Chocolate chip shortbread

It's going to be a lovely day tomorrow. Really. So do your time in the kitchen today and be ready to get outdoors when the sun starts shining.

Whatever the weather, these chocolate chip shortbread rounds will not disappoint. Crisp, crunchy, buttery shortbread with chunks of dark and white chocolate (such as left-over Easter eggs). You could even go wild and add a handful of nuts.

Just add tea

Chocolate chip shortbread

225g butter

100g caster sugar

¼ teaspoon salt (if you're using unsalted butter; a generous pinch if not)

225g plain flour

½ teaspoon baking powder

125g chocolate (any type), chopped

Pre-heat oven to 150/gas 2. Cream the butter and sugar together until pale and fluffy. Add the flour, baking powder and chocolate and stir to form a stiff dough. Roll into walnut-sized rounds, flatten each one slightly and place on a baking tray at least 3cm apart. Bake for approximately 20 minutes until light golden brown. Remove from baking tray and cool on a rack.

Double chocolate muffins

It's cold, it's grey, it's Monday and I am giving you chocolate muffins. Please don't burn the inside of your mouth when you eat them straight from the oven!

Double trouble

Double chocolate muffins

140g plain chocolate
375g self-raising flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
55g cocoa powder
85g caster sugar
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
6 tablespoons sunflower oil
375ml milk
140g white chocolate, chopped

Pre-heat oven to 200/gas 6.

Melt the plain chocolate and set aside to cool slightly. Sift the flour, baking powder and cocoa into a large bowl and stir in the sugar and chopped white chocolate. Mix the eggs, vanilla, oil and milk together in a separate bowl and add the melted chocolate. Roughly fold the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients; less is more at this stage - do not mix too thoroughly. Divide the mixture between 15* muffin cases and bake for 20-25 minutes. Dust with icing sugar over when they are cool.

*The muffin in the picture was one of 18. I think they should be more top-heavy so suggest you make 15, or even 12 if you want whoppers.

Feeling dippy

Here's a great way to up your family's fruit quotient (note - marshmallows count as one of your five-a-day when served in this manner):

No double dipping, please!

White chocolate fondue

200g white chocolate, chopped or broken up

150ml double cream

50g unsalted butter, cut into pieces

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Place all ingredients in a bowl set over a pan of simmering water. Heat and stir gently until they have all melted and you have a smooth sauce.

Serve with pieces of fruit and marshmallows on cocktail sticks - or fondue forks if you are really sophisticated. 

From the Cookbook for Girls by Denise Smart