Smarties Cookies (Easy, No-Chill Dough)

July 17, 2024August 4, 2024 What Jessica Baked NextLeave a comment

Fun Smarties Cookies recipe. Soft and chewy cookies filled with double chocolate chips and lots of colourful Smarties!

These fun Smarties Cookies are both easy and quick to make. With the school summer holidays approaching, this is a great bake to do with kids to take out on a picnic, or for an activity to keep the kids occupied.

I made these cookies as a celebration bake for my upcoming birthday later in the month. A plate of homemade cookies is my idea of the perfect birthday gift. I’ll take cookies in any shape or form.

The cookie dough doesn’t require any chilling time in the fridge, something a lot of my previous cookie recipes do require. I love that you can have cookies on your table ready to devour in under one hour!

If you don’t want to bake all the cookies straight away, then there is an option to freeze the rolled cookie dough. The cookie dough can be kept in the freezer for a few months, when ready to bake, just bake for a couple more minutes than the recipe states (if baked from frozen).

Once you’ve prepared the cookie dough, roll it into balls – these cookies are midi-sized, so if your appetite is larger, then help yourself to two!

After baking the cookies, we added a scoop of creamy vanilla ice cream, and sandwiched that between another cookie. Top tip: when sandwiching the cookies together with ice cream, be really gentle, otherwise the cookie will break apart.

The cookie ice cream sandwich makes the ultimate summer dessert!

We recommend eating the baked cookies within 2–3 days, but they’re irresistibly good when eaten fresh from the oven with a little sprinkle of sea salt.

The Smarties can be switched for chocolate M&M’s, which will work equally well.

All that’s left to say, is enjoy!

Smarties Cookies

No-chill cookie dough filled with double chocolate chips and lots of colourful Smarties!

Prep Time 20

Cook Time 12

Total Time 32

Servings 15

Author What Jessica Baked Next

Ingredients

115 g butter (salted or unsalted) softened
90 g dark or light brown sugar
50 g granulated or caster sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 egg
210 g plain flour
1/2 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
75 g dark or milk chocolate chips
75 g white chocolate chips
200 g Smarties plus extra for decoration

Instructions

Preheat oven to 180°C / 160°C Fan / 325°F / Gas Mark 4. Line two large baking trays with baking paper and set aside.
To make the cookie dough, cream the softened butter with both types of sugar until creamy. Now add the egg and vanilla extract, and mix to combine.
Now add the flour, the bicarbonate of soda and a generous pinch of salt (only add salt if using unsalted butter). Mix to combine. Finally, fold through the chocolate chips and Smarties until fully mixed.
Take 1 and 1/2 tablespoon measures of the cookie dough, and roll into balls. Place the cookie dough balls on the baking trays, spacing them apart to allow for spreading.
Bake the cookies for 11-12 minutes, or until just lightly golden around the edges. Press a few extra chocolate chips and Smarties on top of the cookies while they're still warm. Allow to cool slightly before serving.
The cookies will keep in an airtight container for up to 3 days. They're best enjoyed fresh from the oven.

Recipe from Sweetest Menu

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Baking · Chocolate · Cookies

Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars

May 10, 2024 What Jessica Baked Next2 Comments

Homemade chocolate chip cookie bars are quick and easy to make. They’re thick, with a gooey centre and crisp outside. So good served with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and caramel sauce! If you love cookies, you have to try these cookie bars made without a mixer.

It’s already pretty noticeable that I love cookies. Love is probably an understatement. Cookies are most certainly the way to my heart!

As much as I love devouring cookies, and enjoy making cookie dough, sometimes baking cookies can be time consuming. For one, with quite a few recipes, the cookie dough requires chilling, and secondly, it takes time rolling the cookie dough into portions.

So to speed up the process, I decided on baking cookie bars.

Cookie bars might just be my new favourite way to serve cookies, and soon yours!

Cookie dough is prepared, then pressed into a square cake tin, baked and then sliced into bars. Ready to dip in anything from Nutella, to pistachio cream, or even dunked into a glass of milk. It’s super fun, and you can customise the recipe however you desire!

All good cookie doughs start with butter, and a combination of caster/granulated sugar and brown sugar, but more of the brown sugar for a softer cookie texture. Then a couple of eggs are added, along with flour, bicarbonate of soda, and then lots of delicious chocolate chips are folded through the cookie dough.

I went for a combination of dark and milk chocolate chips. As with a few of my recipes, you can easily swap these around for a different chocolate – maybe white chocolate chips, or your go-to chocolate bar chopped up.

Once the bars are fully baked, leave them to cool for about half an hour, before serving, or even up to overnight and they still stay super fudgy in the centre. I highly recommend serving these bars with a little sprinkle of sea salt flakes, along with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, and some caramel sauce!

Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 25

Total Time 40

Servings 16

Author What Jessica Baked Next

Ingredients

225 g butter (salted or unsalted) softened
150 g dark or light brown sugar
75 g caster or granulated sugar
2 medium or large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
300 g plain flour
Generous pinch of salt only add if using unsalted butter
1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
300 g chocolate chips I went for a mixture of dark and milk chocolate chips - save 50g from this for the topping

Instructions

Preheat oven to 180°C / 160°C Fan / 350°F / Gas Mark 6. Line a 20cm square cake tin with parchment paper. Set the tin aside for later.
Cream the softened butter and both sugars until creamy and fluffy. Add the eggs, mixing well to combine. Now add the vanilla.
Fold through the flour, pinch of salt (if using unsalted butter) and the bicarbonate of soda, and mix until just incorporated.
Add 250g of the chocolate chips, reserving 50g for the top. Mix the chocolate chips through the cookie dough until combined. Transfer the cookie dough to the lined tin, smooth over the top with a spatula. Top with the remaining chocolate chips.
Bake for 20-25 minutes until lightly golden. Allow to cool in the tin completely, before slicing up into 16 pieces. These cookie bars can be enjoyed both warm, and at room temperature. They'll keep in an airtight container for up to one week.

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Baking · Brownies · Candy and Sweets · Chocolate

Chocolate Brownie Heart

April 19, 2024July 25, 2024 What Jessica Baked NextLeave a comment

Heart-shaped dark chocolate brownie. Treat yourself and your loved ones to this decadent and fudgy brownie heart. With chocolate ganache topping and all the sprinkles of your choice!

It’s Friday, that means the weekend is nearly here! Let’s jump straight into the weekend with a scrumptious brownie recipe that will get you drooling!

A little while back my sister came up with the idea for this brownie. She wanted to bake brownies, but suggested we bake the brownie batter in a heart-shaped cake tin we had.

She also had some Valentine’s-themed M&M’s that she’d brought back from a trip to Florida earlier in the year. We wanted to bake with M&M Cupid’s Blend, but we didn’t get round to doing so when it was the lead up to Valentine’s Day.

This recipe is perfect for Galentine’s/Valentine’s Day, an anniversary, or any occasion that’s worth celebrating!

We used our go-to Chocolate Fudge Brownies; this recipe never fails to impress. It’s absolute brownie perfection for those of you who adore extremely fudgy brownies. I’m not a fan of cakey brownies; I want them squidgy and super fudgy. This recipe shares the same texture as a chocolate fondant when warmed up in the microwave, but when served at room temperature it’s also resembles a chocolate torte/fudge bar.

We went for a classic brownie flavour, but this recipe can be adapted in so many ways. Swirl some Biscoff, Nutella, peanut butter, or even pistachio paste through the top of the batter. Add chocolate chips or chunks, or even some nuts, such as walnuts.

Swap the ganache topping for chocolate buttercream. I might try some white chocolate buttercream next time, or you can even simply drizzle over some melted chocolate for an easy and quicker decoration.

Bake this recipe, and you’ll be one bite away from chocolate brownie heaven.

Chocolate Brownie Heart

Heart-shaped dark chocolate brownie. Treat yourself and your loved ones to this decadent and fudgy brownie heart. With chocolate ganache topping and all the sprinkles of your choice! Bake this recipe and you'll be one bite away from chocolate brownie heaven...

Prep Time 20

Cook Time 45

Total Time 1 5

Servings 12

Author What Jessica Baked Next

Ingredients

Brownie Batter:

200 g butter (salted or unsalted)
200 g dark chocolate
270 g caster or granulated sugar
3 medium or large eggs
2 medium or large egg yolks
115 g plain flour
35 g cocoa powder

Chocolate Ganache:

100 g dark chocolate
100 ml double cream

Decoration:

