A weekend of culinary successes

This weekend I totally rocked in the kitchen so I am sharing the recipes. Alas no photos - we ate everything before it could be photographed.

Double Choc Chip Cookies

• 2 1/4 cups AP / Plain flour
  
• 1/4 cup cocoa powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 cup oil (canola, sunflower etc)
• 1 cup soft brown sugar
• 1/2 cup white sugar ( superfine / caster)
• 2 eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla essence
• 1/2 cup each white and semi-sweet (plain) Choc chips

Heat the oven to 350 / 180. Using a kitchenaid beat together the sugar and oil. Add the eggs one at a time and beat until combined. Stir in the vanilla. Sift together the flour, cocoa, salt and baking soda then stir into the wet ingredients. Add the Choc chips and stir to combine. The dough will be pretty dry and barely holds together. Using an ice cream scoop to measure the dough, roll into balls and place on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Flatten each ball slightly with the heel of your hand. Bake for 10 minutes.

 

Vietnamese Grilled Pork

Just follow the recipe at this awesome blog (I used Indonesian Ketchap Manis for the soy sauce - because that is what I had in the cupboard)

We served it with cold vermicelli, Thai dipping sauce, and homemade Vietnamese spring rolls with hoisin dipping sauce.

Jalapeño Cornbread Muffins

• 2 tbsp olive oil
  
• 1 red onion diced
• 3 tbsp tinned corn
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup coarse cornmeal / polenta
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 cup plain / AP flour
• 2 tbsp diced canned jalapeños
• 1 cup grated strong cheddar
• 1 cup sour cream

preheat oven to 400f. Fry the onions in the oil until soft but not brown. Lighlty oil a 12 hole muffin pan. Mix everything together, adding a little milk if it is too loose. It should be not quite dropping consistency. Evenly distribute the cheesy jalapeño goodness between the muffin holes - about 2/3 to 3/4 full. Bake for approx 15 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean. Oh I also threw in what was left of a pack of real bacon bits. Deliciously moist bruch treat, adapted from Jamie's America.

Now I am going to make a sandwich using strawberry icecream and two cookies... It will be freakin amazing!

It was super cold this weekend, pretty much -44 the whole time, but really sunny. The dogs enjoyed a few walks, Sage tore Johnny's new coat. All is well in our world :-)