"Almost" Famous Amos Chocolate Chips Cookies

Hi everyone, how have you all been doing?  I'm sorry for not updating my blog for so long...... I have been lazy to sit in front of the computer to do posting eventhough I have been busy cooking and baking yummy good food for my family here in Auckland.

Lately it has been raining almost everyday here; and instead I just stay at home reading and browsing cookbooks.

Today post is Chocolate Chips Cookies.  I have wanted to bake this back at home this "Almost" Famous Amos Chocolate Chips Cookies for so long but I was afraid that I couldn't finish this cookies all by myself as I am not a big fan of chocolate chips cookies.  So since I am here and my niece is always pestering for chocolate chips cookies, so I grab this opportunities to make it for her.

I wanted to make half of the recipe and I am glad I didn't.  This chocolate chips cookies are SO GOOD and crunchy.  I LOVE IT and in fact I can say I am in love this chocolate cookies!  I am going to make this again and again........

"Almost" Famous Amos Chocolate Chip Cookies
Recipe sourced & adapted from BisousAtoi 

Ingredients
250g salted butter, softened
200g light brown sugar  (I only used 150g and I still find a little too sweet)
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp coffee oil (this is the one that gives the cookie its distinctive fragrance)
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 cup oats, processed to bits in a chopper
1/4 cup ground almond
1/2 cup of your favourite nuts, chopped finely (optional, here I used walnuts)
1 pack of Nestle Tollhouse semi-sweet chocolate chips or chocolate chunks (I used abt 250g)
300g self-raising flour 

Method
At least 2 hours or the night before, beat egg with vanilla & coffee oil to infuse. If done the night before, refrigerate & then bring it to room temperature before mixing. 

Preheat oven to 160C. 

Beat butter, sugar & salt to combine. Beat in egg and stir in the processed oats, ground almond, chopped nuts (if used) and the chocolate chips / chunks. Sift flour and fold it in. 

For small cookies, place half tsp dough, spaced slightly apart on the cookie sheet and bake for 9 to 10 minutes. For large cookies, place rounded tbsp of the dough spaced apart on the cookie sheet and bake for 20 to 22 minutes. (I placed 10g dough for each cookie & baked for about 20 minutes.) 

Cool completely before serving.  To allow the flavour and fragrance to develop further, store cookies in an airtight container overnight before serving.

   

I've asked my niece how she like the cookies?  And her reply is......."SO YUMMY and DELICIOUS!"

So crunchy....... and I have become a chocolate chips cookies addict now!  

Auckland City, Queen Street

Last week the weather was good and sunny and we decided to make a trip down to the City.  Instead of driving to the city (as it will be difficult to find parking space in the city), we took the ferry down from Half Moon Bay (near Bucklands Beach).

The ferry trip to the City from Half Moon Bay took just 30 minutes only.

 

You can purchase the tickets in the ferry itself.  Return tickets for two adults and (max.) four children for family package is NZ$36.00 and the other ticket Super Gold is usually for Senior Citizen which is free!

Transport Centre - train and bus to other state.

Queen Street - long walk with lots of shops on left and right.
 

at one junction, you will see SkyTower!  A must go for the first timer.  Casino, bungee jump,

                       Daiso in Auckland City!
 

On our ferry return ride, we saw this ferry going to Waiheke Island.  
Waiheke Island - a place to those who loves wines, places to visit vineyards and wineries. 
(Ha..Alvin of Chef&Sommelier, if you are reading this, Waiheke Island is the place you might like to visit).
 

You know what is this?  For towing the boat.

COFFEE AND WALNUT SPONGE CAKE

On the day I arrived to Auckland, my sister S has made this Coffee & Walnut Sponge Cake to welcome me.  

Before I could settle down to look around the surrounding,  she immediately slice a piece for me eventhough I wasn't ready upto eat anything as I was really tired and didn't sleep well through the journey flight.  Nevertheless instead of disappointing her effort of baking this cake for me, one mouthful of it could make you go for another slice!  This cake is indeed so delicious.......and in fact my sister has made this for the third time.

So, yesterday she bake this cake again!  This cake is so easy to make, all the ingredients dump into a bowl, and just whisk till combined.  That's it!  Well, you won't be disappoint with recipe from Delia's

COFFEE AND WALNUT SPONGE CAKE
Recipe sourced from Delia Online

Ingredients
165g  self-raising flour, sifted
1 ½ tsp baking powder
165g margarine (whipped vegetable fat), at room temperature
165g  golden caster sugar
3 large eggs
1 ½ tbsp instant espresso dissolved in 1 1/2 tbsp of boiling water
75g finely chopped walnuts

For the filling and topping
500ml whipping cream
1 tbsp instant espresso powder

1 tbsp hot water
3-4 tbsp icing sugar (or to your sweetness)
10 walnut halves

Method

Preheat oven to 170Celcius.  

Grease two 8" round baking pans. 

Start off by sifting the flour and baking powder into a roomy mixing bowl, holding the sieve quite high to give the flour a good airing as it goes down, then add the butter, eggs, caster sugar and coffee powder.

Now, using an electric hand whisk, mix to a smooth, creamy consistency for about 1 minute. After that take a tablespoon and fold the chopped nuts into the mixture.

Next divide the mixture between the two prepared tins, level off using the back of a tablespoon and bake near the centre of the oven for about 25 minutes. The sponges are cooked when you press lightly with your little finger and the centre springs back.

Remove them from the oven and after about 30 seconds loosen the edges by sliding a palette knife all round then turn them out onto a wire cooling tray. Now carefully peel back the lining by gently pulling it back.

Then lightly place the other cooling tray on top and just flip them both over so that the tops are facing upwards (this is to prevent them sticking to the cooling tray).

While the cakes are cooling, make up the filling: in a small bowl, dissolves the instant coffee powder with the 1 tbsp hot water.  In another medium bowl, combine the whipping cream, icing sugar, coffee and whisk till creamy.

When the cakes are cold, spread half the filling over one, sandwich them together, then spread the rest over the top using a palette knife and making a swirling pattern. 

To decorate the topping, pipe swirl with the cream and top with whole walnut.

Shave some chocolate all over. 

(Do hop over to Delia's website as the ingredients we are baking here are measuring adjusted to  1 ½ recipe and if you prefer your cake to be more higher, do measure to 2 recipes instead.)

I loves this cake as this cake is soft with coffee flavour and with crunch from the bits of walnuts in the texture.  

 Two thumbs up to Sister S !