Chocolate Walnut Cupcakes

I have been using this recipe on and off for the past few years. I love the soft fluffiness of the cupcake with the crunch of the chopped nuts. Enjoy for a bit of crunch on your chocolate cupcakes. This is also lovely to have with coffee after a LONG work day. 

Chocolate Walnut Cupcakes

Ingredients

150g lightly salted butter

150g caster sugar

175g self raising flour

1 cup chopped walnuts

3 eggs

3 tbs baking cocoa

1 tsp vanilla essence

Spare chopped walnuts (to top cupcakes)

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 180⁰ prepare cupcake tray.

2. Combine butter, sugar, eggs, flour, cocoa and vanilla essence in a bowl. Mix with a hand held mixer until light and fluffy.

3. Gently fold through walnuts. Spoon into cupcake tray. Sprinkle with spare chopped walnuts.

4. Cook for 20-25 mins. Remove from oven and allow to cool on rack. 

Not Enough Chocolate Cake

Celebrating a positive diagnose the only way I know how. Choc-tastic cake!!! This was taken from '100 Years of Sweet Baking Memories.' I have been looking for an excuse to make this cake, it is like swimming in a river of chocolate. What better reason! I hope you enjoy this cake as much as I do :)

Choc Lover's Cake

Ingredients

125g cold butter, chopped

200g premium dark cooking chocolate

395g sweetened condensed milk

2 eggs, lightly beaten

1 cup self raising flour

1/2 cup plain flour

1/2 cup almond meal

180g premium white chocolate, chopped

100g premium milk chocolate, chopped

Method

1. Pre heat oven to 170 degrees Celsius. Grease and line a 20 cm round cake pan with baking paper.

2. Melt butter, dark chocolate and sweetened condensed milk in a large saucepan; stir over low heat until melted. Cool for 10 mins.

3. Stir in eggs, then sifted flours and almond meal to melted chocolate. Then add chopped chocolate and mix. 

4. Spoon into cake tin and smooth top (I aim for a white chocolate swirl on top because it is pretty).

5. Bake for 55 mins and cool in pan for 15 mins. Serve warm (and gooey)  

Other choc-a-holic day dreamings:

From Food for my Fork- Chocolate Self Saucing Pudding (Wow, some amazing recipes) 

Donna Hayes - Raspberry and White Chocolate Muffins 

Martha Stewart Salted Carmel Six Layer Chocolate Cake 

Donna Hayes Self Saucing Chocolate Puddings

Taste of Home Cinnamon Chocolate Nachos

Choc-A-Holic Cookies

So I really wanted to bake yesterday. I have these cool new cookie cutters that I was going to use. Then I stumbled across 2 choc cookie recipes and decided to try a mutated version of both. These are the most chocolate tasting, fudge like centred cookies I have ever had. I made 24 only 6 survived the night. Those 6 may not survive this post...just saying.

Choc-A-Holic Cookies

Ingredients
3/4 cup (firmly packed) brown sugar
1 cup white sugar
200g butter, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 eggs
1 3/4 cups plain flour
1 cup Bournville Cadbury cocoa (any nice Cocoa would work I guess, let me know)
1 teaspoon baking powder
200g choc chip (milk, dark, white or combination it is your choice- I used milk)

Method
1. Preheat oven to 180°C.
2. Using an electric mixer, beat sugars, butter and vanilla until fluffy.
3. Add eggs, one at a time, beating after each.
4, Sift flour, cocoa, baking powder and 1 teaspoon salt over.
5. Add chocolate chips.
6. Stir to combine.
7. Place 1/2 tablespoonfuls of mixture into ball like shapes on lined baking tray. Flatten with a spoon.
8. Bake for 8-10 minutes (vary cooking time for size).
9. Cool biscuits on trays.

Note: Eat when warm soooooo good! I would recommend to watch the oven when you are cooking this because I made tablespoon sized ones and had to have them in for 17 mins. Pictures to come.