Chewy American style cookies

I’m a huge lover of cookies, but I’ve struggled to get that soft chewy American style cookie…well until now!

I'm now in love with this recipe, it has worked every time and is so easy.

I’ve gone a bit cookie crazy now and been experimenting with loads of different flavours. Below is the choc chip recipe further down are a few of the flavours I’ve experimented with.

Ingredients 

Makes 15

120g salted butter, at room temperature
75g light brown sugar
75g granulated sugar (use caster sugar)
½ tsp vanilla extract
1 egg
240g plain flour
½ tsp bicarbonate of soda
200g choc chips

1. Beat together the butter and sugars until fluffy – I use my lovely new Kenwood Kmix for this which was a bday present and I’m in love with it! Add the vanilla extract, then the egg, and beat in well (I add a spoonful of flour here as well to stop curdling).

2. Add the flour and bicarbonate of soda, then mix until combined to a dough. The mixture will be pretty solid making it hard to mix – that’s why using a stand mixer really helps – unless you want a great bingo wing workout!

3. Then add you choc chips (or other choice).

4. Preheat the oven to 180C. Line two baking trays with greaseproof paper. Shape mix into golf-ball sized balls and place on baking tray, spacing them well apart. Bake for about 13-15 minutes, until golden, but not browned.

5. ENJOY!

So my experiments -

 

I replaced the choc chips with a variety of different flavours.

 

 

White choc and toffee popcorn = 130g white choc, chopped up plus 70g toffee popcorn

 

 

Choc orange = 150g good quality dark orange chocolate chopped up (I used Sainsbury’s Swiss Fair-trade) and 30-50g of sugared orange segments again chopped up.

 

 

M&Ms – 200g of M&Ms!

 

 

For Easter I’ll be trying white choc and raspberry! Have you got any other cookie flavour ideas?

10 minute make - Quick Jubilee Bunting

I don't know why, but I'm a right last minute Larry when it comes to buying decorations for events such as the Jubilee.

Bunting has been in shops since, well, probably January but I've always thought "I'll save my money and get it a bit closer to the event".

I never seem to learn though - IT WON'T BE THERE CLOSER TO THE EVENT!

So, when I went to try and find some bunting to put in my window last week, surprise surprise everyone had soldeout! 

I didn't really have time to whip out my sewing machine either to make some which I would have like to have done. 

I ended up buying some union flag napkins as we're going to a jubilee picnic and I thought it would make perfect bunting too! (These were from M&S and were £1.50).

How to make 10 minute Jubilee Bunting

Take a napkin and open  it out. If you can't find union flag bunting then why not get red, white and blue? Or, just white and get people to decorate them for a really personalised party!

Cut the napkin in half and put Ribbon in the crease and tape or staple to the napkin. Then fold back over.

Continue with as many napkins as you want on your bunting and hang up!

Now, obviously, this bunting COULD be used outside, if the rain stays away...but we all know what good ol' Britain is like around bank holidays! So, indoors it is then!

10 minute make - Easy Easter display

Easter is coming up so I wanted to do a quick and easy display to brighten up my dining room table.

I used some yellow Laburnum from my neighbours garden as I thought it was so pretty (don’t worry, I did ask first before chopping up her tree)!

You could use any branches though to get the same effect.

Then I made up two little vases of Daffs. I used jam jars for the vases.

I wrapped sisal round the stems of the daffs to add a little texture. You can buy this online or in a florist wholesaler.

I then tied a raffia bow around the jar.

Then I decorated the branches with little hanging eggs. I bought these a few years ago but I have seen similar in poundland or the Works!

I then used a bit more sisal as on the table to look like grass!

10 minute make - Felt bows

These great little bows are really quick and easy to make and they can be used for all sorts of different things!

All you need is:

• Felt
• Needle
• Thread
• Scissors
• Measuring tape

Step 1

Measure two strips of felt.

The first 15cm x2cm (this makes the bow loops), the second 10cmx2cm (this is the base of the bow). You can obviously make bigger or smaller depending on how you’ll be using your bow!

Step 2

Cut two little triangles out of the shorter bit of felt to finish the base.

Step 3

Fold the longer bit into a loop and stitch together.

Step 4

Place the loop onto the base of the bow and press down.

Step 5

Now you need to stitch the top to the bottom and make the bow shape.

Turn the bow over then you only need to stitch the edges. So stitch one side, then straight over to the other side. Don’t stitch the middle.

The whole reason you only stitch the sides is that once you’ve done the first stitch on one side you can pull the thread tight and stitch to the other side.

This is what gives the “pinched” bow shape. Stitch the pinched fold a few times to secure then knot!

Step 6

Use for whatever you like!

Maybe a hair grip, magnet, or to decorate gifts!

I used mine on a card for my cousin who has just had a baby girl!

10 minute make - jam jar tea light holders

Love tea light holders, love jam! So why not combine the two (empty jam jars obviously)!

What I used -

• Empty jam jars
• Soft florist wire (but craft wire would work too)
• Pliers
• Wire cutters

Step 1

Cut a length of wire (about 60cm - but will vary depending on jar size). Wrap the wire around the neck of the jam jar.

Step 2

Twist the wire around itself.

Step 3

Shape the wire into a heart (or whatever shape you like). Mine looks a bit, erm, rustic lets say!

Step 4

Twist the ends and trim the wire

Step 5

Add a tea light!