The big chocolate cookie
The big chocolate cookie
MAKES 16 PREP AND COOK TIME 25 MINUTES (+ REFRIGERATION TIME)
2 cups (300g) plain flour ½ cup (50g) cocoa powder ½ teaspoon bicarbonate of soda ½ teaspoon salt 180g butter, softened 1 cup (220g) brown sugar ¼ cup (55g) caster sugar 1½ teaspoons vanilla extract 1 egg 1 egg yolk 1 cup (190g) milk chocolate chips 100g dark chocolate, chopped Nutella, to serve, optional
1 Sift the flour, cocoa, bicarbonate of soda and salt into a bowl. In a large bowl of an electric mixer, beat the butter and sugars until pale and creamy. Beat in the extract, egg and egg yolk until just combined. Fold in the sifted dry ingredients. Stir in three-quarters of the choc chips and three- quarters of the chopped chocolate.
2 Place a 30cm x 60cm sheet of baking paper on the bench and add the cookie mixture to the centre. Form into a long log that is approximately 5cm in diameter; roll up to enclose in the baking paper. Refrigerate for 1 hour.
3 Preheat the oven to 180°C (160°C fan-forced). Line two oven trays with baking paper.
4 Cut the cookie log into 2cm rounds; place onto prepared trays. Bake rounds for 13 minutes. Gently press the remaining chocolate chips and chopped chocolate onto the top of the cookies. Bake for 8 minutes. Cool on trays for 5 minutes, then cool completely on a wire rack. 5 Serve cookies with a dollop of Nutella, if desired. Cookie dough suitable to freeze. Not suitable to microwave.
Midnight cake with berries
SERVES 10-12 PREP AND COOK TIME 1 HOUR
400g dark chocolate, chopped finely 250g unsalted butter, chopped 1½ cups (330g) brown sugar ¼ cup (60ml) water 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste 5 eggs, at room temperature, separated 1 cup (100g) hazelnut meal 125g raspberries 125g blueberries cocoa powder, to dust chocolate balls, to serve
1 Preheat the oven to 180°C (160°C fan-forced). Grease and line the base of a 22cm springform cake pan with baking paper.
2 Place the chocolate and butter in a large heatproof bowl over a saucepan of simmering water (do not allow the base of the bowl to touch the water). Stir until almost melted, then remove from heat and stir until smooth.
3 In a small saucepan, combine the sugar and water. Stir over medium heat until dissolved. Pour the hot syrup over the chocolate mixture, and stir to combine. Fold through the vanilla bean paste and egg yolks.
4 Using an electric mixer, whisk the egg whites until soft peaks form. Fold the egg whites, in two batches, into the chocolate mixture until no pale streaks remain. Transfer half the mixture to a clean bowl and fold in the hazelnut meal.
5 Transfer the hazelnut mixture to the prepared pan. Smooth the top and bake for 20 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the centre of the cake comes out almost clean. Remove cake from the oven.
6 Pour over the remaining batter and return the cake to the oven for a further 20 minutes. Cool the cake in the pan. Serve cake dusted with cocoa powder and topped with the berries and chocolate balls. Not suitable to freeze or microwave.