Sunday Sweets: Nutella Infused Chocolate Cookies

Growing up dessert was a very rare thing in my house. My mum hated baking and cooking and, after getting married, my dad never touched another cooking utensil, stove or ingredient ever again. My dad also worked night shifts so family dinners were very uncommon and on the rare occasion my mum might whip up a dessert it was usually entirely devoured by my dad in the wee hours of the morning when he arrived home.

It actually makes me kind of sad to reflect on this and I guess it is a big part of the reason I believe in Sunday Dessert. I haven't made a point of making this a regular thing on my blog but I want to because it is important to me. Also, so there is no confusion, just because I'm making a point of Sunday night dessert, doesn't mean that dessert is banned on other nights of the week!

For my first Sunday Sweets post I bring you: Nutella Infused Chocolate Cookies.
These started from feeling very melancholy on Sunday afternoon and trying to avoid becoming overwhelmed with stress about my upcoming week at school (parent teacher interviews/end of term assessment/Easter holiday planning). So naturally, I was trawling the internet looking for something delicious to make and came across this.

I can't even deal. I don't even particularly like Nutella! These just jumped right off the page and slapped me in the tastebuds. My chocolate-senses were tingling as a very carefully closed the lid of my laptop and tried to focus on something else.

Which lasted all of about 30 seconds because I had to run to the kitchen to see how much Nutella we had. Sadly it was about 1/4 of a VERY small jar. Totally not enough to make these amazing cookies.

In dismay I tried to think of a different kind of dessert (Nutella straight from the jar perhaps?!). When I realised that I am resourceful! I like to bake! I can take a risk and be creative and invent my own chocolate cookie dough that doesn't even require Nutella! So that's what I did....and it was epic.

Nutella Infused Chocolate Cookies
1/2 cup cocoa powder
1 cup plain flour
1/2 cup caster sugar
115 grams butter
1 egg
Nutella (for filling)

Heat the oven at 180 degrees Celsius and line a flat baking tray. Sift the cocoa powder and flour and add the sugar. Mix to combine. Melt the butter and add to the dry ingredients. Crack an egg over it all and whisk to combine.

Scoop tablespoon sized portions of the cookies and shape into balls then flatten onto the baking tray (ideally make these all the same size and I started making 3 at a time just to make sure I had enough mixture)

Spoon a dollop of Nutella onto the cookie then scoop another tablespoon sized of mixture, roll it, flatten it out and sit it on top of the Nutella dollop. Pinch the sides of the cookies together to create a delicious little chocolate house for the Nutella.

I managed to make 6 and had a little bit of the dough left over to eat uncooked (because that's really what making cookies is all about).

Bake for about 10 minutes. The mixture is quite moist but watch it as cookies can bake quickly depending on the thickness.

Vanilla Cake with Mascarpone & Figs

Figs are dear funny little things. Apparently hailing from the Garden of Eden, I am loving the addition of these dried and fresh sweet treats to my kitchen.

Vanilla Cake with Mascarpone & Figs
4 eggs
2/3 cup caster sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanille essence
1 cup of self-raising flour (I used wholegrain)
Seeds of one vanilla pod
Mascarpone, Figs & Honey to serve

Preheat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius and prepare a muffin tray.

Beat the eggs until they begin to foam (around 5 minutes) then gradually add the sugar, vanilla and vanilla seeds, continuously beating the mixture.

Sift in the flour and gently fold the mixture together to combine. Pour the batter into the prepared tray and allow to cook for 15 minutes.

Once the cakes have cooled top with mascarpone, a fig half and drizzle with honey.

Breakfast Tart

Start the day with vegetables, egg and pastry.

Breakfast Tart

Puff Pastry or Basic Pastry Recipe 

3 Eggs

1/4 cup cream

1 tablespoon milk

vegetables (sweet potato, mushroom, spinach, capsicum, broccoli)

Whisk the eggs, cream and milk. Chop all of the vegetables and add to the egg mixture. 

Prepare the pastry in a pan of your choice (mini, large, individual). Spoon the egg and vegetable mixture into the pastry tarts and bake at 180 degrees for about 30 minutes. 

These are great hot or cold. They are easy to freeze and defrost over night ready for breakfast the next day. 

Moderation Opportunity

So the Short Story Unit ended up being very short indeed. Half way through I was directed to get the test done and start the next unit - persuasion. Of course. Right in time for NAPLAN. However, we are now extending this persuasion unit until June so by the end of the semester most of us will be persuaded up to our eyeballs.

Amongst all of this is a moderation. I actually enjoy moderation. I think it is a very valuable opportunity for professional conversations and to actually take the time to compare student work across schools. It is a fair method and, when treated as an actual professional task, I always end up learning something.

So the work we are moderating is a persuasive piece. As we have just started the unit I threw my students in the deep end and, after teaching only the structural elements, asked them to write on demand - something I hate doing. In the end I was pretty happy with my spread of results.

I seem to have 4 fairly even groups:
1. the kids who have no concept of structure
2. the kids who have no concept of arguments
3. the kids who have amazing ideas that are all thrown on a page
4. the kids who get it but need to polish up language features

The real skill now is organising some intensive levelled writing groups to ensure that everyone can achieve a passable grade.

Moderation happens on Monday, I'm hoping to hear what other teachers have to say about my student work and ensuring that their assessment of it matches up with my own.

