Munching Munchkins: Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe (and other kitchen adventures)

Mmmmmmm.

Although my mum has baked cakes for years, and even used to bake to sell, I am not much of a baker. I don’t like how everything often has to be so precise, and how there are so many variables in the equation, like condiments, oven temperature, equipment, etc. I do, however, have a very sweet tooth, and I love love love my desserts.

So to satisfy my craving I’ve made a conscious effort to make more desserts and to put our Thermomix to some good use. So I’ve been trying to create desserts that are easy to put together. Ones that don’t require baking (like the No-bake cheesecake), or just require assembly like trifles. And of course it helps that the hubby has read/watched extensively (he even bought a book on baking bread for himself recently) and I have a mum of a baker on call when I need to ask baking questions.

Since my mother started making no-bake cheesecakes back when they weren’t even hip, I’ve adored them. And since my mother’s social calendar is easily many times busier than mine these days, I’ve had to make my own. There are a few good no-bake cheesecake recipes, one of which is on the inside of the Philadelphia cream cheese box itself. If you’re more adventurous and would like to try the strawberry hearts cheesecake, Mummy A has a great one here, or, you can just do a layer of jelly without the strawberry hearts, which is just as yummy, and easier for people like me who have a baby attached to their hip and can only do anything with one hand. Or, if you don’t want to bother with having to buy any gelatine, try this recipe from Mummy E (another E, not me), which uses a box of jelly in the cake, rather than on top of it, which makes the cake a little firmer than just using gelatine, but is lovely nonetheless.

Ugly duckling

Over Christmas we were gifted a traditional Italian cake, and after borrowing Thomas Keller’s Bouchon Bakery book from the library for some inspiration, I announced my decision to assemble some trifle, and coincidentally the hubby saw this recipe on French Food At Home, so we made it and I had to stop myself from eating everything up. It was a little too sweet though, so the second time I omitted the sugar in the cream cheese. Perhaps I’ll try a cream one next time.

But kids don’t like cheesecakes, or at least mine don’t, so recently I got Mittens involved in helping me make these really lovely and easy chocolate chip cookies, and you can find the recipe here. We have made it twice and he’s always been very enthusiastic because, who doesn’t love chocolate chip cookies? Needless to say, he thoroughly enjoyed eating the fruits of his labour.

What are some of your favourite recipes to bake with your kids?

 

My boy giving us a hand in the kitchen