17 January 2014

Plate Up. New York Chocolate & Walnut Cookies


I got this wonderful book for Christmas so prepare yourself for plenty of great recipes coming soon. Everytime I flick through it my mouth starts watering; there are some great American classics in here that I'm dying to whip up, like a traditional American pie, challah bread, pop tarts and blondies. Here's my first recipe and it was a real success. Gotta love those doughy New York cookies.


What you'll need
250g unsalted butter
125g caster sugar
125g light brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 pinches sea salt
2 eggs
400g plain flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
200g chocolate, coarsley chopped (I used a mixture of milk and dark)
50g walnuts, chopped (you could also use hazelnuts or macadamias)



What to do
Beat the butter and sugars until light and creamy. Add the vanilla, salt and eggs and beat until smooth. Next, in a separate bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, chocolate and nuts. Then combine the dry and wet ingredients together. Spoon together until a dough forms then shape into a ball using your hands and cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate for an hour.

Preheat your oven to 180 degrees Celsius. Take the dough out and place it on a sheet of baking paper. Use this to shape your dough into a sausage shape about 10cm in diameter. Using a knife or pastry cutter, cut the roll into thin slices about 1.5cm thick. Arrange them on lined baking trays and bake for 10 minutes. Allow to cool. Garnish with a further crack of sea salt, it makes the chocolate taste extra delicious.

Makes approx. 20 cookies.

Photos by Krissie.