It's possible to trade profitably on the Forex, the nearly $2 trillion worldwide currency exchange market. But the odds are against you, even more so if you don't prepare and plan your trades. According to a 2014 Bloomberg report, several analyses of retail Forex trading, including one by the National Futures Association (NFA), the industry's regulatory body, concluded that more than two out of three Forex traders lose money. This suggests that self-education and caution are recommended. Here are some approaches that may improve your odds of taking a profit. Prepare Before You Begin Trading Because the Forex market is highly leveraged -- as much as 50 to 1 -- it can have the same appeal as buying a lottery ticket: some small chance of making a killing. This, however, isn't trading; it's gambling, with the odds long against you. A better way of entering the Forex market is to carefully prepare. Beginning with a practice account is helpful and risk-free. While you're trading in your practice account, read the most frequently recommended Forex trading books, among them Currency Forecasting: A Guide to Fundamental and Technical Models of Exchange Rate Determination, by Michael R. Rosenberg is short, not too sweet and highly admired introduction to the Forex market. Forex Strategies: Best Forex Strategies for High Profits and Reduced Risk, by Matthew Maybury is an excellent introduction to Forex trading. The Little Book of Currency Trading: How to Make Big Profits in the World of Forex, by Kathy Lien is another concise introduction that has stood the test of time. All three are available on Amazon. Rosenberg's book, unfortunately, is pricey, but it's widely available in public libraries. "Trading in the Zone: Master the Market with Confidence, Discipline and a Winning Attitude," by Mark Douglas is another good book that's available on Amazon, and, again, somewhat pricey, although the Kindle edition is not. Use the information gained from your reading to plan your trades before plunging in. The more you change your plan, the more you end up in trouble and the less likely that elusive forex profit will end up in your pocket. Diversify and Limit Your Risks Two strategies that belong in every trader's arsenal are: Diversification: Traders who execute many small traders, particularly in different markets where the correlation between markets is low, have a better chance of making a profit. Putting all your money in one big trade is always a bad idea. Familiarize yourself with ways guaranteeing a profit on an already profitable order, such as a trailing stop, and of limiting losses using stop and limit orders. These strategies and more are covered in the recommended books. Novice traders often make the mistake of concentrating on how to win; it's even more important to understand how to limit your losses. Be Patient Forex traders, particularly beginners, are prone to getting nervous if a trade does not go their way immediately, or if the trade goes into a little profit they get itchy to pull the plug and walk away with a small profit that could have been a significant profit with little downside risk using appropriate risk reduction strategies. In "On Any Given Sunday," Al Pacino reminds us that "football is a game of inches." That's a winning attitude in the Forex market as well. Remember that you are going to win some trades and lose others. Take satisfaction in the accumulation of a few more wins than losses. Over time, that could make you rich!

