Chocolate Quickies Food

CHOCOLATE QUICKIES (NO BAKE)

Steps:

• Combine margarine, sugar, milk, cocoa, and salt in a heavy pot and bring to boil over medium heat for 1 1/2 minutes.
• Remove from hot burner.
• Add oats, peanut butter, and vanilla.
• Add raisins/nuts if desired.
• Mix well.
• Drop by teaspoon on waxed paper and let cool.
• I have no idea how many this recipe makes-- having never counted them so this will be a guess.

CHEWY CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES

Steps:

• Mix the butter and sugar together using an electric whisk or hand whisk until very light and fluffy, then beat in the egg and vanilla. Fold in the flour, baking powder, chocolate and ¼ tsp salt as quickly as you can. Don't overwork the dough as this will toughen the cookies.
• For the best flavour, leave the mixture overnight: either cover the bowl and chill, or roll the mixture into balls and chill.
• Heat the oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4 and line two baking sheets with parchment. Divide the mixture into balls, the craggier the balls, the rougher the cookies will look. If you want to give the dough more texture, tear the balls in half and squidge them lightly back together. Space out evenly on the baking sheets, leaving enough space between each to allow for spreading.
• Bake the fresh cookies for 8-10 mins and the chilled ones for 10-12 mins, or until browned and a little crisp at the edges but still very soft in the middle - they will harden a little as they cool. Leave to cool on the tray for a few minutes before eating warm, or transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Will keep for three days in an airtight container.

CHOCOLATE COOKIES

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 180C/gas 4/fan 160C.Gather together and weigh all the ingredients.
• Chop 200g/7oz of the plain chocolate into rough, irregular chunks. Chop the milk chocolate in the same way, but keep separate.
• Break the remaining plain chocolate into a large heatproof mixing bowl. Melt in the microwave on medium for about 11⁄2 minutes (or over a pan of simmering water).
• Stir the chocolate until melted, then tip in the sugar, butter, peanut butter, egg and vanilla and beat with a wooden spoon until well mixed. Stir in the flour, all the milk chocolate chunks, the nuts (no need to chop) and half the plain chocolate chunks. The mixture will feel quite soft, and drop easily from the spoon if you shake it.
• Drop big spoonfuls in 12 piles on to 2 or 3 baking sheets, leaving room for them to spread (you may need to bake in batches). Stick the remaining chunks into the cookies (2-3 pieces in each).
• Bake for 10-12 minutes until they are tinged very slightly darker around the edges. The smell will let you know they are ready. They will be soft in the middle, but will crisp up as they cool. (Cook for longer and you'll have crisper cookies.) Let them cool and firm up for a few minutes on the baking sheet (they'll break if you move them while still hot), then lift off with a wide spatula on to a cooling rack. They will keep crisp in an airtight tin for 3-4 days.