Happy Birthday CG 2012!

Aaah, sorry I was a little bit MIA this week but school and life got in the way and basically led to me dropping all maths – yes I am proud of my life choices (:D 😀 😀 😀 😀 :D) but I did miss this! Now, on to the post…

How I used to feel… hehehehehe

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Now I know I am not the only one who has had a friend who is… kind of awesome at everything. You want to hate them but you just can’t because they don’t brag, aren’t spiteful and basically, they are a pretty fabulous human being 🙂

This friend is CG. Honestly, if I managed to make a list of what this girl was good at it, it would be equivalent to one of those cartoon scrolls that rolls out of the room and you see it do a lap of the earth before returning back to you. Hehehehehehehe that skit always makes me smile!

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Seriously the list just keeps

Going…

And going…

And going a little more 😛

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In all of the 5 years out of her now-17 year life I have known CG, she has never, not once, boasted about the fact that she runs like a cheetah or that she has the ability to do those fancy piano key skids and that makes her all the cooler because of it! 🙂

Also do you remember this cookbook?

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Yes, my latest obsession when it comes to baking, I try and only bake from this book these days considering it is the one I intend to grow old with and pass down through the generations. It was a birthday present to me from CG 🙂

Obviously, that meant I had to make CG something from this book and hopefully without it becoming the unmitigated disaster which was her 2011 brownies… oh the memories 😉

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Considering this book has more ideas that I can even begin to fathom, I decided to go for something traditional and easy to transport for school. But as classic as CG’s tastes are, she is definitely not boring.

So a classic with a twist was needed. And a classic with a twist was found 😀
Sweet, melting biscuits with a nice crumb and buttery texture combined with sweet, vanilla buttercream is nice. Normal. Delicious even.
But when jam gets involved and then coconut joins the party, it becomes this crazy sugar hit of ultimate decadency, indulgency and the foundation of goodness 😀

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See the difference?

Happy 17th CG! Hope you splurged on these cookies and had cake for breakfast too 🙂

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*My changes are in bold

Monte Creams
Source: Mastering The Art Of Baking

Makes: 18 biscuits (I made 20 meaning 10 sandwich cookies)

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Ingredients:

Biscuits

  • 125g unsalted butter (I used salted), softened
  • 110g caster sugar
  • 60ml full cream milk
  • 225g self raising flour (SRF)
  • 35g custard powder (vanilla pudding mix) + extra, for dipping
  • 30g desiccated coconut

Filling

  • 50g unsalted butter, softened
  • 60g icing sugar (icing mixture because sifting the hard chunks of icing sugar takes too long :P), sifted
  • 2 tsp full cream milk
  • 1 tsp vanilla essence
  • 115g raspberry jam (I used strawberry – just remember to get any jam which has a lack of chunky fruit in it – if cannot find that, just warm up very slightly to make easier to spread)

Method:

  1. Preheat the oven to 180 degrees C. Line two large baking trays with baking paper (non-stick)
  2. Use an electric beater to beat the butter and sugar in a medium bowl until pale and creamy.
  3. Add in the milk and beat until combined
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  4. Sift together the SRF and custard powder and add to the butter mixture
  5. Add in the coconut and mix with a wooden spoon until a soft dough forms
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  6. Roll 2 tsp (1 tsp was enough for me) of mixture into a ball and place on prepared tray. Repeat with the remaining mixture, leaving 5cm between each bowl to allow for excess spreading (not much if any)
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  7. Dip a fork into the extra custard powder and then tap off any excess, before using to flatten the balls to about 5cm (mine were roughly 3-4cm) – Dip the fork into the powder occasionally to prevent it sticking to the dough
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  8. Bake the biscuits for 18 minutes, swapping the trays around halfway through cooking or until lightly golden
  9. Leave on trays to cool completely
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  10. Filling: Beat butter and icing mixture until pale and creamy. Add the milk and vanilla, beating until combined
  11. Spread one biscuit with ½ to 1 tsp of icing
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  12. Spread one biscuit with ½ to 1 tsp of jam
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  13. Sandwich together and repeat with remaining biscuits

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And that is the way the cookie totally doesn’t crumble 😉
Hope to see you all more regularly mes cheris, au revoir!

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161 Comments

  2. girlinafoodfrenzy says:

    I’ve been such a space cadet of late. My end of year exams are looming too and there’s that end of year frenzy which is starting to happen. Big big congrats on your first year blogging birthday. An amazing achievement and one with which you should be most proud indeed!

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  9. Tisa says:

    That looks like one very delicious cookie and you are very sweet friend 🙂 The coconut in it is wooing me to try a bite. I just might. Going to bookmark, my friend.

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  28. Jennie says:

    Uru, I’d say you mastered one perfect cookie. They look just like the ones pictured in the book- beautiful! I wouldn’t mind having one (or five) of these delicious looking filled treats. Hmm, I’m imagining myself pulling the cookie apart, licking the center, then eating the cookie. Yum!