Chocolate or sprinkles of your choice

Instructions

Preheat oven to 160°C / 140°C Fan / 325°F / Gas Mark 4. Line a 20cm heart-shaped tin with parchment paper on the base, and up the sides. Set the tin aside for later.
Melt the butter and chocolate over a bain-marie or in the microwave in 20-second intervals until completely melted and smooth. Set this mixture aside and leave it to cool for 5 minutes.
Meanwhile beat the eggs and egg yolks together until combined. Once the chocolate mixture has cooled slightly, add the egg mixture and stir to combine.
In large mixing bowl, mix together the flour and sugar, sift the cocoa powder over the top and mix until thoroughly combined and no lumps of flour remain. Now add the chocolate mixture and stir until combined, try not to over mix otherwise this may result in your baked brownie being tough. Transfer the brownie batter to the prepared tin and smooth the surface. Bake the brownies for 40-45 minutes, they’ll be ready when they’re risen, the top has started to slightly crack and a cake tester when inserted into the centre comes out with just a few moist crumbs attached - the brownie should still have a slight wobble in the centre.
Leave the brownie to cool completely in the tin, then once cooled leave them to set for at least 6 hours or overnight for best results.
Decorate further if desired by making a chocolate ganache topping. Chop the chocolate up into small pieces, and add to a small mixing bowl. Place the cream in a small saucepan on medium heat. Once the cream just starts to bubble, take off the heat and pour over the chocolate. Leave for a minute, then stir until you have a smooth, glossy mixture. Directly cover the top of the ganache with a piece of cling film, leave to set at room temperature for 1-2 hours.
To decorate, I filled a piping bag fitted with a nozzle with the cooled, thickened ganache. Piping around the edge with the ganache. I then decorated further with chocolate/sprinkles. The brownie will keep stored at room temperature for up to one week, if you can resist it!

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Baking · Biscuits and Cookies · Chocolate

Millionaires Shortbread

March 27, 2024March 28, 2024 What Jessica Baked Next5 Comments

Classic Millionaires Shortbread. This favourite sweet treat consists of three decadently delicious layers: buttery shortbread, creamy caramel, and chocolate.

One recipe from over ten years of blogging that I’m yet to share is a recipe for Millionaires Shortbread. This is a classic treat, widely available in most bakeries, coffee shops, and tea rooms.

Millionaires shortbread consists of a layer of buttery shortbread, followed by a caramel layer, and then the caramel layer is topped with melted chocolate. There are so many amazing variations you’ll find all over the internet, but you can’t go wrong with the traditional flavour combination.

This bake will remind you of a Twix bar! So if you’re a fan of this chocolate bar, then you’ll love this homemade version even more!

Recipe Rundown:

Shortbread Layer: This mixture will look very crumbly or short before pressing it into the tin. Don’t worry, as this is how you want it to be. The crumblier your shortbread dough, the better. Also, always be super careful not to overmix shortbread dough; the general rule is to handle as little as possible. Press the mixture into the tin until it’s in an even layer, prick with a fork all over, and bake for 25–30 minutes until pale golden.
Caramel Layer: Making caramel requires patience and gentle heating; be extremely careful as caramel gets very hot and will burn if it touches skin. This caramel takes about 7–10 minutes to make. Start by mixing all the caramel ingredients listed together, gently heating until dissolved, then gradually increasing the heat until the caramel gets hotter and starts bubbling. When the caramel is a light golden colour and has thickened, it’s ready to pour over the cooled shortbread layer. Leave this to set in the fridge for about an hour before resuming.
Chocolate Layer: Your choice of chocolate is up to you. I went for Cadbury Dairy Milk, but equally, a combination of dark and milk chocolate is great—just dark chocolate, white chocolate, or even blonde or caramelised white chocolate.

We love our shortbread recipes on the blog, sharing an array of truly wonderful recipes. Scottish Shortbread, Valentine’s Shortbread Hearts, and even Chocolate Shortbread.

We gave our millionaire’s shortbread an Easter decoration, using a mixture of crushed/whole Cadbury Mini Eggs. Why not top an already decadent recipe with even more decadence? My taste testers (me included) loved the crunchy topping the mini eggs added. With Easter only a few days away, you can make this yummy bake and top with leftover (if any!) Easter chocolate!

Don’t worry at all if your chocolate cracks when you slice it up. In all honesty, my chocolate cracked, but this recipe was too tasty not to share. If you want to ensure the chocolate doesn’t crack, just warm up your knife in some hot water.

However, our bakes don’t need to look perfect; it’s 100% all about the taste here with every single recipe.

Millionaires Shortbread

Classic Millionaires Shortbread. This favourite sweet treat consists of three decadently delicious layers: buttery shortbread, creamy caramel, and chocolate.

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 45

Chilling Time: 3

Total Time 4

Servings 16

Author What Jessica Baked Next

Ingredients

Shortbread:

225 g butter (salted or unsalted) softened
110 g caster or granulated sugar
320 g plain flour

Caramel:

397 g can sweetened condensed milk
90 g butter (salted or unsalted)
100 g dark/light/demerara sugar
1 tablespoon golden syrup this is 15g

Chocolate Layer:

