Chocolate Chip and Oats Cookies

Whoever said never to work with children has obviously not tried baking with little ones as it is a joy to cook with even the tiniest of tots. Ok, so it may get a little messy but the results are worth it. Baking to them is like playing and pretending to copy the adults on cooking. After their hard work, that they are then able to eat the results of their labour is invariably met with wonder and joy. The important thing when baking with little children is to allow a lot of time - children hate being hurried- and not to worry too much about the look of the results! It's the time spent creating something together that's important.





My friend's seven-year-old daughter In-ha, came over to visit us. She mentioned that she have an assignment on how to measure up the ingredients for her baking goodies. So I decided to make some simple and easy to follow recipe and a healthy cookies. I teach her how to measure the ingredients using the digital scale, obviously this is easier for them rather than using the traditional scale. She helped me sift the flour, stirring and my son and In-ha help add up the other ingredients.





Baking at home also gives control back to us parents over what our children eat. The kids can still enjoy sweet treats but without the long list of additives most of us know little about. My son Younnes found baking is fun and was happy to help and sit to lick out the bowl, or 'help' with the washing up in a sink full of bubbles, while I finished off the recipe.




Chocolate Chip and Oats Cookies

100 g butter or margarine
100 g soft light brown sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla essence
150 g self-raising flour
75 g porridge oats
50-100 g plain, milk or white chocolate chips

1. Help your child to cut out two large sheets of parchment paper to line the cookie sheets while you set the oven to 375°F.



2. Place the butter and sugar in the mixing bowl and help your child to beat them together either with an electric mixer or a wooden spoon until creamy



3. Add the egg and vanilla essence and mix together again. Place the sieve over the mixing bowl, sift in the flour and then mix in.



4. Add the oats and chocolate chips and stir in, then, using a teaspoon and another spoon to scrape the mixture off, place a generous spoonfuls of the mixture in 24 or so lumpy heaps on the baking sheets. Allow plenty of space between the heaps as the cookies will spread as they cook.



5. Bake the cookies for about 10 minutes, until the ones on the top shelf are golden brown, then remove them from the oven and move the other baking sheet up from the bottom shelf. Bake these for a further 3-5 minutes until they are golden, then remove.



6. Cool the cookies on the baking sheets for a few minutes before transferring , with a palette knife, to a cooling rack. The cookies will be crispy as they cool.
   

Chinese Peanut cookies

Once again it's Chinese new year time, time really flies so fast. It's the year of the OX. This year I'm trying to make some CNY cookies. Chinese Peanut Cookies, this is a melt in the mouth and by adding some peanut bits make it more delectable to the taste with a crunch. Basically, it's very easy to make.You don't need to have a special mold for the peanut dough to shape. I used the bottle cap of the distilled water and for the center circle indention I used the medicine dropper. Try this and you'll definitely love it. Gave some to my Malaysian friend Sue,and she was happy that she didn't eat it for long time. Thanks Florence for sharing this recipe.





Additional notes in preparing this cookies, don't pour all the oil but instead pour it little by little. If the dough is dry, add more oil until you achieve a soft dough.But if it's too soft add more peanut powder.In shaping, put a cling wrap in the bottle cap and press the dough and turn it into the baking sheet lined with parchment paper and release by removing the cap and sliding out the cling wrap.







Chinese Peanut Cookies
from Florence of Do What I Like


200 g ground peanut powder
200 g flour
½ tsp baking powder
100g icing sugar
¼ tsp salt
100-150 g coarsely chopped peanuts
100 g peanut oil/corn oil

Egg wash - 1 yolk lightly whisked and 1 tsp water


1. Place the peanuts in a wok and dry fry over low heat until crunchy. Put in the miller or blender till powder forms.

2. Mix the flour, baking powder,icing sugar, ground peanut powder and salt in a bowl till well combined. Toss in the peanut bits and mix well.

3. Add in the 100g oil or more until you achieve a pliable formed dough.

4. Shape into your preferred shape and sizes. Arrange in the baking sheet lined with greaseproof paper.

5. Brush egg wash.

6. Bake in the preheated oven at 165°C for 20minutes or until golden brown.

Rainbow Crystal Cookies

before bake in the oven


I brought this cookies for Stepping Stone's Toddler Group christmas party today. It's doesn't look like crystal as I forgot to coat the ball dough into sugar before putting in the oven, and it didn't rise much as expected. The outcome still came out deli to eat. You can mix and match the color to your preference.With regards to ghee, if you can't get hold of it just use butter instead. Got this recipe in Aunty Yochana and you can see far more better and beautiful photos she have with this cookies.



Rainbow Crystal Cookies

100 g butter, soften
60 g ghee or shortening
80 g sugar
50 g egg
250 g plain flour
30 g custard powder
1/4 t salt
1 t baking powder
1 T powder milk
60 g ground almonds
pink and orange food coloring


1. Cream butter, ghee, sugar and salt together till light and creamy.

2. Add in the beaten egg and the rest of the dry ingredients except for the coloring and mix well into a dough.

3. Divide dough into 3 parts. Leave one part plain, the second part color it pink and the other part color it orange.

4. Put the three part together and pinch into small balls. Roll it round, toss in sugar to coat and place it in small papercups.

5. Bake at preheated oven 160°C for about 20 minutes, or till crispy and cooked.

Oaty-licious

I was browsing in the internet to find an easy cookies with the oats as the main ingredients.Chanced upon the site of happyhomebaking, "Chewy Oatmeal Raisin Cookies". Tried baking, Viola! here it is.I find this cookies yummy and my children loves it as well.

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