White Chocolate Snickerdoodle Cookies

Averie Cooks has fast become one of my favourite blogs. Her writing style and photography is second to none, but her sense of humour and amazing recipes keeps me coming back every single day!

I tried her Snickerdoodles (intrigued by the name and both major ingredients...) 

What makes a Snickerdoodle I hear you ask? The cookie is rolled in cinnamon sugar before baking... nom nom nom! This was my first time ever tasting a snickerdoodle, and although the consistency and texture of the cookie was delicious (Averie puts this down to brown sugar!) they were very very sweet- I could eat no more than two! Beware, this is not one for the faint-hearted!

Anyways, I substituted large Milky Bar Giant Buttons (labelled for protection against thieves!) broken up for white chocolate chips which I couldn't find anywhere, and they worked great!

A top tip from Averie is to chill cookie dough before shaping, which works wonderfully for cookies that hold their shape in the oven! I think it would be great for Nutella Pillow Cookies!

Also, some of my cookies burned while the others stayed perfectly not-so golden. My oven is a super duper fancy Neff contraption so I don't think it's to blame and I was really vigilant with watching the cookies after this disaster so the jury's out.

Let me know what you think of them in the comments section below, or on the Facebook page!

Yield: 14 medium sized cookies
You will need:
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 large egg (or 2 medium/small)
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 1/4 cups cream flour
1/2 cup white chocolate chips or broken MilkyBar Giant Buttons

For sugar topping:
1tbsp ground cinnamon
1/4 cup white sugar

1. Preheat oven to 175 degrees Celcius.
2. Line two baking trays with baking parchment.
3. Cream together butter and sugars until light and fluffy.
4. Add the vanilla extract and egg and beat until just combined- do not overbeat!
5. Stir in the dry ingredients until just combined.
6. Stir in the chocolate chips.
7. Chill in the freezer for 10 mins (covered with cling film) or in the fridge for an hour plus.
8. Prepare cinnamon mixture in a cereal bowl or similar, mixing cinnamon and white sugar with a spoon.
9. Using an ice-cream scoop, scoop the chilled dough into balls.
10. Roll into cinnamon sugar and place on lined baking tray.
11. Bake for 8-10 minutes until barely set (still soft in the middle).
12. Allow to cool for another 5-10 minutes on the baking tray before devouring!
13. Enjoy!

How do you like Snickerdoodles? Let me know below!

Stay sweet! x

National Strawberry Week

Strawberries are at their very best right now so if you do nothing else this weekend, promise me you will pick up a punnet? Dine on strawberries and cream in front of the Wimbledon finals or tune in here for the best Eton Mess and no-bake strawberry cheesecake recipes! You will also find some healthier ways to enjoy this yummy fruit!

Bord Bia have loads of info on this super fruit- did you know that an average serving of 8 berries = 27 calories?! Another reason to buy Irish strawberries! Head over to the National Strawberry Week page for more.

If cream ain't your thing, try dipping your strawberries in white chocolate ganache!

To make the ganache simply whisk together 250g of good quality white chocolate with 125ml of whipping cream (you'll find out about the different types of cream on today's show!) over a double boiler until melted. Pour over strawberries and enjoy!

If you're out and about this weekend don't forget the Wexford Strawberry Festival is happening, with one of my all-time favourite bands, The Original Rudeboys, headlining Sunday night. This is definitely a festival not to be missed!

How do you eat your strawberries? Let me know in the comments section below.

Enjoy your weekend, stay sweet! x

Sophisticated Sunday Snack... Monochrome Krispie Cakes!

As you may have seen here, I love Rice Krispie cakes- especially when made with white chocolate!! What could be better?? Making them with BOTH white and milk chocolate! 

Introducing the stylish Monochrome Krispie Cake! 

I expected these to take a long time to make, but they are in fact relatively fast and easy!
The colour contrast packs a powerful punch here, and they were the perfect treat to whip up for a loyal follower's birthday! ;) Plus, monochrome is so in vogue right now, you just can't help but love these!

Recipe:

1. Line cupcake tins with cupcake liners.
2. Melt bar milk chocolate in a bowl over a pan of hot water on the stove (don't boil water as it will burn the chocolate and spit out steam/water at you!) Stir continuously.
3. When fully melted mix in Rice Krispies.
4. Pour this mixture into the cases. 
5. Allow to set for a few moments (you don't want to melt this layer with the next batch!)
6. Wash bowl and dry thoroughly. 
7. Repeat steps 2 & 3 using a bar of white chocolate (lesser quantity will suffice).
8. Pour mixture into cases holding chocolate mixture, allowing the milk chocolate to peak through, or place white chocolate mixture to one side!

Enjoy- I know for a fact you will!

White Chocolate Krispie Clouds

Rice Krispie buns or cakes?.... CAKES! A childhood right of passage, a teenage comfort food, an easy peasy "I baked you something" product- their allure never dies.

My friend always had white chocolate Rice Krispie cakes at her birthdays, serious party envy! So a few weeks ago I whipped some up for my little cousin's birthday, they were a quick hit!

I melted a bar of white chocolate (I used Wondercook) in a bain marie and then mixed in Rice Krispies in the glass bowl, (don't add too many Rice Krispies or the delicate white chocolate will be overpowered!) before scooping into muffin cases in a cupcake tin. Delicious!

I forgot how delicious they are, and not in a heavily indulgent way, moreso light, fluffy and moreish!

As a hungry man once said, the only problem with these treats is everybody knows how many you've eaten!

Enjoy!