Matcha White Chocolate Cookies

Matcha White Chocolate Chunk Cookies! (White chocolate chips seem to be really popular and was sold out so used white cooking chocolate). Matcha and white chocolate work really well together - This was a recipe for just white chocolate cookies and I just added matcha to it.

These were so good and easy to make. I had about 10 straight out of the oven. I need to stop baking this lock down is seriously making me fat!

Ingredients:

125g Unsalted Butter, softened

(Take it out over night)

100g Light Soft Brown Sugar

125g Caster/White Sugar

1 Egg

1 Tsp Vanilla Extract

225g Self Raising Flour

½ Tsp Salt

1 Tbsp Matcha Powder

100g White Chocolate Chips/Cooking Chocolate

What you need:

Mixing Bowl

2 Bowls

Wooden Spoon

Measuring Spoons

Sieve

Electric Whisk

Fork

Flat Baking Trays

Baking Paper

Oven 180°C

Baking time 7-8 minutes

Method:

Make sure you take your butter out the night before so it's nice and soft and mix it with the 2 sugars with your electric whisk until it turns pale and creamy. Use your wooden spoons to check the consistency.

In a little bowl beat your egg and vanilla with a fork.

Once they has been mixed you can pour it into your mixture and using your electric whisk, whisk until well mixed. Then use your wooden spoon again to check.

Then sift your flour, salt and matcha powder in and mix it together with your wooden spoon.

Then add your chocolate. I tried to break the chocolate into even size chunks.

Once your chocolate has been mixed in roll your dough into little balls and place them onto your lined trays.

Bake in the oven for 7-8 minutes.

Leave them to cool on the tray for a minute or two then transfer onto a wire rack.

I actually slightly over baked mine as I left them in the oven too long. They only need 7-8 minutes if you want them to stay soft and chewy even when they cool down. It's okay when you take them out and they're still soft. 

The recipe I used said it would make about 12 cookies. I ended up with 39!

These are the best cookies I've made taste wise and look shop bought.

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Custard Tarts

Still in lock down and trying out some new bakes.

This is a little different from the usual as it's such a cheat bake that I can't really say I made.. But it's super easy that anyone can try out!

Ingredients:

Puff Pastry Sheet (I used Morrisons own)

2 tbsp Bird's Custard Powder

1 Pint Milk

1 - 2 tbsp Sugar

You will also need:

A Pan

Measuring Spoons

A Jug

Muffin Tray

Cake Cases

Cookie Cutters

Oven 200°C

Method:

Make your custard as per the instructions on the Bird's custard tin! This is my favourite custard.

(I can just eat bowls of it on its own warm.)

Once your custard has been made let it cool to room temperature.

Roll out your pastry sheet and cut them to size with your cookie cutter to fit your cake cases. Push them into your cases making sure there's no holes in it.

Once your custard has cooled pour it evenly into your cases.

Bake in the oven for about 20 minutes. Once your pastry is looking crispy and golden.

And that's it! Simple. No need to make your own pastry and you could even use pre made custard and pour it in and bake. These taste so good warm and are just as good as the Chinese dan tarts you get when you go to yan ta!

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Scones

These are the best scones I've made so I thought I would repost the recipe again!

Ingredients:

227g Self Raising Flour

57g Sugar

85g Butter - Soften
(Take out the night before)
2 Eggs

1 tsp Vanilla Extract

Sultanas/Any Dried Fruit
(Up to you how much you want to put in)

Optional:
Desiccated Coconut

Pre-heat oven to 200°C 
Baking time 15 - 20 minutes

(Drop of milk to brush over the top)

Method:

Mix your flour, sugar and butter using a fork until they're like breadcrumbs. You might want to use your hands

 In a separate bowl beat your eggs with your vanilla extract

Make a little well in the your mixture and pour your egg in

Mix it with a wooden spoon

Once your egg has soaked in add your sultanas

Once you've mixed your sultanas in - flour your work top and hands and roll your dough into a ball and using a cutter cut your scones out

Place flour onto your baking tray then place your scones on it and brush the top with milk

Bake in the oven for 15 - 20 minutes until golden brown and risen

Cool them on a wire rack and eat with jam and cream or just plain!