250 g dark/milk/white chocolate I used Cadbury Dairy Milk

Instructions

Preheat oven to 180°C / 160°C Fan / 350°F / Gas Mark 4. Line an 20cm/8-inch square cake tin with parchment paper - leaving some overhang ensuring it's easy to remove the finished bake from the tin.
Place the shortbread ingredients: softened butter, sugar, and flour in a large mixing bowl. Rub the butter into the dry ingredients until a crumbly, slightly sticky dough forms.
Press the shortbread dough into the lined baking tin, making sure it's an even layer. Prick the shortbread all over with a fork, now bake for 25-30 minutes until pale golden in colour. Leave to cool completely.
Place the caramel ingredients in a medium saucepan/deep frying pan. Place the pan over a medium heat, gently heat until all the sugar has dissolved and the butter has melted. Continue to stir until the mixture has started to bubble - turn the temperature down if it bubbles too much. Keep stirring until the caramel has turned a deeper golden colour and is thicker is texture. This should take about 7-10 minutes to achieve.
Carefully pour the hot caramel over the shortbread base. Chill in the fridge for at least an hour.
Melt your chosen chocolate, once melted pour over the set caramel layer. Decorate the top further with any other decorations you desire - we went for crushed/whole Cadbury Mini Eggs. Place the Millionaires Shortbread back in the fridge for at least 2 hours, before slicing into 9 larger pieces, or 16 smaller pieces.
The shortbread will keep for up to one week stored in an airtight container at room temperature.

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Biscuits and Cookies · Candy and Sweets · Chocolate · No-Bake

Malteser Slice

February 28, 2024February 27, 2024 What Jessica Baked Next8 Comments

Easy no-bake Malteser Slice! A decadent treat consisting of a soft, fudge-like biscuit layer with whole Malteser chocolates folded through, then decorated with milk and white chocolate, and even more Maltesers/Malteser Bunnies! One small square of this is not enough.

Inspired by my Crunchie Slice, I’ve put a spin on the original and swapped the Cadbury Crunchie bars for Maltesers.

These bars consist of crushed biscuits mixed with condensed milk and melted butter, and then they have whole Maltesers folded through. Once you slice it up, you have chunks of crunchy Malteser balls in each bite!

This slice hosts a whole load of different textures, a deliciously soft and slightly fudge-like biscuit layer, crunchy Maltesers, and a smooth and creamy chocolate topping.

I popped some more whole Maltesers on top of my chocolate layer before the chocolate had set, along with a pack of White Malteser Bunnies, because it’s nearly Easter and I’m loving all the Easter chocolate right now!

Like the Crunchie version of this recipe I shared last year, to make this Malteser Slice, you’ll start by blitzing some digestive biscuits until they’re a fine crumb texture. After that, you’ll mix in melted butter and a tin of condensed milk. Once fully combined, you’ll fold through an entire sharing bag of Malteser’s.

I love Malteser’s, and since sharing this Malteser Brownies recipe, I’ve been wanting to share another Malteser-inspired bake, with hopefully many more to come in my future recipes!

The slice is quick and easy to whip up, uses minimal ingredients, and is a whole lotta fun to make! I cut the slice up into bigger squares purely for my photography, but I recommend cutting the slice up into small squares as it’s very rich.

I couldn’t stop myself reaching for piece, after piece of this amazing Malteser Slice…

Now, all that needs deciding is what flavour slice will I make next?

Malteser Slice

Prep Time 20

Chilling Time 1

Servings 16

Author What Jessica Baked Next

Ingredients

350 g digestive or malted milk biscuits finely crushed
100 g butter (salted or unsalted) melted
397 g tin sweetened condensed milk
175 g sharing pack Maltesers left whole
200 g dark or milk chocolate
1 tablespoon butter (salted or unsalted) this is 15g
50 g white chocolate this is optional
Maltesers and Malteser Bunnies for decoration

Instructions

In a large mixing bowl, combine the biscuit crumbs, with the melted butter and condensed milk. Stir until throughly combined. Now fold through the 175g pack of whole Maltesers.
Transfer this mixture to a lined 20cm square cake tin (or other suitably sized tin) and press down until compact and smooth on top.
Melt the chocolate and butter over a bain-marie, or in the microwave until smooth. Pour and spread the melted chocolate over the top of the biscuit layer. Now melt the white chocolate if you want to two types of chocolate for your topping. Pour spoonfuls of the melted white chocolate on top of melted chocolate already on top of the biscuit layer.
Using as toothpick, swirl the two chocolates together, creating a swirl effect. Top with extra whole Maltesers, and Malteser Bunnies/Reindeer's if desired.
When ready to serve, slice up into 16 squares or smaller pieces if desired. The slice will keep in the fridge for up to a week.

Crunchie Slice

If you love Maltesers, try these great recipes next!

Chocolate Malt Cupcakes

Malteser Brownies

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Baking · Biscuits and Cookies · Chocolate

Valentine’s Shortbread Hearts

January 17, 2024January 16, 2024 What Jessica Baked Next2 Comments

Special shortbread biscuits to celebrate Galentine’s/Valentine’s Day next month! Show your love with these adorable shortbreads.

