Easy Egg Free, Nut free Cookies

Basic Cookies

Makes 15

Ingredients

125 grams butter, room temperature
1/3 cup caster sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste
3/4 cup self raising flour
2/3 cup plain flour
2 tablespoons milk

Method

1.            Preheat oven to 170C. Beat butter, sugar and vanilla bean paste in a bowl until light and
               creamy. Sift flours together    
               and stir into the butter mixture, add milk. turn onto a lightly flour surface and knead lightly  
               until smooth.

2.            Line baking tray with baking paper. Roll out dough about 4mm thick. Cut out shapes with
             

cutters. Bake in oven for 15 mins or until pale golden in colour. Allow to cool.

Chocolate & Coffee Melting Moments

Chocolate & Coffee Melting Moments

Makes 30

Ingredients

1/2 cup brown sugar, firmly pressed
1/2 cup of icing sugar, firmly pressed
700 grams butter room temperature
530 grams plain flour, sifted
100 grams corn flour, sifted
320 grams 70% cocoa dark chocolate, chopped
50 ml espresso coffee
1 teaspoon of vanilla bean paste
Cocoa powder to dust

Method

1.           Preheat oven to 160C. Line 4 baking trays with baking paper. Use electric mixer or beaters    to beat brown sugar, icing sugar, espresso coffee, vanilla bean paste and 500 grams of the butter in a bowl until light and creamy.

2.           Fold in plain flour and corn flour. Mix to form a soft dough. With hands floured roll 1 heaped teaspoon of mixture into balls. Placed on prepared tray. Slightly flatten with a fork. Repeat with the remaining mixture. Bake for 15 mins or until pale golden. Cool biscuits on tray.

3.           Using a heatproof bowl, place chocolate and butter over a saucepan half filled with simmering water. Bowl shouldn't be touching water. Occasionally stir mixture until smooth. Chill for 30 mins or until thick. Spoon into a piping bag with a 2 cm star nozzle. Pipe mixture over half the biscuits. Place remaining biscuits on tray. Finish of by dusting with cocoa.

Welcome back... Feeling special

It's been a long time since my last publication. In that time we have added to our family a precious baby brother Xavier. Still living with Our little munchkin's severe allergies and hoping that one day the will be a preventative or better yet a cure. We have recently had our baby Xavier tested for allergies and good news he is free of allergies!

Recently started Xavier on solids (feel much relaxed about of him being allergy free). I wanted to share a short story about one morning. I was feeding Xavier some puréed carrots, which he loves and can demolish within minutes. As I was feeding him my little munchkin Sam asked me "can Xavier eat eggs?" I replied " yes he can eat eggs". Sam's response was " I can't eat eggs I'm allergic, but I can eat special food just for Sam!" I can't explain the emotions that I was feeling at this time. I wanted to cry because I felt sorry for him. Instead Sam wasn't at all  sad, in fact he was happy to be considered special.

I have to thank his teachers and careers at his Kindergarten for that. Doing a great job to educate and bring awareness to children with and without allergies about allergies.

Looking forward to many new publications

Xo