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  34. Kiran says:

    Happy Birthday to your bestie — I wish I had my friends baking me this delicious treats on my birthday 😉

    Can you sense the envy?

    ps: Don’t ever be sorry for not blogging. There are priorities in life, and blogging shouldn’t be an obligation. Just have fun doing it, whenever possible 🙂

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  36. Susan says:

    Just so you know, my birthday is in March 🙂 Just kidding! What a wonderful birthday treat for your friend. I can tell you are both lucky to have each other as friends.

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  43. erika says:

    WOW those look amazing!!! I love sandwich cookies and I love puffy, thick and dense cookies, scones, cakes, pancakes, everything. These look like everything I’ve ever dreamed of 🙂

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  47. gottagetbaked says:

    I know how you feel, being super swamped with life. And seriously – I hate math. I got a C- in grade 11 math and stupidly elected to take it in grade 12. Of course, I failed with 35%. You, I know, will do MUCH better than I did! And these cookies look so delicious, especially with that amazing icing and jam filling in-between!

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  48. jen laceda says:

    Yours look exactly like the book’s – and I mean that as a complement! You are truly indeed lucky to have CG in your life…and she is lucky to have YOU in her life as well! Take care, my friend!

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  60. Suzie says:

    Happy birthday to your friend! She sounds like an amazing person. The biscuit/cookies look delicious. The addition of the vanilla pudding mix sounds like it puts it over the top 🙂

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  62. Kimby says:

    Birthdays are always sweeter when they involve baked goods… especially “custom” baked goods… even last year’s unmitigated disaster! (Which turned out fine in the end!) I know this sounds cliche, Uru, but that was really sweet of you!

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  86. Zoe says:

    Happy Birthday to your friend! She must be feeling good munching these goodies…

    Totally understand that exams can be extremely stressful! Baking and eating can be very therapeutic to relieve stress… :p

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  87. Veronica says:

    How lucky CG is to have such a pal as you! The Monte Creams sound so wonderful and I definitely would enjoy them for breakfast as well as dessert. 🙂 CG sounds like a wonderful gal and totally deserves all the goodies you bestow on her!

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  93. glamorous glutton says:

    I’ve just bought this baking book. I love it, full of ideas and things I’ve not made before. Love those cookie sandwiches, I’ll have to look them up. GG

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  96. Saguna says:

    I LOVE sandwich cookies. Yum. And I’ve never tried custard in cookies. Brilliant! What with the pretty holiday decorations on these and all the x-mas stuff coming up, I am totally wishing all of us foodies could attend a virtual cyber cookie swap and trade! 🙂

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  104. viveka says:

    You’re so good with your baking – you could beat any pastry chef. You make it look so tempting and delicious too – photos goes straight into “want now”-software.

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  108. Ramona says:

    I think you would also have a scroll that runs around the earth of your accomplishments. Birds of a feather… you both must give your parents such pride. It’s so nice that you baked something for CG out of her cookbook gift to you. It looks beautiful and I love how you presented it to her in the tin. Well done. 🙂

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  116. Kristy says:

    Happy birthday to CG! Friends like that are priceless. Fabulous choice in dessert. I would have been one happy friend. These look delicious. I’m such a sucker for anything with biscuits. Well done CCU!

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  117. Eva Taylor says:

    When I was 12 and my brother 10 he gave me a baking cook book for Christmas and in it he wrote: Merry Christmas, this is really for me in the long run. I think CG might have been thinking the same thing!

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  121. Saskia (1=2) says:

    Hey CCU, I reckon you’re one of those girls who is kind of awesome at everything too!! Lucky friend – hope she liked the cookies. They look gorgeous.
    PS. Pretty happy to see Jackie Chan heading a post! He makes me smile.

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  124. Nami | Just One Cookbook says:

    What a lovely birthday present to your friend! And thanks for the tip on parchment paper lining in the box. That’s a great idea and nice cushion for the cookies not to crumble! I’ve never had anyone giving me homemade baked goods on my birthday… I need a great baker friend like you around instead of me baking on my own! 🙂

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    • Choc Chip Uru says:

      Haha that isn’y my box, it is a photo and I am just pretending to put my cookies into the box 😛
      But yes it is always better to line a tin!
      And you are a fantastic baker AND all round chef 😀

      Cheers
      CCU

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  129. kalamitykelli says:

    I am especially fond of this recipe! I could use my own strawberry jam and I think these biscuits are a little like our shortbread or butter cookies and those are my faves so I would love this cookie and I have not seen one made like these that I have liked yet – THESE, I would love!

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  136. petit4chocolatier says:

    Happy birthday to your friend CG!

    I love the vanilla pudding mix in the biscuits. And I absolutely love the filling! Delicious biscuits!

    Don’t feel bad about dropping Math, many do at first. Hang in there!

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  141. daisyandthefox says:

    these look great!! love the addition of the coconut and jam! 🙂 and happy birthday to your friend!
    and i totally understand – school is getting hectic – you have exams??
    but no need to worry – holidays soon – we can cook all we want – wooo!! 🙂
    (and good on you for dropping maths – im jealous 😛 )

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  143. mmmarzipan says:

    Happy birthday to your friend (who is, btw, lucky to have an awesome friend like you 🙂 ). What a wonderful birthday gift… they truly look divine! Biscuity/sandwichy combos ROCK (especially when made with love… and jam). All the best with school x

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