CHOCOLATE WAFFLE COOKIES and MAYONNAISE CHOCOLATE CAKE

I love that both of these recipes involve chocolate with a twist!
My daughter had a play date with a friend, one day after school, and I wanted to prepare and serve them snacks as sweet as they were. The kids and I both loved the unique cooking method of the chocolate waffle cookies, and the intriguing addition of mayonnaise to the chocolate cake! It was such a novelty to have a cookie out of the waffle iron, and a condiment in a chocolate cake - a fun take on treasured chocolate treats. I also appreciated that they were easy to prepare with minimal mess to clean up.

CHOCOLATE WAFFLE COOKIES

1/3 cup shortening

1 (1 ounce) square chocolate

1 egg, beaten

1/2 cup sugar

2 tablespoons milk

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

3/4 cup flour

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

Melt shortening and chocolate in a saucepan over low heat, stirring constantly. Let cool.

Combine egg, sugar, milk and vanilla in a mixing bowl, and stir well.

Add chocolate mixture, and stir well. Combine flour, baking powder and salt. Add to chocolate mixture.

Preheat waffle iron to medium heat. Drop dough by tablespoons 2 inches apart onto the iron, close and bake 2 to 4 minutes or until done. Remove to wire rack and let cool completely.

Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from The Morning News, May 2005

MAYONNAISE CHOCOLATE CAKE

1/4 cup cocoa
1 cup hot water
1 tablespoon vanilla essence
2 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 cup sugar
3/4 cup mayonnaise

Mix the cocoa, hot water and vanilla essence together in a bowl, cool.
Sift the flour, baking soda and sugar into a bowl and make a well in the centre.
Blend the mayonnaise with the cocoa ingredients and then pour into the well. Mix together gently with a spoon. Pour into a well greased cake tin.
Bake at 350F for 25 to 30 minutes or until the cake is cooked when tested. Cool in the tin for 10 minutes before turning out onto a cake rack.
Ice with your favorite icing, or a rich chocolate glaze or simply dust with icing sugar to serve.

RICH CHOCOLATE GLAZE

Melt 125g chocolate with 1/2 cup cream in the microwave together. Stir to combine, cool a little and then pour over the cake and smooth out.

Recipe adapted from Food in a Minute with Allyson Gofton
www.foodinaminute.co.nz/