is OK enough to be published.... But still crappy!!!

woensdag 10 september 2008

TWD: Chocolate Malted Whopper Drops

Yum, it's Tuesday again!! ( O well, it's actually Wednesday but I had some technical difficulties with my Internet yesterday, so I wasn't able to post earlier) Time for my next Tuesday With Dorie challenge: this week featuring Chocolate Malted Whopper Drops, picked by Rachel of Confessions of a Tangerine Tart



So first this recipe had me searching all over the Internet to find out what Whoppers are. Here in Holland Whoppers are Hamburges you can buy at Burger King, but I was sure this had nothing to do with cookies... Finally I found out that Whoppers are similar to Maltesers, fortunately those are available in Holland!!



On to the next one: what the *%$# is Malted Milk? I had never heared of it before... Another look at the TWD site informed me that I could also use Nesquik, so that's what I looked for in the supermarket. Three different kinds of Nesquik??? Chocolate, strawberry and banana?? I thought banana would be a great combo with all the chocolate that would be used, so on I went to the cash register.



With all the ingredients sought out and at home I could finally start baking. This recipe is really easy, and must be fun to make with your kids (because I don't have kids, I wasn't able to test this idea....) I substituted half of the bittersweet chocolate with milk chocolate, simply because I'm not a huge fan of bittersweet chocolate: I find that it is overpowering and it also gives me migraines....



These cookies are very very nice: cakelike and fluffy in the center with crunchy edges, the banana taste was nice and subtle. I couldn't find any Maltesers in the cookies though, I must have cut them too small: next time I'll just halve them.



P.S.1. I forgot to take pictures after baking the Drops..... Because my coworkers have eaten them all I can't take any pictures now... Sorry..... :)

P.S.2 Please forgive me for the horrible pictures, I am using this really old digital camera at the moment, still have to buy a new one after my one-year-old camera was distroyed by suitcases falling on top of my handluggage :(

zondag 7 september 2008

My newest toys!!

Just wanted to show you my newest toys, I absolutely love them!!
Measuring cups made out of silicone:


Ofcourse I also have a wishlist... And on top of that list is a KitchenAid machine, preferably in red to match my other machines!