Chunky Double Chocolate Almonds Cookies

Ingredients (20-22 pieces):

150g self-rising flour

115g brown sugar

115g unsalted (sweet) butter, softened

115g white chocolate, roughly chopped

115g plain (semisweet) chocolate, roughly chopped

75g ground almonds

1 tsp vanilla essence

1 egg

Methods:

1. Preheat the oven to 180 C.

2. Grease the baking sheet.

3. Cream the sugar and butter until pale and fluffy.

4. Beat in the vanilla and egg.

5. Sift the flour over the mixture and fold in lightly with a spoon, then add the almonds, plain chocolate and white chocolate and stir until evenly mixed.

6. Place small spoonfuls of the mixture in 20-22 rocky heaps on the baking sheets, leaving space for spreading.

7. Bake for 12-15 minutes or until the biscuits are beginning to turn pale golden.

8. Cool for 3-5 minutes on the baking sheets, and then lift in the wire racks. The biscuits will be soft at first but harden on cooling.

Walnut Chocolate Muffins

Ingredients (12 pieces):

190g caster (superfine) sugar

180g unsalted (sweet) butter

150g plain chocolate, chopped

120g walnuts, chopped

110g plain (all purpose) flour

50g brown sugar

1 tbsp cocoa powder

1 tsp vanilla essence

¼ tsp almond essence

4 eggs

Methods:

1. Preheat the oven to 180 C.

2. Grease a 12-cup muffin tin.

3. Melt the butter and chocolate using a double boiler. Transfer to a mixing bowl.

4. Stir in the sugars. Slowly mix in the eggs, a little at a time. Add the vanilla and almond essences.

5. Sift over the flour and cocoa powder, fold in, and then stir in the walnuts.

6. Fill the muffin cups almost to the top and bake for 25-30 minutes, until a skewer inserted in a muffin comes out clean but sticky.

7. Leave to stand for 5 minutes before turning the muffins out on to a rack.

Double Chocolate Chip Muffins

Ingredients (12 pieces):

300g plain (all purpose) flour

130g white chocolate

130g plain chocolate

80g molasses (sugar)

½ cup sour cream

½ cup milk

3 tbsp sunflower oil

1½ tbsp cocoa powder, plus extra for dusting

¾ tbsp baking powder

2 eggs

Methods:

1. Preheat the oven to 180 C.

2. Place 12 paper muffin cases in muffin tin.

3. Sift the flour, baking powder and cocoa into a bowl and stir in the sugar. Make a well in the centre.

4. In a separate bowl, beat the eggs with the sour cream, milk and oil, then stir into the well in the dry ingredients. Beat well, gradually incorporating all the surrounding flour mixture to make a thick and creamy batter.

5. Chop the white and plain chocolate into small pieces and stir into the mixture.

6. Spoon the chocolate mixture into the muffin cases, filling them almost to the top. Bake for 25-30 minutes, until well risen and firm to the touch.

7. Cool on a wire rack, and then dust the muffins lightly with cocoa powder.

Simple Chocolate Cake

*This cake is simple to make. There is no need for icing because it has a rich filling.

Ingredients (Serves 6-8):

200g self-rising flour

140g unsalted (sweet) butter or margarine, softened

130g brown sugar

110g plain (semisweet) chocolate, chopped into small pieces

15ml cocoa powder

3 tbsp milk

3 eggs

1 quantity chocolate butter cream

Methods:

1. Preheat oven to 180 C.

2. Grease two sandwich cake pans with 7 in round and line the bases with baking parchment.

3. Select a small pan and a heatproof bowl that will fit over it. Place the chocolate and milk in the bowl. In the pan bring some water below simmering point. Place the bowl containing the chocolate mixture on top. Leave for about 5 minutes, until the chocolate softens, then stir the chocolate until smooth. Leave the bowl set over the pan, but remove from the heat.

4. Cream the butter or margarine with sugar in a mixing bowl until pale and fluffy.

5. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Stir in the chocolate mixture until well combined.

6. Sift the flour and cocoa over the mixture and fold in with a spoon until evenly mixed.

7. Scrape into the prepared tins, smooth level and bake for 35-40 minutes or until well risen and firm. Turn out on to wire racks to cool.

8. Sandwich the cake layers together with a thick layer of chocolate butter cream. Dust with icing sugar and cocoa before serving, if liked.