Yummy Cookies!

Cookies always remind me of my Mum, we never had shop bought ones, just soft in the centre homemade ones. Whenever I get bored, I bake for Kieran, my always hungry boyfriend. I scoured my cookbooks for biscuits eventually deciding on tonights menu being double choc cookies, and - not biscuits but - jam tit bits, as I like to call them. I remember when my local Costcutter started to get those lil French sponge cakes with jam in the middle, I always loved having them, felt like I was on holiday but as I started to enjoy baking for myself I decided to make these for myself, except mine are just fairy cakes with a splodge of jam in the middle.

I can't give you my cookie recipe because ssshhh, its a secret recipe, strictly family only, I will give you a highly recommended recipe from the Hummingbird Bakery Cookbook, an English all-American cookbook so they know about their cookies (although I don't agree with electric mixers, its all about the elbow grease!). Enjoy...

Double Chocolate Cookies


Makes 12

50g Stork
450g chocolate all chopped up
2 Eggs
170g Light Brown Sugar
1/4tsp Vanilla Extract
85g Plain Flour
1/2tsp Salt
1/2tsp Baking Powder


Preheat the oven to 170'c.


1. Put the butter and half the chocolate in a heatproof bowl over a saucepan of simmering water. Leave until melted and smooth.

2. Put the eggs, sugar and vanilla essence in a freestanding electric mixer with a paddle attachment, and beat until mixed well. Pour in the chocolate mix, beating until well combined.


3. Sift the flour, salt and baking powder into a separate bowl, then stir into the chocolate mixture in 3 additions. Finally stir in the remaining chocolate until evenly dispersed.


4. Arrange 6 equal amounts of cookie dough on each baking tray. Make sure the cookies are spaced apart to allow for spreading while baking. Bake in the preheated oven for 10-15mins, checking regularly after 10mins. They are ready when the tops start to crack and look glossy. Leave the cookies to cool slightly on the trays before turning out onto a wire cooling rack to cool completely.

I will however give you the recipe for my jam cakes, they're really simple to make, just choose whatever jam you're feeling, I usually go for strawberry but tonight I was a rebel and went for a bit of the old raspberry.

Jam Tit-Bits

Makes 12 


120g Stork
120g Caster Sugar
2 Eggs
120g Self Raising Flour
12tsp Jam
Icing Sugar to dust


1. Mix the margarine and sugar together til creamy.


2. Add the eggs and mix in well.


3. Put in the flour and mix til smooth.


4.  Put a little mixture in the bottom of the fairy cake cases then about a tsp of jam with more mix to cover the jam.


5. Repeat with the rest and put in the oven for 15-18mins.


6. When done, leave to cool then dust with icing sugar.