Starting 2024 on WJBN on a sweet note with a stunning shortbread biscuit recipe.

2023 was a brilliant year, memorable for so many good reasons, both personally and professionally. December saw the most blog views all year, so we ended the year on a real high! Lots of you were viewing recipes and making these over the festive period from all corners of the world.

I’m ready to start the year, and I have many ideas ready to bring to the blog. In the past, I haven’t shared a lot of ‘Valentine’s’ themed recipes, but I wanted to do something about that and start a new tradition this year!

So here we have some delicious shortbread biscuits, dipped in chocolate, and the prettiest pink heart sprinkles.

I already have a Shortbread Biscuits recipe on the blog, but recently I discovered a different shortbread and adore it.

The new recipe has semolina added to the shortbread dough. Semolina gives shortbread an extra crunchy texture and reminds me of shortbread you can get in tins, but of course better because they’re homemade.

Shortbread is a bake that just cannot be beaten. It’s simple, but when made well, it’s hard to beat.

What Ingredients You’ll Need:

Butter – salted or unsalted is absolutely fine. Butter is essential in shortbread dough, no margarine or alternative, it just won’t taste like shortbread should, and they will spread/not keep their shape!
Sugar – only a little caster/granulated sugar is needed, shortbread is all about the buttery flavour, but isn’t overly sweet.
Plain Flour – just enough to bind the dough together.
Semolina – adds a lovely crunch to the shortbread biscuits. It’s optional, but I really recommend it!
Chocolate – any type of chocolate you like. You can half dip the shortbread hearts, or drizzle them with the chocolate.
Sprinkles – pretty ‘n’ pink sprinkles are great for Valentine’s! Even some freeze dried strawberries/raspberries would be great.

I refilled a tin of already eaten shortbread from Christmas with this new batch

Show your love and appreciation for someone special with a surprise batch of homemade chocolate-dipped shortbread.

Get your friends around, have a Galentine’s night, and bake and decorate these biscuits. Decorate with a combination of chocolate. I did half my shortbread half-dipped in milk chocolate and the remaining dipped in white chocolate. I then piped some remaining contrasting chocolate on top of the chocolate already on each shortbread.

Fun to make and wonderful for the upcoming Valentine’s Day! I can’t think of a more delicious way to say I love you than with these!

Valentine's Shortbread Hearts

Special shortbread biscuits to celebrate Galentine's/Valentine's Day! Show your love with these adorable shortbreads. I can't think of a more delicious way to say I love you than with these!

Prep Time 50

Cook Time 20

Total Time 1 10

Servings 20

Author What Jessica Baked Next

Ingredients

200 g butter (salted or unsalted) softened
100 g caster or granulated sugar
300 g plain flour
50 g semolina
100 g dark or milk chocolate
100 g white chocolate
Sprinkles I used cute pink heart sprinkles

Instructions

Start by preparing the shortbread dough - cream the softened butter and sugar until light and creamy.
Now add the flour and the semolina, mix until a crumbly dough forms. Be careful not to overwork the dough at this point, only mix until it comes together.
Wrap the dough up in clingfilm and chill it in the fridge for at least 30 minutes. This step stops the biscuits spreading when baking.
Preheat oven to 170°C / 150°C Fan / 325°F / Gas Mark 3. Line two large baking trays with parchment paper.
Lightly flour a work surface with extra flour, roll the shortbread dough out until it's roughly the thickness of a pound coin. Take a 6cm heart cutter, and cut out roughly 20 from the dough, re-rolling and continuing to cut out more biscuits.
Transfer the unbaked shortbread biscuits onto the baking trays, sprinkle with a little extra sugar, and bake for 15-20 minutes until pale golden in colour - you don't want these too golden. They should be slightly firm to the touch when ready. Allow to cool for 5 minutes on the baking trays, then move to a wire rack and leave the biscuits to cool completely on there.
Once the biscuits are cool, melt the two types of chocolate. Dip one biscuit at a time on one side into the chocolate. Allow to set, before drizzling the remaining chocolate on each biscuit. Finish with some sprinkles of your choice.
Once the chocolate has set, the biscuits are ready to enjoy. They'll keep in an airtight container/tin for up to 1 week.

Valentine’s Day Recipe Inspiration!

Chocolate Truffles

Homemade Crêpes

Jammy Dodgers

Chocolate Shortbread

White Chocolate Cheesecake with Raspberry Coulis

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Candy and Sweets · Chocolate · Christmas · No-Bake

Christmas Crunch Snack Mix

December 20, 2023December 20, 2023 What Jessica Baked NextLeave a comment

A scrumptious snack mix that’s perfect for festive parties and snacking on while watching Christmas TV or films. It’s a great recipe to make with kids, but adults will have just as much fun making this!

