How To: Bake Giant Chocolate Cookies

With the rising popularity of baking amongst Brits, and tv shows like The Great British Bake Off dominating the airwaves, it's no longer uncool to home make some delicious sweet treats every now and then. I recently saw youtuber Tanya Burr's video tutorial where she made some delicious looking chocolate chip cookies, and I had to give them a go. Believe me when I say these cookies are GIANT and irresistible. I used large chunks of chocolate bar as opposed to miniature chocolate chips- I've listed the ingredients and recipe below. Give them a go! 

Ingredients:

200g unsalted butter

300g caster sugar

1 egg

325g self raising flour

dash of milk (if needed)

300-400g of chocolate

Firstly preset your oven to 200°c, and gather all your ingredients together. These cookies take almost no time at all to prepare, and bake just as fast.  After allowing your butter to reach room temperature, cream it together with your caster sugar until it creates a smooth consistency. Then, after resisting the urge to taste your butter cream, whisk in the egg. The next step is to add in the flour, and I would advise adding it in approx 100g lots so as to not overload the mixture. You'll begin to think it's looking too thick, but remember you're making a dough and not a cake batter! (if the dough refuses to bind and is too powdery and loose, you can throw in a dash of milk at this stage).

The only think to do now is to toss in chunks of chocolate, and don't feel the need to break it up into tiny chips- bite size squares make the cookies chunky and indulgent. I used a standard milk chocolate, but you could experiment with white chocolate or even something a little different such as Daim or Terry's Choloate Orange... imagine. Give the dough a thorough mix with your hands to ensure the chocolate chunks are evenly distributed. I bet you can't resist a taste test at this point... you'd have to be strong willed not to!

Separating the mixture into 8-10 small fist sized portions, spread them evenly on a tin foil lined baking tray before popping them in the oven for 10-12 minutes. A handy tip to remember is that the raw cookie dough balls can be frozen at this stage, and baked at a later date when you're craving a freshly baked treat.  

Don't wait until the cookies look brown or solid, take them out when they're starting to golden and allow them to rest. Trust me, the cookies harden slightly as they cool- and you want them to be soft and chewy. Ten to twelve minutes at 200g is the optimum baking time! 

When they come out of the oven, allow them to cool for around 25 minutes before you tuck in. They're most delicious when they are still slightly warm and the chocolate is still gooey... You need to give this recipe a go, it's difficult to get wrong and the outcome is so good. 

If you've given this recipe a go let me know in the comments. I find baking really fun and enjoyable when I have a free afternoon, is it still viewed as something for just OAPs? I'd say don't knock it until you've tried it- and you HAVE TO try these!  I'll leave a link to Tanya's youtube here, I gained my inspiration for this bake from her recipe- so thankyou Tanya! 

As always, don't forget to follow me on bloglovin, twitter and instagram. I love hearing from people who've ready my blog! Liam x

How To: Flawless Skin

I occasionally get asked how I keep my skin so clear, and am always willing to tell people the steps I take to look after my complexion. The truth is, nobody is flawless- especially me, but I am lucky enough to have never suffered with acne or persistent blemishes. I have answered questions about my routine on twitter and instagram before, but I think writing it all here in one place is a simpler way to answer anyone who's interested in what products I use. Sometimes, the trick to looking flawless is good lighting and most certainly a healthy diet- but keeping your face clean and moisturised is equally important.

A product I use daily (as you can tell by my almost empty bottle!) is the Neutrogena Visibly Clear Pink Grapefruit Gel Wash, an uplifting facial cleanser which is both gentle and refreshing.  I like this product because it is reasonably priced at less than £5, and the 200ml bottle seems to last forever. Unlike other gel washes I've used such as Clearasil, there are no harsh chemicals which could dry out or inflame the skin. Instead, the Neutrogena wash is gentle and calming, as well as smelling really fruity and fresh. The pseudoscience on the bottle tells me that 'MicroClear Technology' allows for deep cleansing of the pores and the elimination of blackheads etc. Works for me! If you fancy a nosey, it's available here. 

Aswell as my daily gel wash, I like to use the St. Ives Apricot Blemish Control Scrub in 'Naturally Clear' around three to four times a week. This scrub is oil-free and uses 100% natural ingredients, and I'd certainly argue it's worth the price of around £4 for 150ml. St. Ives is the best selling scrub brand in the UK, and you can find this product in most supermarkets as well as drugstores such as Boots and Superdrug on the high street. The cleansing scrub has a thick and creamy consistency, containing small beads which exfoliate the skin- removing dead skin cells that can lead to blackheads and spots. A natural product from a well respected brand, I highly recommend this Blemish Fighting Scrub- it's available here. 

Sudocrem is usually associated with young children, and is an essential part of most mums' cabinets. However, the antiseptic cream is also very useful for healing spots and scars on the face. If I ever have a troublesome patch of skin or recurring blemish, I typically apply a layer of Sudocrem to the affected area before bed- and in the morning I usually find it to be significantly calmer and less inflamed. It works very well in drying out blemishes, and is also effective on nappy rash, sunburn, minor burns, surface wounds or chilblains. It's a staple cream, and at around £2.50 per 125g, it's available here. 

Superdrug has recently introduced it's own range of mud masks, and according to some expert reviews I have read online, it can keep up with similar products from esteemed brands such as Origins. I use the Witch Hazel Mud Mask, which is purifying and calming on spot prone skin, and I really recommend this mask if you're looking for something fun and relatively inexpensive. Witch hazel and salicylic acid in the mask target blemishes, while Dead Sea mud absorbs excess oil- resulting in a clean and radiant complexion after repeated use. A pea sized amount of the mask covers the face, and after allowing ten minutes for the product to harden and set, it washes off easily in warm water or with a wet towel. I'd advice using this mask around twice a week for normal/combination skin, more frequent use for oily complexions. At £2.59 it's a must have! Available here. 

An important aspect of skin care not to overlook is moisturising, and I recommend Nivea Soft Moisturising Cream above all others if you're looking for an effective, cheaply priced product. I smother this cream on thickly every night and morning, and find it is quickly and deeply abosrbed into the skin. I cannot imagine how dry my skin could be if I didn't use it, and I feel like this product is perfect for blurring blemishes and giving a dewy complexion with regular use. With added Vitamin E and Jojoba Oil, this moisturiser is a great one and performs well: simple and proficient. On offer now for an amazing £1.24, you can pick up this one here. 

Using all of these products systematically in a routine helps me to maintain a clear complexion, and could work for you. These products are widely available, as well as competitively priced- it's a win/win. It's important to remember though that using products alone is not always enough to maintain a flawless finish on your skin. Eating healthily and drinking a lot of water is also fundamental in keeping your skin clear. Another tip is not to touch your face too often- resist the urge to pick and prod, and try to avoid touching your face throughout the day (you'll be surprised how often you catch yourself doing it!)  

I hope this post has been informative and helpful. Please let me know if you have used any of the products I've mentioned, or whether you swear by some I've not yet tried!  Thanks guys.