Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ingredients

3/4

cup granulated sugar

3/4

cup packed brown sugar

1

cup butter or margarine, softened

1

teaspoon vanilla

1

egg

2 1/4

cups Gold Medal™ all-purpose flour

1

teaspoon baking soda

1/2

teaspoon salt

1

cup coarsely chopped nuts

1

package (12 ounces) semisweet chocolate chips (2 cups)

Directions

• 1 Heat oven to 375ºF.
• 2 Mix sugars, butter, vanilla and egg in large bowl. Stir in flour, baking soda and salt (dough will be stiff). Stir in nuts and chocolate chips.
• 3 Drop dough by rounded tablespoonfuls about 2 inches apart onto ungreased cookie sheet.
• 4 Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until light brown (centers will be soft). Cool slightly; remove from cookie sheet. Cool on wire rack.

By MARYAM ALI

Double Chocolate Muffin Recipe

Ingredients

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• ¼ teaspoon baking soda
• 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
• ½ cup + 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ½ cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
• ¼ cup vegetable oil
• ⅓ cup milk
• 3 tablespoons Greek yogurt
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 large egg
• Extra chocolate chips for decoration

Instructions

1. For muffins, I will prepare dry and wet ingredients separately.

PREPARE DRY INGREDIENTS

1. I will sift 1 cup of all-purpose flour, 1 teaspoon of baking powder, ¼ teaspoon of baking soda, 2 tablespoons of unsweetened cocoa powder, ½ cup plus 2 tablespoons of granulated sugar, And ½ teaspoon of salt. Baking is definitely better with a little bit of salt. Then whisk to combine. And finally I will stir in ½ cup of semi-sweet chocolate chips.

WET INGREDIENTS

1. In a mixing ball, I will add ¼ cup of vegetable oil, ⅓ cup of milk, 3 tablespoons of Greek yogurt, 1 teaspoon of pure vanilla extract, and 1 large egg. And lightly whisk to combine.

COMBINE DRY AND WET

1. Then pour the wet mixture into the dry. And again just whisk until combined. Seriously muffins are as easy as pancakes. I love its simplicity. The batter should be liquidy enough. If yours is not like this, you can add extra milk to adjust the thickness. Now fill the muffin molds with batter. ⅔ full. And decorate with chocolate chips on top. Never forget this because the crust should be delicious with extra chocolate chips, too.

BAKE

1. And bake in the oven preheated to 350 degrees F. (180 C.) for 20 to 23 minutes. Rotate the pan front-to-back at about halfway through the baking time. Out of oven, let cool for a few minutes in the pan and transfer to a wire rack to cool completely
2.  

Chocolate Cheesecake

INGREDIENTS

• Melted butter, to grease
• 1 x 250g pkt plain chocolate biscuits, coarsely broken
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 150g butter, melted
• 250g dark chocolate, finely chopped
• 155g (3/4 cup) caster sugar
• 3 eggs
• 3 x 250g pkts cream cheese, at room temperature
• 2 tablespoons cocoa powder, sifted
• 1 teaspoon vanilla essence
• 2 x 300g ctns sour cream
• Cocoa powder, extra, to serve
• Double cream, to serve

METHOD

• Step 1
  Preheat oven to 160°C. Brush a 24cm (base measurement) springform pan with melted butter to lightly grease. Line the base with non-stick baking paper.
• Step 2
  Place the biscuit, cinnamon and butter in the bowl of a food processor and process until well combined. Transfer mixture to the prepared pan. Use a straight-sided glass to spread and press mixture firmly over the base and side of the pan. Cover with plastic wrap and place in the fridge for 30 minutes to chill.
• Step 3
  Place the chocolate in a heatproof bowl over a saucepan of simmering water (make sure the bowl doesn't touch the water) and stir for 5 minutes or until melted.
• Step 4
  Use an electric beater to whisk together the sugar and eggs in a large bowl until light and creamy. Add the cream cheese and beat until well combined. Use a metal spoon to fold in the chocolate, cocoa powder and vanilla until just combined. Add the sour cream and stir to combine.
• Step 5
  Pour the mixture into the biscuit base and smooth the surface. Bake for 1 hour or until just set in the centre. Turn oven off. Leave cake in oven, with door ajar, for 2 hours or until cooled completely (this will prevent the cake from cracking). Cover and place in fridge for 2 hours to chill. Dust with extra cocoa powder and serve with cream.