The countdown to Christmas is on! We’re only 5 sleeps away from the big day. It feels as though December has gone by in a flash!

We’re waving goodbye to 2023 soon. It’s been another fantastic year of blogging; I’ve shared some more tasty bakes, and I cannot wait to see what recipes feature on the blog next year. I want to take the opportunity to thank you for all your continued support in reading my blog and baking the recipes (new and old). WJBN means so much to me, and I get so much satisfaction from creating content.

This will be my last recipe of the year. I was inspired to make this snack mix after seeing this idea on the shelves in the supermarket. This homemade mix is fun to make, and in the end, you get a larger quantity overall to serve, and it can be tailored to your own budget and flavour preferences.

Not everything has to be made from scratch over Christmas. I’m all for cutting corners, less prep time, and easy and impressive recipes!

Serve this crunch mix at parties, or transfer to gift bags, tie with a ribbon, and give as an edible gift. This will take less than an hour to make from start to finish, and lasts in an airtight container for up to one week.

I’ve taken a bag of my favourite popcorn – you can make your own, but for ease I bought a bag.

I use sweet ‘n’ salty’ popcorn for my mix. I love the combination of sweetness and saltiness in each mouthful. Then I added a combination of our favourite chocolates and sweets. My recipe is just a guide; I used Oreos, chocolate-coated pretzels, festive-coloured M&M’s, and Galaxy Minstrels.

I made this mix, and it was served at a Christmas party. It got some good reviews, so I thought I would share it with you this Christmas!

This Christmas Crunch Snack Mix will become a Christmas tradition from now on in our house!

Christmas Crunch Snack Mix

A scrumptious snack mix that's perfect for festive parties and snacking on while watching Christmas TV or films. It's a great recipe to make with kids, but adults will have just as much fun making this!

Prep Time 45

Servings 15

Author What Jessica Baked Next

Ingredients

100 g popcorn (already popped not kernels) I went for sweet 'n' salty', but just regular sweet would work
100 g white chocolate melted
154 g pack Oreos broken into pieces
90 g chocolate-coated pretzels
50 g M&M's I picked the festive colours for my mix - you can use any colours
125 g Galaxy Minstrels

Instructions

Place the popcorn in a large mixing bowl. Pour over the melted white chocolate and stir to coat the popcorn in the chocolate.
Line a large baking tray/sheet with parchment paper/silicone baking mat, spread the popcorn out in an even layer. Chill in the fridge for at least 30 minutes, until the chocolate is set.
Once the chocolate is fully set, stir through the crushed Oreos, pretzels, M&M's, and the Galaxy Minstrels. Store the mix in an airtight container - it will last for up to a week.

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Baking · Biscuits and Cookies · Chocolate · Christmas

Chocolate Shortbread

December 5, 2023December 3, 2023 What Jessica Baked Next9 Comments

Rich, homemade Chocolate Shortbread. Divine cocoa flavour is celebrated in this buttery, crumbly, and slightly salted chocolate shortbread recipe. Made in one bowl AND no chilling!

This intensely chocolatey shortbread recipe is a perfect Christmastime treat. It’s not overly sweet, slightly bittersweet, and has a salty hit in each bite.

A slice of shortbread anytime of the year is lovely, but around Christmas, I feel it’s even more special. Whether you have friends or family stopping by, want a gift to share with neighbours, or simply want to treat yourself to some baking and a sweet for an afternoon or evening dessert.

My chocolate shortbread has the flavour of a chocolate brownie. Rich, decadent, but without either a cake or fudgy texture, but instead the delectable, crumbly texture of shortbread.

When I made my Scottish Shortbread recipe for the blog back in 2015, I fell in love with the idea of baking shortbread by pressing the dough straight into a tin rather than rolling, then cutting the dough into shapes. We’re cutting the prep in half, which means we get to eat our shortbread even sooner!

Saving time is always helpful around December and the weeks leading up to Christmas, when we’re often pushed for time.

Like with most biscuit or cookie recipes, this one is just a base recipe.

Switch the recipe up by adding some freshly grated orange zest, tossing in some nuts, or combining some dark, milk, or white chocolate chips into the shortbread dough.

Once baked, you can dip the shortbread pieces into melted chocolate or drizzle it over.

There are so many exciting ways to make this recipe your own!

This recipe is found in ‘The Great British Book of Baking’. I was given this as a Christmas present from a work colleague last Christmas, and ever since spotting this recipe in the book, I’ve been excited to try it! It certainly did not disappoint, and it has me intrigued to try more!

