Chewy Red Velvet Chocolate Chip Cookie Best Recipe Ever

Red velvet chocolate chip cookies, they look more maroon in reality and for some reason the pic refused to rotate!

Dear Readers,

I'm so excited as I type this post that I'm making more typos than usual.
I have discovered an amazing recipe for Red Velvet Chocolate Chip Cookies, I didn't even know such a heavenly  dessert existed until now, I feel cheated. How could I have not discovered this recipe sooner?
As I'm a fan of both Red Velvet Cupcakes/Cakes and Chocolate Chip Cookies, I guess it was only a matter of time I would stumble across this culinary masterpiece!

I like baking things from scratch as I can taste the preservatives in box mixes (I can I swear) and its definitely the healthier option.

Indulgently rich they will be gone before you know it.

Thanks to a wonderful blogger at sweeteats.com for sharing this(link below)

Recipe via How sweet it is

Red Velvet Chocolate Chip Cookies
makes 12-15 cookies
1/2 cup butter around 113g
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup cocoa powder
1 teaspoon red food coloring
1/2 cup chocolate chips
Preheat oven to 375 F or 190 C

1. Leave butter outside to soften, this is essential if its hard or melted the butter will mess up the batter.
2. Cream butter and sugars together until fluffy in the bowl of an electric mixer. Add egg and vanilla and combine until smooth. 
3. Beat in red food coloring. Be careful with this  step as it can get a bit messy if the colouring spills on your fingers or counter top- mine turned out darker because I used a bit more than 1 tsp of food colouring.
4. Stir in cocoa, flour, baking soda and salt until just combined, scraping down the sides when needed. 
5. Fold in chocolate chips.
6. Using an ice cream scoop, scoop out 1-2 tablespoons of dough and set on baking sheet. You may want to flatten the mounds a little for a cleaner shape.
7. Bake for 10-12 minutes. 
8. Enjoy with a hot beverage of your choice! Milk, tea or coffee. Don't curse me when it ruins you attempts to watch your weight. This is a wickedly indulgent treat :-).

Layla's Gourmet Cafe Review

Dear Readers,

In my last post I mentioned that the Jeddah Writing Club met at Layla's Gourmet cafe, which is tucked in a quiet street off Tahliya Street.

The ambience is amazing with a small water feature and somewhat Turkish oriental inspired tilework outside and wooden benches ideal for enjoying Jeddah's great weather at this time of the year.

Indoors you eyes are dazzled by an array of items all fighting for your attention and yet complementing each other at the same time. The black and white striped walls contrast with the gilded mirrors and ornaments, the whole place is a wicked indulgent feast for the eyes.

They have interesting array of books, abridged classics, girly magazines, cute frames, and much more.

I noticed a few customer came in to enquire/give orders for cookies or cakes, for parties etc the planned on having at home.

Though I enjoyed the surroundings, I wasn't very impressed by my order of caramel cake it was very dry and a quite a small portion, and the pina colada wasn't particulary special either.


I had to ask for my order twice, and when they finally served our group with the bill it completely incorrect, and the surprsing thing was that it was totally empty so how could they mix up the bill??

When they gave the bill again, it was still more than what it should have been, but we didn't feel like dealing with the staff anymore so we settled it- but no one likes the feeling of being ripped off.

 I hope that in the future the service improves, because it would be a shame for such a pretty place to lose customers over something so basic.

Have you tried it out yet, please do let me know what your experience was like in the comments below.

Black, white and gold chandeliers and and antique lamps transport to another time.

These Venetian? carnival masks inspired the JWC to chose masks as the next topic!

The outside seating area of Layla's Gourmet

Musical notes lamp shade

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Jeddah Writing Club- A poem on Distance

Jeddah Writing Club met today for its third meeting, at the cute Layla's Gourmet cafe, very girly and perfect spot for the club to meet- except I for some reason got lost and had trouble finding it.

Its lovely hearing everyone's take on a topic. This time it was 'distance' and when I'd first heard of it-I was thrilled- oh what a wonderful topic. But when I sat down to write on it I was overwhelmed. Although I have a lot of experience of having family and friends move away, I didn't want to  actually write about something so personal to me- isn't it strange? They say you should what you know- but it is very difficult for me to open up like that- I write as an outlet of my daydreams and imagination- to exercise my mind, to let out stuff good or bad that lives in the corners of mind -to stay sane!

We have a few extremely talented poets, and they inspired me to try to write a poem for the first time since leaving school... hope you like it.

Long distance

This is not farewell but goodbye,

Promises made amid forlorn sighs.

Long hugs and held back tears,

Reassurances to allay unsaid fears,

Wet pillows and long cold nights,

Photograph held on tight,

What’s app and video Skype,

Do you feel what I cannot type?

New names and incidents,

Funny stories- repeated often.

One too many forgotten Skype dates,

You’re either busy or it’s too late.

Draining phone calls- fights or silence,

Minor things coloured by distance.

Weak connection- no sight just hollow sound,

Jealous doubts- are they unfound?

Unanswered questions fuelling frustration,

Pleading forgiveness  in clingy desperation.

Single text received after repeated calls

Sorry, can’t do this...farewell.