Today is a very special day for two, very special reasons. Today is The Twins' Birthday! They're celebrating in serious style with a pink party tomorrow and my goodness you should see the preparations. I was called in to help with baking yesterday and would you believe, between three of us (adults I mean - the girls aren't quite up to baking yet) we made and iced 200 biscuits and 40 cake pops? We were baking machines!
I'm sure Sarah will let me share some photos of their party with you next week. Let me just say, she's setting the bar very high for when the rest of us have kids.
One thing I have vowed to do when we have kids, is to keep a cookie jar on the kitchen bench ready for the hungry munchkins. Ok so no kids around here yet but Will and I get hungry too. I know you're probably thinking 'oh great another chocolate chip biscuit recipe' but stay with me.
You'll be wanting to fill your cookie jar with chocolate macadamia biscuits before you get to the end of this post. Side note: I call this photo above 'the thinker.' Don't you think it looks like the jar standing tall, gazing off into the distance deep in thought? No? Just me again?
Brown sugar in place of white gives these biscuits their golden hue and makes for a richer flavour and I find, crunchier outer layer of biccie. Wholemeal flour, gives them that added boost of fibre and a bit of an earthy taste. I bought a bag of organic wheat and ground up my own flour in my Vita Mix. It's ridiculous how excited I was when it turned out just like flour (yes I know that's what it was meant to do but it was exciting!).
I didn't squish down the balls of dough so the biscuits were nice and thick which meant a crunchy outer rim and soft chewy centre - perfect for those of us on the fence in the soft-or-crunchy-cookie-debate. Macadamia nuts add an extra little crunch. I roasted mine to golden brown before putting them in the dough. It might seem like extra effort but it's worth it for the extra flavour.
Using regular dark chocolate chopped up into chunks means every bite is a surprise. Will you have a skerrick of chocolate or will you strike gold and bite into a giant lump? The best part is if it's a bit warm in your kitchen and the chocolate is a little soft it will ooze out when you take a bite. Are you convinced? I hope so. Enjoy!
Recipe
Ingredients
- 200 g butter
- 2 cups brown sugar
- 1 egg
- 1 tablespoon plain yoghurt can use a second egg instead
- 1 cup rolled oats
- 1 cup wholemeal plain flour
- 1 cup plain flour
- ½ cup dark chocolate chopped (best you can find)
- ½ cup macadamia nuts roasted and chopped
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180C fan-forced.
- Line two baking trays with baking paper.
- In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the butter and sugar together until creamy. Add the egg and yoghurt and mix until combined.
- Add rolled oats and mix then add flours.
- Finally, add the chocolate and nuts and mix on low just until they're mixed into the dough and it all comes together.
- Use a heaped teaspoon of dough and roll it into balls then place on the lined baking trays leaving at least 3cm between each one.
- Bake for 7-10 minutes or until they are golden.
- Leave the biscuits to sit on the trays for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Store in an airtight container.
The Life of Clare says
You've convinced me, these biscuits are a must try. For me, anything with macadamia is a winner! I look forward to hearing about the twins party!
Claire says
It was an extravaganza Clare!
Kirsty @ The Natural Foodie says
Wow Claire, just wow. I particularly like "I didn’t squish down the balls of dough so the biscuits were nice and thick which meant a crunchy outer rim and soft chewy centre"... aside from the obvious dirty puns this actually is my idea of cookie heaven! I love that you've already vowed to have a stocked cookie jar with homemade cookies for the kids (they way they should be, none of that store bought stuff). And oh, yes, I completely understand the excitement that is wheat grains becoming flour. Magic.
Claire says
Yep no store-bought biscuits in my house! I'm glad I'm not the only one who things turning wheat into flour is like magic. I could do it all day!
Lisa the Gourmet Wog says
Yes yes yes! A house with children needs a jar of cookies in the kitchen! These look so moreish!
Claire says
Doesn't it!
Hotly Spiced says
You iced 200 biscuits? That took me back to when I iced and decorated 200 cupcakes ON MY OWN. I was beside myself. I had no idea how long that would take. I don't think I've fully recovered (especially as we had to drive off with just 175 in the car - the rest are still in the freezer - un-iced). I hope the party goes really well. It sounds like there's been a lot of attention to detail xx
Claire says
I don't know how you did it!! It always takes sooo much longer than you think it will.
Maureen | Orgasmic Chef says
I like the idea of the chocolate oozing out when you bite into it. These cookies look like something I would want right this minute. :)
Claire says
Well Maureen. If you jump in the car I'll cook up the extra dough I stashed in the freezer and they'll be ready when you arrive! :-)
Lorraine @ Not Quite Nigella says
Ooh you know when you said The Thinker I was thinking to myself "Hmmm no" but then I looked at it again and I can see it!! :D
Claire says
Haha glad you can see it too :-)