By- Maryam Ali

Chocolate Brownies

Brownie Ingredients

This recipe calls for:

6 Tablespoons Unsweetened Cocoa

1/4 Cup Butter

1 Cup Sugar

1/2 Teaspoon Vanilla

1/4 Teaspoon Salt

1/3 Cup Flour

2 Eggs

1 Cup Toasted Pecans 

 

 

 

First Step: Melting and Mixing

First, in a microwavable dish, melt the 1/4 cup of butter (make sure that the butter is completely melted, otherwise it will not mix in with the other ingredients, and you will have to start over). Then stir this into the 6 Tablespoons of Unsweetened Cocoa.

 

Second Step: Mixing Brownie Batter

Now, combined with the butter and cocoa--mix in thoroughly:

I Cup Sugar

2 Eggs

1/2 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract

1/3 Cup Flour

1/4 Teaspoon Salt 

 

Third Step: Brownie Batter

This is how your final batter should look. If you would like to add pecans to your batter, do it now.

Now, pre-heat oven to 325F degrees.

 

Fourth Step: Flouring The Brownie Pan

You will need to flour the baking pan. First, cover the glass dish with Crisco (vegetable fat) or butter. Then, put a few tablespoons of flour or cocoa in the dish, and shake it until the sides and bottom are covered. This will keep the brownies from sticking to the dish.

 

Fifth Step: Pouring Brownie Batter

Pour the brownie batter into the dish.

 

Sixth Step: Cooking and Cooling Brownies

 After your oven has preheated to 325F, put the brownies into the oven for 35-40 minutes. Poke your brownies with a toothpick. If the tooth pick comes out clean, your brownies are done! Now, take them out of the oven and let them cool until slightly warm. You are ready to cut and serve. 

By Maryam Ali

Chocolate cake

Recipe of Chocolate Cake

Preparation time

less than 30 mins

Cooking time

30 mins to 1 hour

Serves

Makes 1 cake

Dietary

Vegetarian

Perfect for birthdays, this is a great recipe for an easy, foolproof chocolate cake. It’s moist and fudgy and will keep well for 4-5 days.

Ingredients

For the cake

• 225g/8oz plain flour
• 350g/12½oz caster sugar
• 85g/3oz cocoa powder
• 1½ tsp baking powder
• 1½ tsp bicarbonate of soda
• 2 free-range eggs
• 250ml/9fl oz milk
• 125ml/4½fl oz vegetable oil
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 250ml/9fl oz boiling water

For the chocolate icing

• 200g/7oz plain chocolate
• 200ml/7fl oz double cream

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas 4. Grease and line two 20cm/8in sandwich tins.
2. For the cake, place all of the cake ingredients, except the boiling water, into a large mixing bowl. Using a wooden spoon, or electric whisk, beat the mixture until smooth and well combined.
3. Add the boiling water to the mixture, a little at a time, until smooth. (The cake mixture will now be very liquid.)
4. Divide the cake batter between the sandwich tins and bake in the oven for 25-35 minutes, or until the top is firm to the touch and a skewer inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean.
5. Remove the cakes from the oven and allow to cool completely, still in their tins, before icing.
6. For the chocolate icing, heat the chocolate and cream in a saucepan over a low heat until the chocolate melts. Remove the pan from the heat and whisk the mixture until smooth, glossy and thickened. Set aside to cool for 1-2 hours, or until thick enough to spread over the cake.
7. To assemble the cake, run a round-bladed knife around the inside of the cake tins to loosen the cakes. Carefully remove the cakes from the tins.
8. Spread a little chocolate icing over the top of one of the chocolate cakes, then carefully top with the other cake.
9. Transfer the cake to a serving plate and ice the cake all over with the chocolate icing, using a palette knife.

By Maryam Ali