crunchy choc chip cookies with macadamia nuts and choc cupcakes with "ice cream"

did not post for a while coz i was really busy helping out with new family member at home (: my second sis-in-law gave birth to my nephew (: my house have an army of boys! now i have 3 nephews at home EVERYDAY! one is 5 years old, another is turning 1. imagine? hahah.

enough said, let's come back to baking! (: baked crunchy choc chip cookies that i saw on rei's blog. like i mentioned, my house always have different nuts at home and i like macadamia so, i added it in (: (: i must say, this cookies are really really nice! not only nice taste, nice smell too!! you got to try it!

Ingredients :

190g plain flour
30g cornflour (original recipe use all plain flour instead)
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt (I use 1/4 tsp)
125g unsalted butter, at room temperature
125g granulated sugar (I reduced to 80g)
105g packed light brown sugar (I reduced to 70g)
1 large egg
1 tsp vanilla essence
185g semi-sweet chocolate chips
125g walnuts, toasted and chopped [optional] (i replace it with macadamia nuts)

Methods:
1. Preheat oven to 180 degree and have ready 2 ungreased baking sheets.
2. Sift flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt onto a sheet of waxed paper, set aside.
3. In a large bowl, using an electric mixer on high speed, cream the butter till fluffy and pale yellow.
4. Add the sugars and continue beating till mixture is no longer gritty.
5. Add egg and vanilla and beat on low speed until blended.
6. Add the flour mixture and mix on low speed or stir with a wooden spoon until just blended.
7. Add the chocolate chips and the walnuts, if using, mixing or stirring until just blended.
8. With dampened hands, shape the dough into small balls and place on the baking sheets, spacing them about 2 inches apart.
9. Bake the cookies until golden brown around the edges, about 12 minutes.
10 Let the cookies cool briefly on the sheets before transferring them to the racks to cool completely.

next is chocolate cupcakes "ice cream" that i saw on little teochew's blog (: her's look soooo nice!!! (: i did a little modification coz my mum dont really like buttercream ): and my nephew INSIST that he want rainbow rice sprinkles! so this is it. hahah



For the chocolate cupcakes

- 125g butter, softened
- 1/2 cup (125ml) milk
- 3/4 cup (165g) caster (superfine) sugar
- 100g dark chocolate, melted
- 2 eggs
- 16 storebought flat base ice-cream cones*
- 1 1/4 cups (190g) plain (all-purpose) flour
- 80g dark chocolate, extra, chopped
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 2 tablespoons cocoa powder

For the chocolate cream icing
- 200g whipping cream
- 15g icing (confectioner's) sugar, sifted
- 1/2 tsp cocoa powder, sifted

1. Preheat oven to 160°C (320°F). Place the butter and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer and beat until light and creamy. Gradually add the eggs and beat well after each addition. Sift over the flour, baking powder and cocoa and beat until combined. Fold through the milk and stir in the chocolate. Place the ice-cream cones on a baking tray and place a piece of the extra chocolate in the base of each cone. Spoon the cupcake mixture into the cones* and bake for 20–25 minutes or until cooked when tested with a skewer. Allow to cool.
* You need to fill the cones up quite a bit. Leave about 1cm to 1.5cm gap from the rim. Be careful not to have any batter drip onto the outside or it will burn.

2. To make the chocolate butter cream icing, place the butter in the bowl of an electric mixer and beat for 6–8 minutes or until pale and creamy. Add the icing sugar mixture, cocoa powder and milk and beat for a further 6 minutes or until light and creamy. Pipe the icing onto the cupcakes using a star-shaped nozzle.

Makes 16.