Mocha Cupcakes & Cookies!

This is actually a recipe for mocha cake which is baked in a 5 x 9in loaf tin for 35 minutes at 190C/375F then 160C/325F for 20 minutes. It can then be iced with coffee butter icing and decorated with chocolate curls! But it adapts very nicely to make delicious muffins.

• 175g self-raising flour
• 50g cocoa powder
• 225g soft light brown sugar
• 175g butter, melted
• 4 eggs, seperated
• 60ml very strong coffee, cooled
• 3 tbsp water

1. Preheat the oven to 190C/375F. Prepare 12 muffin cases.
2. Sift the flour and cocoa powder into a large bowl, add the sugar and stir.
3. Using a wooden spoon or hand-held whisk, beat in the butter, egg yolks, coffee and water until smooth (it is a very thick consistency don't worry).
4. Whisk the egg whites in a large clean bowl until fairly stiff peaks, then fold into the cake mix in three batches (I mixed in a little first quite well to loosen up the mix, but I'm not sure if this is a good technique or not). 
5. Divide between the muffin cases and bake for 15 minutes.

(Recipe from "Bake!")


Because I had people coming round, I also made chocolate chip cookies!

• 125g unsalted butter, softened
• 50g caster sugar
• 50g light brown muscovado sugar
• 1 large egg, at room temperature
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 150g plain flour
• good pinch of salt
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 40g pecan or walnut pieces (optional, I didn't use)
• 100g chocolate pieces (70% cocoa should be used apparently but I just used standard milk)

1-2 baking sheets, lightly greased

1. Preheat the oven to 190C/375F/gas 5. 
2. Put the butter in a bowl and beat with a spoon or mixer until creamy. Add the sugars and beat until fluffy.
3. Lightly beat the egg with the vanilla, then gradually beat into the mixture.
4. Sift the flour, salt and baking powder into the bowl and mix in with a wooden spoon. Work in the nuts & chocolate.
5. Put heaped teaspoons of the dough onto the baking sheets, spacing well apart. 
6. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes.
7. Remove and leave to cool and firm up for a couple of minutes (~ before this point I actually squashed them with a spoon because they were too domed for my liking!). 

(Recipe from "The Great British Bake Off")