A good rest and something German, you think?

Phew, after that last burst of studying for this year, I'm ready to enter the kitchen again. It was a very hectic month, November. I found it difficult to manage the domestic chores, assignments and also cracking my brains for the examinations. If you are able to notice, the post date of this post is somewhat later than I've typed this down, all because I've taken the habit of typing down my post and then saving them to drafts for when I'm more free to view what I've typed..you know, to make myself sound more ummm...sane or intelligent. hahah...yah, im laffing too.

Anyway, speaking of examinations and stuff, I'm just glad my burden is over and once I was done with my last paper, I flew right to the library. The first section I zoomed to was, u guessed it - the baking section...no prizes there huh. I was wondering what would be the best recipe to try out but not too tiring or too messy to clean up cos I was still exhausted from lack of sleep.. and brain cells, for that matter.

I decided cookies would be great. Something to last me for a week or two just in case I crash into the sofa with a good book and the tv remote and never get up. I borrowed Cookies by Sally Sampson and already decided to make the gorgeous recipe on its cover - German Chocolate Cookies. Now, when I say gorgeous, its by no way that I mean mine would turn out gorgeous too. Taste-wise, they were great....u can say gorgeous. But in terms of looks, well, you be the judge.

Call these the ugliest cookies you've ever seen. haha..i would too. In fact, my mother-in-law's blunt description of it summarised it perfectly - "what are these? they look like coals!" and i have to agree with her but I could'nt make her a convert as she refused to taste them. haha...well, can't say i did'nt try. These cookies are reminiscent of Famous Amos' Double Chocolate Pecan Cookies. Those are my favourites and yes, they too look like coals but tastes like heaven. You may want to try these too, though I think yours would be much better looking than mine. And if they don't, well, just keep them in the farther region of your pantry when your in-laws come to visit. Hahah.

German Chocolate Cookies (adapted from Cookies by Sally Sampson)

You need:

3/4 cup butter

1 cup light brown sugar

1 large egg

1 tbsp vanilla

1 1/2 cup all purpose flour

1/2 cup cocoa powder

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

2 cup dessicated coconut or coconut flakes

1 cup walnuts, lightly toasted, cooled and roughly chopped (the book used pecans, though)

4 oz sweet chocolate (i used abt 5oz...i know, my bad)

Preparation

Preheat over to 165 degrees c or 350 F. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.

Mix butter and sugar in a mixer and mix till smooth and creamy. Add egg and vanilla. You should add the egg one at a time, mixing well after each addition.

Add flour,cocoa, baking soda and salt and mix well.

Finally, add in the coconut, walnuts and chocolate and mix again.

Drop the dough by heaping teaspoons on the cookie sheet. This cookie spreads abit so leave abt 2 inches of space in between each cookie. Bake in the over for 10 to 12 minutes.

Cool on cookie shee and then transfer to a wire rack before nibbling on some with a cup of vienna coffee. SUPER SHIOKING!

NOTE: I find that if you leave some of the nuts and chocolate bits to decorate on the unbaked cookie dollops would make it more prettier - just for aesthetics value. This, of course, i didnt do at the time, silly me.