Soft and Chewy Dark Brown Sugar Cookies

Soft and Chewy Dark Brown Sugar Cookies

113g / 1/2 cup butter, softened
100g / 1/2 cup soft dark brown sugar
100g / 1/2 cup white sugar
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla extract
220g / 1 3/4 cup flour
1/4 tsp salt
2 tsp cornstarch
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder

1) In a large bowl, beat together butter, sugars, egg, and vanilla extract until light and fluffy. 

2) Add flour, cornstarch, soda, baking powder and salt. Mix just until combined. 

3) Roll the dough into balls and place on a baking tray lined with a parchment paper. Leave a lot of space between each cookie - they will spread. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours, preferably overnight (you can freeze them as well).

4) Preheat oven to 180C / 350F. Bake for 8-10 minutes (10-12 if frozen; do not defrost before baking) or until golden brown. Remove from the oven even if the centers look underbaked. That will give you chewy and fudgy texture. Allow to cool for at least 10 minutes before serving.

Recipe adapted from my favorite Soft Dark Brown Sugar Coconut Oil Cookies.

Coconut Oil Rice Krispie Treats

Coconut Oil Rice Krispie Treats

80g / 3 cups rice krispies
pinch salt
30g / 2 tbsp coconut oil
200g / 7 ounces marshmallows

1) Place rice krispies in a medium bowl.

2) In a small saucepan, melt coconut oil. Add salt and marshmallows and stir, over low heat, until marshmallows are melted and the mixture is smooth.

3) Turn off the heat and add rice krispies. Mix to coat evenly. Spread the mixture in a silicone loaf pan or a 20 x 20 cm / 8 x 8 inch pan for thinner bars. Press down using parchment paper so it doesn't stick that much. Once it cools, it becomes less sticky so press down after a few minutes once again. Let sit for 1-2 hours and cut into squares.

Recipe by collectng memories

3 Ingredient Healthy Peanut Butter Rice Krispie Treats

3 Ingredient Healthy Peanut Butter Rice Krispie Treats

125g / 1/2 cup  homemade peanut butter
100g / 1/3 cup  light agave syrup
60g / 2 cups rice krispies 
pinch salt

1) In a bowl, combine together all the ingredients and press down to a silicone loaf pan. Refrigerate for a few hours before cutting into squares. For the best results, freeze them. I like storing them in the freezer because they tend to become very soft and slightly sticky at room temperature or fridge. 

Makes 1 loaf pan.

Recipe by collecting memories

Garlic Hummus

 

Garlic Hummus

100g dried chickpeas*
4-5 cloves garlic, minced
juice of 1 small lemon
1 tsp sunflower oil
1 tbsp tahini paste**
1/2 tsp salt
water, as needed
sunflower oil, to serve
smoked paprika, to serve

*Soak chickpeas overnight and cook in a pot for 1 hour. 

**To make tahini paste, place sesame seeds in a small saucepan and roast, stirring constantly, until golden and fragrant. Don't let them brown too much. Grind them in a coffee grinder or a small food processor until turns into paste. It will take time to get a smooth paste so add a splash of water or oil to add some moisture.

1) In a small saucepan, heat a teaspoon of oil. Add minced garlic and cook, stirring occasionally,  until golden brown and fragrant.

2) Add cooked chickpeas, garlic, lemon juice, sunflower oil, tahini paste and salt into your food processor and pulse to make a smooth paste. Add as much water as you want to achieve a preferred consistency (start with 1 tablespoon).

3) Transfer to a bowl, sprinkle some smoked paprika on top and drizzle with sunflower oil. Serve with pita, flatbread or veggies.

Recipe by collecting memories

Chocolate Peanut Butter Mousse cake with Salted Caramel Sauce

Chocolate Peanut Butter Mousse cake with Salted Caramel Sauce

Crust
200g / 7oz chocolate sandwich cookies, crushed
45g / 3tbsp butter, melted

Chocolate mousse filling
225g / 8oz semisweet chocolate, chopped
240ml / 1 cup heavy cream, cold, divided
1 tsp vanilla extract

Peanut butter mousse filling
125g / 1/2 cup peanut butter
1/2 tsp salt
35g powdered sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
120ml / 1/2 cup heavy cream, cold

Caramel sauce
100g / 1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 tbsp honey or corn syrup
1/4 tsp salt
30ml / 2tbsp water
60ml / 1/4 cup heavy cream
8g / 1/2 tbsp butter

Chocolate sauce

30g / 1oz semisweet chocolate

30ml / 2tbsp heavy cream

1) Preheat oven to 180C/350F. Line a 20cm / 8inch pan with a removable bottom with parchment paper. 

2) To make the crust, mix together finely crushed cookies with melted butter and press down to he bottom of the pan. Bake for 8-10 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool.

3) To make chocolate mousse filling, place copped chocolate in a small bowl. Heat 120ml (1/2 cup) of heavy cream until hot enough but not boiling! Pour over chocolate and let sit for 1 minute. After 1 minute, stir to make a smooth ganache. Mix in the vanilla extract. Let cool slightly while you beat the cream. In a cold bowl, add the remaining 120ml of heavy cream and beat until stiff peaks form. Gently fold the whipped cream into the cooled chocolate mixture. Mix carefully until incorporated. Spread onto the prepared crust. Refrigerate for a couple of hours.

4) To make the peanut butter mousse filling, mix together peanut butter, salt, powdered sugar and vanilla extract in a small bowl. In another bowl, beat the heavy cream until stiff peaks form. Gently mix the heavy cream into the peanut butter mixture. Spread over the chocolate mousse filling. Refrigerate for a couple of hours or until firm.

5) To make the caramel sauce: in a medium saucepan, combine together sugar, honey or corn syrup, salt and water. Bring to boil while stirring. When it starts bubbling, stop stirring and let it turn to a light/medium amber color. At this point it will NOT look like caramel. Especially if your saucepan has a black bottom, you won't be able to see the real color so turn off the heat when it looks just slightly golden, otherwise, it will be dark and bitter. The whole browning process should take no more than 10 minutes. When you reach the desired color, remove from heat and slowly start pouring in the heavy cream. Stir with a wooden spoon until smooth. Stir in the butter. Let cool. Once it has cooled, drizzle over the peanut butter mousse. Refrigerate.

6) To make the chocolate glaze, heat heavy cream until hot but not boiling. Pour over chocolate, let sit for a minute, and stir to make a smooth ganache. Let cool slightly and drizzle over the caramel.

7) Let the cake sit in the fridge overnight or at least for a few hours before slicing and serving.

Recipe by collecting memories