Cashew Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

 

A few weeks ago, I got a package from a new wholly Nigerian company run by 2 young ladies called Uwa Earth Foods. The package contained a selection of their preservative free and all natural peanut and cashew butters - crunch peanut butter, spicy peanut butter, cashew butter and chocolate cashew butter. To say I was excited is an understatement. A lot of the things I love in 1 package: Female entrepreneurs, Organic food company, preservative free, very few ingredients, cute packaging and proudly Nigerian.

 

I went into mad scientist mode thinking about what to do with all these goodies apart from smearing on bread. This is one of the results. These cookies are chewy and rich. The creaminess and taste of the cashew butter adds a sophistication to these cookies that you will not get from peanut butter. The chocolate chips add just the right amount of sweetness. These cookies can be eaten warm or cold with some milk or cocoa which would be perfect for this rainy season. You can also serve this with plain vanilla ice cream for an indulgent treat.

 

To make about 30 cookies, you will need:

• 1 3/4 cups all purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 125g butter
• 125g cashew butter
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar + 1 tablespoon set aside
• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 large egg
• 2 tablespoons liquid full cream milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup chocolate chips
• Whole cashew nuts for decoration

Directions:

• In a bowl, sift flour, baking soda, salt and set aside
• Using a stand or hand mixer, cream butters, 1/2 cup granulated sugar, brown sugar, egg, milk, and vanilla until light and fluffy. Gradually add flour mixture until incorporated. Add chocolate chips and stir with a wooden spoon till evenly mixed
• Place in fridge for about 10 minutes
• Using a cookie scoop, scoop dough unto baking sheets lined with parchment paper
• Sprinkle each cookie with some granulated sugar and top with a whole cashew nut pressed into the dough
• Bake in a preheated oven (350F) until golden brown - between 12 - 15 minutes
• Let
• Cool on baking sheets for 10 minutes and then transfer to wire racks to cool completely

Enjoy!!!!!

*You can find Uwa Earth Foods on Facebook & Instagram- @uwaearthfoods

Finally. A Baking Post. And A Giveaway: Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins

 

Considering that I have run a boutique bakery - Cupcake Couture Lagos for the past 4 years, it is amazing that there is not a single baking recipe on this blog.

 

There is no better recipe to break the 'no baking recipe on the blog' jinx than this moist and delicious banana chocolate chip muffin one. And to celebrate, its also giveaway time. Oh yaay.

 

So - banana bread and its variants are very popular with a lot of people around the world. I make a killer banana bread if I say so myself but I am always on the lookout for recipes that use bananas in baked goods in different ways. I was going through one of my many recipe binders that contains printed and torn out recipes from magazines, the internet etc and I found a recipe for banana chocolate chip muffins that seemed easy enough. I tried it and while it was nice, I tweaked the recipe - Uzo style and the result is super moist muffins with undeniable banana flavor that is not too sweet which means the kiddies can enjoy this as well.

 

To make 12 muffins, you will need:

• 2 cups all purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 57g butter at room temperature
• 3/4 cup brown sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 cup buttermilk - Please see kitchen tip post on how to make buttermilk at home
• 3 large very ripe bananas - chopped into small pieces
• 1 cup chocolate chips
• 12 cup muffin tin
• 12 muffin liners

 

Directions:

 

Sieve flour, baking powder and salt in a bowl and set aside

 

 

 

In a stand mixer or using a hand mixer, cream butter and brown sugar for about 5 minutes or until fluffy. Add beaten egg and buttermilk.

Using a wooden spoon or spatula, stir in flour mixture until just incorporated. Do not over mix

Add bananas and chocolate chips and fold in gently so as not to turn the bananas to mush

Scoop mixture into muffin liners - filling them 3/4 of the way

Bake in a preheated oven at gas mark 4 or 400F for 20 minutes until light brown and a toothpick inserted into the middle of a muffin comes out clean.

Let muffins cool in pan for 10 minutes then transfer to a cooling rack until ready to eat

 

I realize that everyone doesn't have chocolate chips or muffin liners lying around - so I am giving away 12 muffin liners like the ones in this picture and 1 cup of real semi sweet chocolate chips - enough for this recipe to 2 readers. All you have to do is: comment on this post, subscribe to www.youtube.com/uzosfoodlabs and follow on twitter: @uzosfoodlabs. Winners will be picked at random and should be able to pickup their gifts from Lekki 1, Lagos.

 

Enjoy!!!