Sleepover • Chocolate Chips Cookies • Chocolate Cupcakes

转眼两周的学校假期又结束了。这一次的假期，小洁的好友来咱的小居做客，两个小女孩不太喜欢出外，窝在家里玩游戏好像也挺高兴的。小洁以往放假时也常有sleepover，和小表姐的感情就是因为sleepover而变得越来越亲密。袋鼠国没有姑姑家可去，但难得有好友也喜欢sleepover，而且家长不反对，所以小洁也去了朋友家住了两夜。

小朋友不出门的话，就爱玩电脑、看电视节目。要转移她们的视线，可以给她们自己动手做饼干。上网找到一个巧克力豆饼干的食谱后，把材料备齐，让她们当我的助手。用这个食谱做出来的饼干连大人都爱吃。

Chocolate Chips Cookies

Makes 4 dozens 

Ingredients:

1 cup butter, softened

1 cup white sugar （我用2/3杯的白糖）

1 cup packed brown sugar（黄糖分量也减少越1/4杯）

2 egg

2 tsp vanilla extract

3 cups all-purpose flour

1 tsp baking soda

2 tsp hot water

1/2 tsp salt

2 cup semisweet chocolate chips （我混合3种巧克力豆：white choc, dark choc和milk choc)

1 cup chopped walnuts （小孩不喜欢核桃，我把面团分一半，把半杯核桃揉进一半的面团中）

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 ºF (175 ºC).
2. Cream together the butter, white sugar, and brown sugar until smooth. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then stir in the vanilla. Dissolve baking soda in hot water. Add to batter along with salt. Stir in flour, chocolate chips, and nuts. Drop by large spoonfuls onto ungreased pans.
3. Bake for about 10 minutes in the preheated oven, or until edges are nicely browned. （若要像美式饼干中心带有松软口感的话，留意饼干边缘烤至褐色即可取出放凉。否则饼干的口感会比较硬。）

注：根据食谱一次可做相当大量饼干面团。用不完的可以搓成越5cm圆筒冷冻，想吃的时候切出1cm厚度的圆饼，进预热好的烤箱烤12-15分钟即可。

好友第二次来访时，咱不做饼干了。这次，咱做的是巧克力杯子蛋糕。这一个个圆鼓鼓的杯子蛋糕是小洁的最爱之一。我们一共做了12个，朋友带一半回家跟弟弟分享。

Chocolate Cupcakes

makes 12-15 (我把面糊平均倒入12个纸杯模，烤出12个蓬得高高又开顶的杯子蛋糕。若只装2/3满，烤好的蛋糕会刚好达到杯模的高度，适合进一步加奶油装饰。）

Ingredients:

• 150ml sunflower oil

• 75ml buttermilk

• 75ml milk

• 1 egg

• 240g plain flour

• 40g cocoa powder

• 2 teaspoons baking powder

• ¼ teaspoon salt

• 330g caster sugar

• 150ml boiling water

Chocolate Cupcake Icing:

• 200g dark couverture chocolate (60-70% cocoa solids), finely chopped

• 100g butter, softened

• 250g cream cheese, softened

• 500g icing sugar

• Silver cachous, to decorate

Method:

Chocolate Cupcakes

Preparation: 35 minutes
Cooking: 20 minutes

1. For chocolate cupcakes, increase oven temperature to 190°C. Line 15 cupcake holes with paper cases.

2. Whisk oil, buttermilk, milk and egg in a large bowl until combined. Sift flour, cocoa, baking powder and salt together, then stir in the sugar. Add 1/3 of the dry ingredients into the oil mixture, alternating with the boiling water. Spoon into 12 – 14 cupcake cases (the mixture will be quite runny) and bake for 18 – 20 minutes or until risen, and springy to the touch. Cool on a rack. 


Chocolate Cupcake Icing

1. Melt chocolate in a bowl placed over a saucepan of simmering water. Set aside to cool. 

2. Place butter and cream cheese in an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, and mix until combined. Check there are no lumps from the cream cheese – if so, beat for a little longer. 

3. Add icing sugar then the cooled melted chocolate and mix until well combined. Scrape the sides of the bowl with a spatula if necessary. Add extra icing sugar if required – check the consistency of the icing first. Pipe onto the cooled cupcakes and decorate with silver cachous.