Apple & Rhubarb Crumble Friands

I have been thinking about rhubarb for so long now it's actually become a bit creepy. I've been cooking this recipe up in my mind for a while but I just wasn't quite sure how it would all turn out. I don't think it looks like much but it was delicious and a little bit technical! Since I am in the midst of watching "My Kitchen Rules" (yes I have become one of those people who are suckered into reality cooking shows), I was kind of excited to pull off a dessert with 3 elements!

Friands
95 grams butter
30 grams plain flour
60 grams almond meal (can be found in the baking isle OR usually in the fridge at the health food shop)
2/3 cup icing sugar
3 egg whites

I tried to purchase a friand baking tray but apparently they don't exist in the shops I frequent. I ended up with this shallow muffin tray that I really like. So prepare the pan by adding a little butter or oil to each section and dust it with a little flour (tap out the excess).

In a mixing bowl beat the egg whites until they form a light froth (isn't that a pleasant word). Combine the flour, icing sugar and almond meal and add them to the eggs then add the button on top and mix to combine.

Spoon the mixture into the pan and bake for about 25-30 minutes. These are quite dense so best option is use a thin skewer through the centre to test that they are cooked (obviously if it comes out clean they are done!)

Apple & Rhubarb
2 apples, peeled cored and chopped into small pieces
3 sticks of rhubarb
1/3 cup caster sugar
30 grams butter

Place the apple, rhubarb, butter and sugar into a large saucepan. Let it cook over a medium heat. Stir occasionally and keep an eye on it. After a while the rhubarb becomes quite mushy, hopefully the apples will have softened by this time. Take the mixture off the heat and mash the apples. You don't want this to be too sloppy, make sure it sort of sticks to the spoon for the right texture otherwise it will drip right off the friends. Taste this mixture because sometimes it can be a bit tart - add more sugar if you need to.

Once the mixture has cooled slightly, layer it on top of the friands.

Crumble
I don't feel like I've got this quite right...
5 grams butter
1 teaspoon brown sugar
1 tablespoon plain flour
1 teaspoon rolled oats
2 tablespoons desiccated coconut
1 tablespoon almond meal
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

Place all the ingredients in a bowl. Using your fingertips rub the butter into the mixture until it is combined. Place in the oven to lightly toast then sprinkle on top of the apple and rhubarb mixture.

Serve slightly heated (microwave) with cream or ice cream.

Cutting Recipes in Half

Sometimes I really struggle to understand how to halve things, this is a helpful little website that I frequently use.

Sago Pudding

The first time I had Sago Pudding was on my honeymoon. My husband and I were all prepared for a Malaysian buffet, however, as we were the only two people in the gigantic restaurant, we were given a set menu. Sago Pudding was the feature dessert. After delicious entrées and mains, out came the pudding. I took one bite, hated it and proceeded to devour it all.

Since then I have craved it. Like seriously. CRAVED. IT. But....I didn't even really know what it was. So here is my understanding of it and my version of it.

Sago or Tapioca is starch taken from the pith of palm stems - here is some very helpful information if you want to know more. I found it very interesting but I'm nerdy like that and enjoy finding out about plants.

Palm Sugar is the boiled down and hardened sap that is collected from the cut sago plant. There are many different types. The one I used is Vietnamese (I believe). It looks weird when you buy it if you're not sure what to expect. I certainly didn't know what to expect and was amazed to find it very prominently displayed at my little corner store.

Coconut Cream, all you really need to know is that it is delicious, but here is some more helpful information. I have also made this with coconut milk and it was equally delicious, just a bit more runny.

Also, before you even start - this is a dessert and it isn't for everyone (see above, where I hated it!). Mr Scrumpalicious eats it "to be polite" and another family member I served it to had one bite and gave up immediately. Apparently it doesn't have a taste or it has a taste but not the right taste....each to their own. I LOVE it. I have a feeling that it has something to do with my obsession with food texture - I will take feel over taste and eating this makes me feel darn happy!

Sago Pudding
1 cup of sago/tapioca pearls (I found them in the "Dessert" section of the supermarket but they also sometimes live in the baking section and the soup section)
1 piece of palm sugar
1 can of coconut cream or coconut milk

I let my cup up pearls soak in 2 cups of cold water for 10 minutes. While this was happening I put my piece of palm sugar and about 1/4 cup water on to a very low heat to let it melt down. Stir occasionally and don't let it burn. Once the sugar has totally disolved let it cool and put it in the fridge. Also put the coconut cream in the fridge.

After 10 minutes I rinse my pearls then place them in a saucepan with about 1 1/2 cups of water and bring to the boil. This is the part that gets...not really tricky...but....needs your full attention. You must keep mixing the pearls or else they stick together and also stick to the bottom of your saucepan and burn. They are very sticky and dense and don't take long to "cook". As you stir you will notice that the pearls rise to the top of the water and become transparent. Once they are transparent they are done - this doesn't take long so keep an eye on it....seriously.

Drain the pearls with a sieve and spoon into moulds or into serving dishes/cups as you like. Remember, they are sticky, slippery little suckers to work with. Pop your plates or moulds into the fridge and let everything cool down.

Serve the pearls with the coconut cream and the palm sugar poured over the top.

Final hint: if the pearls burn they will leave a slimy residue on...everything. To get this residue out of your saucepan try boiling some water in it again, failing that, put about 1/2 cup of vinegar into your saucepan, let it sit over night then scrub it out the next morning.