Ok, so I know that I have previously stated that I am not really a sweet tooth. And I stand by that! But I know that many of you out there are, and, there are always those times when something sweet is called for. Maybe someone is dropping in for a morning coffee catch up, you need to take a plate to a morning tea or you are heading away for a weekend with friends and want to take a Tupperware full of something yummy! This is the perfect recipe to cover all those bases and also great just to have in the biscuit tin at home to dunk into that lovely evening cuppa or for a quick after school treat! Mind you, for many of us, those things might be a mere plan for the future at this stage. But, a Queen can dream! In the meantime, doing some baking (and taste testing) in the palace kitchen is a nice pass time.

Baking cookies in the Combi Steam is fabulous because if you do it right, you will always end up with the lovely chewy centre! Before we start with the recipe, let's have a quick chat about Hot Air Humid. This is one of the functions available in all V-ZUG and Wolf Combi Steam ovens. The principal of this function is that it locks in the moisture from the food during the cooking process. It does not, however, use any steam. It will still work like a fan forced convection oven, circulating the heat created by the element, but it won't release the moisture from the oven space. What you get is a gorgeous balance between browning and crunch on the outside and moisture on the inside. This function is great for cakes, slices and cookies. All of these things are made oh so much better, because of the chewy moist centre that remains long after they have cooled! This is the benefit of the Hot Air Humid function.

For your own baking recipes, like cakes, muffins and slices you may find it useful to take the temp down around 20 degrees C from what the recipe says. The first time I make a recipe I always check it 15 minutes before the end of the suggested cooking time to see how it's going and you will soon get a feel for your Combi-Steam and how it cooks. If it needs more time you can always just pop them back in until perfect!

So from now on, for your baking, try using the Hot Air Humid function and get the benefit of the moisture helping to cook things through beautifully without drying them out! Yay! No more dry cakes and unsquishy brownies!!!

If you don’t have a V-ZUG or Wolf Combi Steam the best alternative for you is likely to use your Combination Steam function and set the variable Steam to Low or 10%. That will give a similar (not the same but as close as you are likely to get) result.

Try this one to get you going.

Ingredients

175g brown sugar
75g castor sugar
225g self raising flour
75g plain flour
3/4 cup walnuts (optional)
150g butter (chopped into 2cm cubes)
3 tbs smooth peanut butter
1 egg (lightly beaten)
1 tsp vanilla extract
250g pkt of milk or dark choc chips

Method

1. Place the peanut butter, vanilla and butter into a heat proof bowl or jug (pyrex is great!) and place into the Combi Steam. Select the Steam function and set temperature to 60°C. Allow to melt (approx 6 minutes) and stir to combine.

2. Line three baking trays with baking paper.

3. Place sugars, flours, nuts and choc chips into a mixing bowl and stir to combine. (Or I use my standmixer and use the flat beater on speed 1 to do this)

4. Add the egg and the melted butter mixture. Stir until well combined and a "dough" is formed. (Or use your standmixer on speed 2 or 3)

5. Roll the mixture into a log shape (with a diameter of about 7cm). Slice rounds about 1.5cm thick and place onto the baking trays leaving a few cm's between each one.

6. Select Hot Air Humid on your VZUG/Wolf Combi Steam and set temperature to 160°C. (For other ovens see intro for alternative function)

7. Place trays into the oven (I use positions 1, 3 and 4 all at the same time) and bake for 12-15 minutes or until browned lightly and "set" and cracked around the edges and on top.

8. Remove and allow to cool completely on the trays (if you can wait that long!)

9. Store in an airtight container for up to 4 days (but I doubt you'll have any left after 1 or 2!)

Notes: the cookie dough log can be wrapped tightly in two layers of cling film and then a layer of aluminium foil and frozen for up to 3 months. Then simply remove the foil and defrost in the VZUG Combi Steam on the Steam function at 40 degrees until softened and continue from step 6.

These are so yummo! They lasted less than 24 hours at my place so I might have to pop into the kitchen and make another batch before the weekend.

Happy Combi Steaming!

Yours in the kitchen,

The CSQ. x