Tuesday, September 22, 2009

Blasphemous Butterscotch chip cookies

          Cookies have always been something that I've loved as a child and probably the first baked sweet treat I've ever made outside home econs classes. I remember having this obsession about making soft cookies. Soft chewy cookies ala the type from Mrs Fields.

          The type that can't last two days in an air tight container(even with the slice of bread stored with them), the type my parents hate.

           Its a generation thing I tell you. Older folks like their cookies old school ala famous amos whilst us youngsters just like them chewy, goey and rich. Sick of being told by my parents that my cookies suck, I was on a hunt for a crispy crunchy old school cookie.

           It came to no surprise when a collegue steps into work one day holding a basket of baked crispy crunchy rum and raisin cookies, I was the first to yelp, "GIVE ME THE RECIPE!'"

           I loved the texture, how it wasn't over done but light and delicate and had a nice crrrunch with each bite. After much cajoling, accosting and good will, said recipe was handed to me and the great experiment began.

         Hunting for ingredients began at various cold storages. I went, I saw, I substituted. Like every desperate chef, I picked out the next best alternatives to the real deal.

         I was quite proud of myself, thinking I definitely applied some culinary creativity back there and was on the path to creating a cookie worthy of the cookie hall of fame, only to have my bubble burst when I got home.

          Reading the recipe again, I saw something at the bottom of the page in BOLD AND CAPS, which somehow escaped my selective reading eyes:



Haha, so much for following the recipe correctly.


         Allow me to take this timely moment to introduce the ingredients I used to blaspheme against the written word that is the recipe.

          With the help of Mr Gnome, a completely redundant minature statue that resides on my living room table,  I present to you the sinners that committed heresy against the written word:

          Butterscotch chips, Molasses and Dark cooking chocolate. Not in photo: Whipping cream, Chopped Almonds and Vanilla Essence.

  
Oh yeah, the little heart measuring spoons were a teacher's day gift! They are simply precious! Take a closer look:
                           
 It says: a pinch of patience, a dash of kindness, a spoonful of laughter and a heap of love. Exactly what you need when cooking or baking.

          Upwards and onwards, I made my modifications. I tried my best to atone, I mean, follow the recipe  and voila, I present to you, my humble crispy blaspheming butterscotch chip cookies:

                 
They may look plain but they were yummy. Very morish and simple tasting. Sweet and crunchy albeit too plain, both in looks and in taste. Presentation is something that can be fixed easily. And the angels cried:

                                                                  
                                              UPWORDS

                    

and

                                             ONWORDS!

                  

Okay, okay I'll stop playing with my food.

               The next thing I did was to fix the lack of explosion in each mouthful. I rummaged the fridge and found the innocent dark chocolate cooking bar I bought from Carrefour a few days ago. Perhaps a baptism in chocolate might do the trick?
           
              
                   

Then I found some diced almonds in the fridge while waiting for these to set. Time for some salvation?

                   
                    

I brought these cookies to a poker night and the vote went as followed:

Plain Butterscotch Chip: favourited by hosts parents and asked if I could sell them these for Chinese New Year - generation gap theory proven

Butterscotch Chip with Dark Chocolate: rated second best by Pokerholics

Butterscotch Chip with Dark Chocolate and diced Almonds: WINNER as said by Gorilla and peers.

The lesson learnt here would be that its okay to blaspheme, I mean substitute ingredients. Even though the commandment was broken, the warning unheaded, apocalypse of the baking kind did not occur. Although a chill did run down my spine when the Gorilla said,

" These are great but don't ever make them for me again honey."

Cue dramatic music.


Here's the recipe and feel free to blaspheme, I mean, substitute!


Butterscotch Chip Cookies- Adapted from  Rum and Raisin Cookies by Betty Saw

175g butter
125g Castor Sugar
50g Molasses
50ml Whipping cream
1 teaspoon vanilla essence

Sifted Ingredients
235g plain flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon  bicarbonate of  soda
1 package of butterscotch chips


Cream the butter, both kinds of sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the cream and vanilla essence until smooth and creamy

Fold in the sifted ingredients and mix until well combined. Mix in the butterscotch chips.

Lightly roll teaspoonfuls of mixture into round balls. Place them on prepared trays 6cm apart to allow for spreading. Flatten slightly.

Bake in preheated oven at 165 degrees C for 15-18minutes until golden brown. Coll on wire racks before storing in airtight containers.

Makes approximately 50.

Variation: Make a chocolate ganache. I usually use 250g chocolate to 235ml double cream or heavy cream.

Heat the cream and add hot cream to the chocolate.

Who am I kidding?

 Just put the two together and give it some micro-love at 30 sec pulses. Stir each time and stir well. Microwaved chocolate tends to hold its shape despite being melted.

Dip cookie tops in chocolate and swirl. Place on a parchement lined tray to set in fridge.

Alternatively, place cookies on a wire rack with a baking tray to catch drips.
Pour ganache over cookies then place them on the parchment sheet and in the fridge to set.

You can add some chopped toasted almonds if you like before setting it into the fridge. Enjoy!




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