"Millies" Cookies...

Everybody loves a Millies Cookie, and as a baker, I have been looking for years for a good recipe to replicate their gorgeous taste from home! At last I have got it, I took a few different recipes and have mixed and matched the ingredients to come up with what I believe to be the PERFECT Cookie recipe, with the same melt-in-your-mouth deliciousness of the Millies cookie...and now I'd like to share it with you...

My "Millies" Cookies

To make yours, all you will need is:

250g Unsalted Butter (Softened)

250g Plain Flour

200g Dark Brown Sugar
100g Granulated Sugar
3 tsp Vanilla Extract

1/2 tsp Baking Powder
A Pinch of Salt

2 Large Eggs (or 3 if they are extra small)
190g White Chocolate
190g Milk Chocolate
(Peculiar chocolate measurements I know, but if you get 200g bars...it means you will have a little extra to snack on while you bake)

Step 1.

Preheat your oven to gas 2 (150C/300F).  Grease and line a large baking tray. Place your chocolate in the fridge to harden.

Step 2.

Using an electric mixer, mix up the softened butter with the different sugars to make a gritty paste consistency.  Add in the eggs and vanilla extract, mix until smooth.

Step 3.
Sift the flour into a seperate mixing bowl, add in the salt and baking powder and mix well with a wooden spoon.  Fold in the egg and butter mixture until well mixed.  Separate half the mixture into a second mixing bowl so you are left with 2 equal portions.

Step 4.

Take the chocolate from the fridge leaving it still in its wrapper.  Using a rolling pin, smash the chocolate into little chunks...This will give a rustic look to your cookies with various sized chocolate chunks (instead of simply using chocolate chips).

Step 5. 

Add the white chocolate chunks to one bowl of mixture, and the milk chocolate chunks to the other. Fold in using wooden spoon - DO NOT OVER MIX!

Step 6.
Using a tablespoon, dollop spoonfuls of each mixture onto the lined baking tray, making sure that they are evenly spaced out as the mixture will spread.  Place on the top shelf of the oven and bake for 15 minutes, or until soft and golden.
This mix should get you about 17-20 cookies from each of the white and milk chocolate mixes, so you will need to re-line and re-use your tray as you will probably only get 8-12 spoonfuls on at a time.

Step 7.
Remove from the oven, and using a spatula, place the cookies instantly onto a cooling rack.  Once they have cooled slightly, they are good to go...best served warm!

Enjoy...

x ♥ x

White Chocolate Layer Cake...

Well, we have been so very lucky to have this short spell of warm summery weather in London this past week, and I for one have definitely been making the most of it, with BBQ's and trips to the beach.

My little sister Eleanor is a big lover of baking, and is slowly building up quite a repertoire of delicious yummy cakes, and last weekend was the best so far.  Together we made a gorgeous white chocolate cake to take to a Summer evening dinner party, and I thought I would share it with you...

White Chocolate Layer Cake

As the weather is doing it's best to hold out for us this weekend, with only a few light showers forecast, here's a delicious recipe for a gorgeous creamy white chocolate sponge.

To make yours, all you will need is:

225g Unsalted Butter 

225g Butter Milk

330g Plain Flour

450g Caster Sugar
1 tsp Bicarbonate of Soda

1 tsp Cream of Tartar

4 tsp Vanilla Extract

6 Egg Whites

For the Filling and Topping:
75g Unsalted Butter, softend
350g White Chocolate
675g Cream Cheese (at room temperature)
750g Icing Sugar
2 tsp Vanilla Extract

And to Decorate:
50g White Chocolate, Grated to make small shavings
50g Milk Chocolate, Grated to make small shavings
A couple of Strawberries to garnish

Step 1.

Preheat your oven to gas 4 (180C/350F).  Grease and line 3 baking tins the same shape and size (you can always bake your cakes one at a time if you do not have 3 the same).
Sift the flour along with the bicarbonate of soda into a large bowl.

Step 2.

In a separate mixing bowl, soften the butter and then mix in 330g of the sugar until you reach a soft, fluffy consistency.  Add in the flour, a little at a time, alternating with the buttermilk, mixing well continuously.  Add in the vanilla extract.

Step 3.

Whisk the egg whites in a separate bowl until foamy, add the cream of tartar, and whisk again until the mixture forms soft peaks.  Slowly mix in the remaining 120g of sugar until stiff.

Step 4.

Gradually fold your egg whites in with the rest of your cake mixture until all ingredients have combined.  Divide the mixture evenly between your 3 cake tins and place them on the middle shelf of your oven for 30-35 minutes.
Once cooked through, leave to cool for several minutes in tins before turning out onto a wire rack to cool completely.

Step 5. 

To make your filling and topping, break up the chocolate and melt in a ban-marie over a pot of simmering water, remove from the heat and leave to cool slightly.

Step 6.
Whisk in the cream cheese, vanilla extract, and butter into the melted chocolate (preferably with an electric whisk) until smooth.  Sift in the icing sugar and whisk again until smooth and thick.

Step 7.
Sandwich your 3 cakes together, layering a generous helping of your white chocolate filling between each sponge and then pur the remaining mixture over the top, spreading out to the edges.  Sprinkle over your grated white and milk chocolate shavings, and decorate with strawberries.

It's a real treat of a cake, so best saved for special occasions with all that chocolate goodness :)

The recipe was one that we adapted slightly from the 'Cake Decorating' Magazine collection, which is a fabulous little collection of recipe's, tricks and tips for baking, and with each edition they send you some lovely little tools and accessories to help with creating some delightful baked goodies.

To find out more about the 'Cake Decorating' magazine, or to subscribe, you can find all the information you need on their website which can be found here.

Good luck with yours, and Happy Baking!!!

x ♥ x