I said it a while ago and I’ll say it again: I’m not very good at capturing moments that have just happened. Somehow, events need a little percolation for me to be able to write about them – more than a little perhaps, my favourite posts are about events that happened years ago so I hope you’ll forgive me that all I have to say about my trip to Berlin is that I met some lovely people who I wish I could live closer to, ate some good potato salad and wandered around in a darling market wanting to buy armfuls of tulips, ranunculus and some other pretty purple flowers I don’t know the name of.
My hostess was kind and interesting and knowledgeable as I knew she would be and summed it all up better than I can. We watched “Metropolitan,” which made me want to visit New York more than ever and “In the Mood for Love” which made me love Wong Kar Wai, while eating her homemade tiramisu (Emily’s, not Wong Kar Wai’s, who I think is a man anyway). I bought a mustard cardy and a shirt with boats on it. I took my new camera and the only thing I took photos of was my lunch on the train on the way there (macaroni and cheese with panko topping, broccoli, sesame and chili salad, cheesecake brownie, purple potato chippies, hazelnut chocolate and salty roasted pumpkin seeds, in case you’re interested). Don’t tut, I can hear you.
I hope to redeem myself by offering these biscuits/cookies. They are the only chocolate chip biscuits I’ve ever bothered to make for I need no other. They contain an entire package of butter and two of chocolate, as well as condensed milk. Ah, do I hear a “Come back Sasa, all is forgiven”? Mmhmm, I thought so.
Also, congratulations Bebe, the winner of the Easter hamper!
Been on any short trips lately? Tell all!
Chocolate Chunk Biscuits
This recipe is adapted from one by the mother of Michael Fay (a millionaire who didn’t pay taxes and ran off into the sunset years ago I think) and appeared in Cuisine magazine about twenty years ago. Makes about 18.
250 grams butter, softened
110 grams (1/2 cup) sugar
3 tablespoons condensed milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
310 grams (2 1/2 cups) flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
200 grams dark chocolate, chopped into large chunks
Preheat the oven to 170 celsius (330 fahrenheit).
Cream the butter and sugar until light and then beat in the condensed milk.
Stir the dry ingredients in until just combined, then the chocolate.
Roll into golf-ball sized balls and flatten slightly with a fork.
Place on a baking tray (they don’t need to be very far apart, they don’t spread much) and bake 20 minutes or until the bottoms are golden.
Leave a comment, make my day!
Congratulation Bebe for winning that chocolate, have a bite for me too ;-).
Golly the cookies look decadent, but I must say that living in NZ means that you only need to use half a packet of butter and not a whole one! (half a kg here!)
Btw, did you use sweet or salted butter?
Ciao
Alessandra
I almost always use salted and skip the pinch of salt.
Whenever people go places, the first thing I ask is ‘what did you eat?’ and that includes journeys. This looks like a grand lunch!
Condensed milk cookies?!! I am making these.
Aw, thanks for the nice compliment – you were the perfect guest! Even if there are only a couple of photos from your trip, it’s still lovely to see them so no tutting on my part. Can’t believe it was already a week ago that you were here – time goes so fast. Thanks too for the cookie recipe – I’m going to make them on Sunday.
Condensed milk in chocolate chip cookies?! How could they NOT be good? :P
p.s. have you tried the NY times choc chip cookie recipe?
I have not! Have you?
Anything with that much butter has to be good! All my short trips are over :( Je t’aime Paris. Back in Auckland on Friday! So will see you over there on the other side soonish!
Mx
Did I hear “a shirt with boats on it”?! I don’t know how much of a dorkwad this makes me, but that sounds too, too awesome. I once passed up a soft, grey, jersey henley with old-fashioned, navy blue airplanes on it and have never forgiven myself. Modes of transportation belong on shirts, plain and simple.
Yes, they do – I used to have a boyfriend who had all sorts and the best gift I ever gave him was a shirt with vintage cars on, awesome.
I always love to try a new chocolate chip cookie recipe…and with your endorsement, I know this one is a winner! Thanks!
LOL! I am the same with taking pictures! I live in the moment and it does not occur to me to try to capture it until it’s already gone:(
I can only imagine how much fun you had in Berlin. Meeting other food bloggers is beyond exciting:)
And yes, the cookies exonerate you. I love the idea of using the condensed milk (I never know what to do with those short, cute cans:)
rhoooo de bien jolis cookies que j’inviterai bien pour mon petit déjeuner ou mon gouter pour accompagner avec délice mon thé à la menthe !!!
whooooo very pretty cookies that I will invite for my breakfast or snack with a warm delight mint tea!
bonne soirée gourmande
virginie
Those chocolate chip cookies look delicious.
I’m not so good at capturing the moment either, I think I am too busy eating usually to take photos of restaurants and market produce. 6 days in Raro and I took 3 photos!
This just looks too tasty. TBH, I scanned over the Berlin bits just to get to the cookies (I did go back and reread it though). Condensed milk and cookies are two of my favourite things but i had never thought of combining them. Wow. I am a happy grubworm now.
You packed your on lunch for the train trip? I’m impressed! (Does that show what a slacker I am??) Mmm, love the sound of chocolatey chunk, and condensed milk. Btw, I have tried the NY times choc-chip recipe, and even baked some at 12 hourly intervals to see if it made any difference. They were pretty good, but I did a few substitutions so not sure if they tasted as they were meant to.
Oh my. Those cookies look amaaaaazing! I’ve never seen a recipe for these with condensed milk. I must try these immediately!
Sadly I have not been on any short trips recently. But that’s okay, because I’m off on a LONG trip in a little while. And I can’t wait. Your Berlin trip sound like it was fun, and re the photos, it does sound like you got your priorities right! We can imagine it anyway.
These cookies sound like all kinds of wicked. In a good way. Sticky, sweet and oh so tasty. Do you think they would work with oats and raisins in there too?
I don’t see why not, maybe you could sub a third of the flour with oat flour (whizz oats in food processor) and add a handful of raisins. Let me know if you try it.
I love anything that contains a whole package of butter! I think you contain a whole package of butter, so I think I love you too :) Berlin sounded um.. FUN! Hehe… I want a mustard cardi too!
I always have better memories if I don’t take pictures anyway. The cookies look wonderful. I’m wishing I had a few to go with my tea on this stormy night.
I have great memories of eating cookies just like these in my pre gluten-free days… Yumo!
Thanks for intorducing yourself too, lovely blog you have here also :-) Have a great trip back home to NZ.
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