Happy Easter!

Well, technically it's still Easter-tide until Ascension Day, so I think it's okay to wish everyone a Happy Easter a week late. 

So I am sitting here on my bed at the end of a long day trying to make myself feel great that it's 'Yay' Monday around the corner again and failing miserably. Still, it should be a time for celebration methinks since it's the first time I've done my tax e-filing before the eleventh hour!!

What have I done this weekend? Had a lovely brunch/lunch with some lovely friends at Plan B in Paradigm Mall; signed-up for facials after such a long time; slept, slept and slept; and discovered that I hate using bicarbonate of soda in baking because I can smell it from miles away and it tastes soapy on my tongue. A pity really, because I have a batch of chocolate chip cookies bars which I cannot bear to eat! 

However, I seem to be the only one at home with an aversion to the taste of bicarbonate of soda, so some lucky people in the office will benefit from the chocolate chip cookie bars tomorrow.  

I never thought I'd say this but I think I'm all chocolate chip cookie-ed out! From trying to make small batch chocolate chip cookies, to making the one from Alice Medrich's famous Chewy Gooey Crispy Crunchy Melt-In-Your-Mouth Cookies book, I think I am. From all this I have learnt that bicarbonate of soda is not my friend and I much prefer baking powder as a rising agent as it doesn't seem to leave a soapy aftertaste.

Nutella Chocolate Chip Cookies which didn't quite hit the sweet spot

America's Test Kitchen Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies which DID hit
the sweet spot but didn't look so appealing

I've never had a failed Alice Medrich recipe, and yet her chocolate chip cookie recipe didn't quite hit the spot and they spread like crazy on the baking sheet! I think it's something to do with the temperature here. Next time, I'll have to try them with less butter, more flour and baking powder. Still... there was redemption in her Coffee Walnut Biscuits. They're oh-my-lovely! 

Coffee Walnut Biscuits