Chocolate Shortbread

Rich, homemade Chocolate Shortbread. Divine cocoa flavour is celebrated in this buttery, crumbly, and slightly salted chocolate shortbread recipe. Made in one bowl AND no chilling!

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 30

Total Time 45

Servings 12

Author What Jessica Baked Next

Ingredients

200 g butter (salted or unsalted) softened
100 g caster sugar
260 g plain flour
40 g cocoa powder
Pinch of salt omit if using salted butter

Instructions

Preheat oven to 180°C / 160°C / 350°F / Gas Mark 4. Lightly grease a 20cm cake tin with extra butter.
Cream the butter for a minute to soften. Now add the sugar and cream for a further 2 minutes until lightened in colour and fluffy.
Add the flour, cocoa powder, and the pinch of salt (if using), and mix until a dough comes together - don't over work the dough, just mix until there's no visible specks of flour remaining.
Transfer the shortbread dough to the greased cake tin and press down until compact. Score into 12 triangles, making sure you don't slice all the way through. Prick each piece of shortbread once or twice with a fork, and bake the shortbread for 25-30 minutes until the top is firm to the touch - mine was in the oven for a full 30 minutes.
Once baked, allow the shortbread to cool in the tin. Remove from the tin and sprinkle with a little extra caster sugar/or icing sugar if you prefer. Slice into 12 triangles and serve. The shortbread will keep for up to 1 week, stored in an airtight container/or a covered plate.

Try these festive-inspired biscuit/cookie recipes next!

Snowball Cookies

Butter Cookies

Scottish Shortbread

Terry’s Chocolate Orange NYC Cookies

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Baking · Biscuits and Cookies · Chocolate · Christmas

Terry’s Chocolate Orange NYC Cookies

November 11, 2023December 19, 2025 What Jessica Baked NextLeave a comment

A chocolate orange flavour spin on the popular NYC cookies! Thick cookies filled with chunks of Terry’s Chocolate Orange segments, vanilla, orange zest, and chocolate chips!

I’m kicking off the run of Christmas recipes today with these decadent NYC cookies! As I do from November onwards every year, I’m sharing Christmas-inspired recipes right through until the New Year! This year, I hope to entice you to make some festive recipes, and I have plenty for you to choose from.

My Terry’s Chocolate Orange Cheesecake, No-Bake White Chocolate Orange Cheesecake, Terry’s Chocolate Orange Cookies, Terry’s Chocolate Orange Traybake, Terry’s Chocolate Orange Cupcakes, or how about some Vegan Chocolate Orange Brownies?

Can you tell I’m obsessed with Terry’s Chocolate Orange?!

I’ve made sure these cookies are well and truly packed with TCO, with three whole chocolate oranges needed!

I have shared a Terry’s Chocolate Orange cookie recipe previously, but this time, rather than a chocolate cookie dough, I went for an orange-flavoured cookie dough (without cocoa powder added).

I baked a NYC-style cookie similar to Levain Bakery/Crème in London a few years ago, sharing my Chunky Milk Chocolate Pecan Cookies. It’s been a while since I baked some super chunky/thick cookies, so I couldn’t wait to get in my kitchen and bake some!

Enjoy one of these cookies dipped in a mug of hot chocolate or warm with a scoop of ice cream!

They’re the taste of the Christmas season, filled with gooey chocolate orange segments and freshness from orange zest. I add some vanilla extract to my cookie dough, but this can be substituted with orange extract for a more delicious orange flavour.

I love a bit of festive baking; it’s lovely filling the house with freshly baked goods.

It’s my favourite time of year, with so many recipes featured on my Christmas menu. Butter Cookies, Gingerbread Men, Vegan Sausage Rolls (Easy Puff Pastry Sausage Rolls), Cheese and Mustard Puff Pastry Pinwheels, and Cinnamon Rolls.

You need a little patience with this cookie recipe. The secret to a super-thick cookie with crisp edges and a gooey centre is freezing the cookie dough for at least 90 minutes before baking. I leave mine overnight for an even thicker cookie and bake the cookies for exactly 17 minutes (until the edges are nicely browned), so they have incredible soft centres.

As the cookies cool on the baking trays, another finishing touch I do is press a few extra chocolate chips and a segment of Terry’s Chocolate Orange on the top of each cookie.

I hope you enjoy baking these in the lead-up to Christmas!

Terry's Chocolate Orange NYC Cookies

A chocolate orange flavour spin on the popular NYC cookies! Thick cookies filled with chunks of Terry's Chocolate Orange segments, vanilla, orange zest, and chocolate chips!