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Harry Potter

So we are still in lock down in self quarantine, isolation. I got told by work that I will be off for at least 3 weeks then we will see what happens so I took that as the perfect opportunity to start reading my Harry Potter books. It's been on my bucket list for years and I bought the complete collection set just before Christmas from Aldi for £27.99 which is a bargain. The first 3 books are priced £7.99 then the rest are priced £8.99. It comes in a nice little collection case but the books were so hard to put back in once they've been read and expanded!

I thought I was going to get through 3 books in the space of 3 weeks which was the plan but's today is day 20 days since I've been off so under 3 weeks and last night I managed to finish all 7 books!!

It took me 19 days to finish 7 books which is personally amazing for me as I don't read - I'm not a reader and such a slow reader. This is the most of have ever read in my whole life even more than 3 years of uni. Don't think I can read any more though it was pretty intense to read that many books in such a short space of time then watching each film after the books. I've pretty much spent the last couple of weeks just sat reading.

The first 2 books were definitely a lot easier to read out of them all as they are the smallest and the text is a lot bigger. It gets serious on the 3rd as the book is thicker (definitely the thickest book I've ever read) and the text is a lot smaller with a lot more words on the page! The struggle started with book 4. I felt like I couldn't read no more but just kept going since I started I needed to finish.

I was averaging about 3-4 days per book but actually finished the last book all 620 pages in 2 days. This accounts for the fact I have actually been doing other things like a daily walk or run, baking, blogging, watching the films and other things but I would admit I spent at least 70% of my day reading. 

 Everyone who has read the books has always told me they are different which is so true as there is so much more in the books that you don't see in the films. A lot of good stuff has also been missed out in them as obviously they can't put everything in otherwise each film would be at least 6 hours long. I did really enjoy reading the books and would recommend them if you love the films but I wouldn't recommend trying to read them all in such a short space of time as it is a bit intense.

I fee like now I know all the secrets as the books explain things so much more and I've been to The Making of Harry Potter I now know everything. It's been an enjoyable 19 days but now I am glad I've finished them as I can do other things without feeling like I need to read...

So I'd so far this whole lock down hasn't been so bad after all and has been pretty productive for me!

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Mini Carrot Cakes

I'll admit I'm not good at making actual cakes. I avoid making them at all costs and prefer making mini cakes or cookies which you might have noticed. I wanted to make carrot cake to go with the left over white chocolate buttercream I made for my matcha macarons.

So I found a recipe for mini ones which was actually really easy to make.

Ingredients:

250g Carrots

200g Sugar

150g Margarine

200g Plain Flour

2 tsp Cinnamon

2 tsp Baking Powder

1 tsp Vanilla Extract

2 Large Eggs

120g Sultanas

60g Toasted Flaked Almonds
(You can use any other nut you like. Walnuts also work well)

You will also need:

Mixing bowl

Sieve

Wooden spoon

Measuring spoon

Scales

Small bowl

Fork

Cake cases

2 Cake trays

Oven 200°C

Baking time 20 minutes

Method:

Grate your carrots into a bowl, add the sugar, margarine and mix it all together with your wooden spoon

Then sift your flour, baking powder and cinnamon into your mixture and mix it all together.

In a separate bowl whisk your eggs with a fork and your vanilla extract.

Then add it to your mixture.

Then add your sultanas and nuts.

Once your mixture has been fully combined - It's quite a wet mixture you can divide them evenly into your cake cases.

The recipe was to make 12 and I ended up 19.

Bake them in the oven for 20 minutes until they have fully risen and golden. You can place a knife into the middle and check it comes out clean to check they are fully baked.

Place them onto a wire rack to cool down. Once they have cooled you can either spread or pipe your buttercream on top. I forgot to take a photo but I'll also admit presentation isn't my forte either but they tasted good and went down a treat with my family which is all that counts!

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