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 17

Chilling Time 1 30

Total Time 2 2

Servings 12

Author What Jessica Baked Next

Ingredients

230 g butter (salted or unsalted) cold and cut into small cubes
160 g caster or granulated sugar
160 g dark or light brown sugar
1 large orange zest only
300 g plain flour
200 g self-raising flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 Terry's Chocolate Oranges save 12 segments for decoration and break the remaining chocolate into chunks - I used 1 dark chocolate and 2 milk chocolate
100 g dark/milk or white chocolate chips
2 medium or large eggs beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla extract this can be substituted with orange extract or left out

Instructions

In a large mixing bowl, cream the cold butter for about 30 seconds until softened slightly. Add the orange zest to the sugars, and rub the orange zest into the sugars until combined. Now add the sugars to the butter and mix again until just combined. You don’t want to make this mixture creamy and fluffy.
Now add both types of flour, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda, and salt. Mix until you have a fine, breadcrumb texture. Save 12 segments of Terry's Chocolate Orange for decoration later on. Now stir through the remaining chocolate.
Add the beaten egg and vanilla and just mix until a dough comes together; be careful not to overmix. Weigh roughly 125g portions of the cookie dough and roll into a ball - this doesn't need to be perfect just lightly press them together. Place on a lined baking tray or container and freeze for at least 90 minutes, or overnight for a thicker cookie.
When ready to bake the cookies, preheat oven to 200°C / 180°C Fan / 400°F / Gas Mark 6. Line two large baking trays with parchment paper and place the trays in the oven for 5 minutes to heat before spacing the rolled cookie dough balls out leaving at least 2 inches between each to allow room for spreading.
Bake the cookies for 17 minutes, until lightly golden and crisp around the edges. Allow the cookies to cool for a few minutes, then if you desire, press a few extra chocolate chips and top each cookie with a Terry's Chocolate Orange segment.
Leave the cookies to cool on the baking trays for 5 minutes then transport to a wire rack and allow the cookies to cool slightly before serving. Cookies will keep stored in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

Some favourite Christmas recipes!

Gingerbread Men

Butter Cookies

Vegan Gingerbread Loaf Cake

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Biscuits and Cookies · Candy and Sweets · Chocolate · No-Bake

Halloween Chocolate Bark

October 14, 2023December 9, 2023 What Jessica Baked Next2 Comments

The easiest of recipes! This Halloween Chocolate Bark is a great treat to rustle up for trick-or-treaters, serve at a Halloween party, or to use up any leftover chocolate and sweets!

We’ve kicked off Halloween on the blog with my Ghost Cupcakes, now we move onto another devilishly delicious treat…

Pick your favourite chocolate for the base of your chocolate bark. I made this recipe with my sister, we went for Cadbury Dairy Milk, then swirled some melted white chocolate through the milk chocolate. We’ve topped our bark with Reese’s Pieces, chopped Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups, and crushed Oreos. All our favourite chocolate and confectionery!

You could also top the bark with Halloween-inspired sprinkles, gummy sweets – we didn’t do this because all the sweets we found weren’t vegetarian. But toppings are totally individual, next time we even discussed adding some pretzels for extra crunchy texture.

This chocolate bark is perfect for making to give out to any trick-or-treaters and Halloween parties.

Kids will love getting involved in making this! It’s a super fun and easy treat to whip up, there’s absolutely no baking involved, and it takes only 30 minutes to set in the fridge. It can be topped differently depending on the season – I’m already thinking of a (dare I say it?) Christmas-inspired one!

This chocolate bark tastes just so good, you may or may not want to open the door to any trick-or-treaters. I don’t blame you if you keep it all to yourself!

It’s like creating your own chocolate bar, you can add all your favourite chocolates and sweets – make a bark completely unique to you!

Halloween Chocolate Bark

The easiest of recipes! This Halloween Chocolate Bark is a great treat to rustle up for trick-or-treaters, serve at a Halloween party, or to use up any leftover chocolate and sweets!

Prep Time 15

Chilling Time 30

Total Time 45

Servings 12

Author What Jessica Baked Next

Ingredients

360 g dark or milk chocolate
100 g white chocolate
90 g bag Reese's Pieces
5 snack size Reese's Peanut Butter Cups each chopped into quarters
5 Oreos broken into a mixture of big and small pieces - you can add more

Instructions

Line a large baking tray/sheet with baking paper or a silicone baking mat.
Melt both types of chocolate, separately in either the microwave, or in a bowl atop a pan of simmering water (make sure it's not directly touching) - this is known as a bain-marie.
Spread the melted milk chocolate over the baking tray/sheet into an even layer, about 1/2-inch in thickness.
Top with the Reese's Pieces, chopped Reese's Peanut Butter Cups, and the crushed Oreos. Add any additional toppings you desire.
Place the chocolate bark in the fridge for 30 minutes, or until ready to serve. Cut into pieces as big or small as you like. The bark will keep in the fridge for up to a week.