ULTIMATE CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIE LAYER CAKE

ULTIMATE CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIE LAYER CAKE
This Chocolate Chip Cookie Layer Cake really is the ultimate in cookie cakes! With three layers and three kinds of cookie, there is something for everyone to love.
Speaking of love, I hope everyone had a nice Valentine’s Day. We aren’t really into doing anything huge these days, seeing as it was our 12th Valentine’s Day together. But the hubs dropped a not-so-subtle hint that it’d be nice if I didn’t wake up and immediately start baking.
So I decided to just not do anything blog related Saturday. I can’t remember the last time I was actually at our house, in town, and I didn’t at least do something. It was very nice, and yet it’s hard for me to totally relax because I think of all the things that need to get done.
One day I’m going to figure out how to totally unplug.
Despite the super cold weather that was predicted, it was beautiful out. The last few weekends, the hubs has been working on the yard while I’ve been inside baking. He had some yard things he wanted to get done and wanted some help with, so I put on my gloves and my jacket and got to work. Happy Valentine’s Day hubs! 
Before that we had a nice breakfast, then we did a little wondering around some shops. We finished off the day with dinner at home and movie. Not terribly different from a normal Saturday, except that I didn’t bake, take photos, or anything.
Of course when we walked through some shops, I still couldn’t turn it off completely. Pretty much every store I walked into, I was looking for new photo props.
But then I make cakes like this, so I figure it’s all good. 
Now, you all know I have a love of cookie cakes. I’ve got quite a few of them on the blog. Shall I list them for you?
Any of those could be substituted for one of the layers of this cake, if you preferred.
I decided to use some of my favorite and most classic cookie cakes. The classic chocolate chip cookie, the chocolate cookie cake, and the funfetti cake batter cookie cake (my favorite!). I considered using the peanut butter cookie cake, because that would be awesome too. Or the oreo…or any of them. Seriously. I could just stack them all into one big cake.
I kept it simple and showcased all it’s cookie beauty by leaving it naked. Just some vanilla buttercream in between each layer, some sprinkles and bam! You’re done!
This cake is perfect for the cookie lover or someone that isn’t really into cake, but would love a fun birthday or special occasion cake. Because of all the cookie options, it’s also super customizable to your flavor preferences. You could even use all of one kind of cookie, if you wanted.
So there you have it! The Ultimate Chocolate Chip Cookie Layer Cake! Cookie overload, my friends!
ULTIMATE CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIE LAYER CAKE
Yield: 14-16 Slices 
Category: Dessert
Method: Oven 
Cuisine: American

INGREDIENTS
CLASSIC CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIE CAKE
  • 3/4 cup salted butter, room temperature (I use Challenge Butter)
  • 3/4 cup dark brown sugar
  • 1/4 cup sugar
  • 1 egg
  • 2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 2 cups all purpose flour
  • 2 tsp cornstarch
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1 1/4 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIE CAKE
  • 3/4 cup salted butter, room temperature
  • 1/2 cup brown sugar, lightly packed
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 1 egg
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 1/4 cups all purpose flour
  • 1/2 cup cocoa (I use Hershey’s Special Dark)
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1 1/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
FUNFETTI CAKE BATTER COOKIE CAKE
  • 3/4 cup salted butter, room temperature
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 1 egg
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 1/2 cup flour
  • 15.25 oz box funfetti cake mix
  • 2-3 tsp sprinkles
  • 3/4 cup white chocolate chips
  • 3/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
VANILLA BUTTERCREAM
  • 3/4 cup salted butter
  • 3/4 cup shortening
  • 4 cups powdered sugar
  • 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 2-3 tbsp water or milk
  • sprinkles
INSTRUCTIONS
CLASSIC CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIE CAKE
  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place a circle of parchment paper into the bottom of a 9 inch cake pan and grease the sides. You could also use a 9 inch springform pan.
  2. Cream butter and sugar together until light and fluffy, about 3-4 minutes.
  3. Mix in egg and vanilla extract.
  4. Add flour, cornstarch and baking soda and mix until well combined.
  5. Stir in chocolate chips. Dough will be thick.
  6. Press the dough into an even layer in the bottom of the cake pan. Bake for 18-20 minutes or until the edges are slightly golden.
  7. Remove from oven and allow to cool mostly in the cake pan, then transfer to cooling rack to cool completely.
CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIE CAKE
  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place a circle of parchment paper into the bottom of a 9 inch cake pan and grease the sides. You could also use a 9 inch springform pan.
  2. Cream butter and sugar together until light and fluffy, about 3-4 minutes.
  3. Mix in egg and vanilla extract.
  4. Add flour, coca and baking soda and mix until well combined.
  5. Stir in chocolate chips. Dough will be thick.
  6. Press the dough into an even layer in the bottom of the cake pan. Bake for 18-20 minutes or until the edges are slightly golden.
  7. Remove from oven and allow to cool mostly in the cake pan, then transfer to cooling rack to cool completely.
FUNFETTI CAKE BATTER COOKIE CAKE
  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place a circle of parchment paper into the bottom of a 9 inch cake pan and grease the sides. You could also use a 9 inch springform pan.
  2. Cream butter and sugar together until light and fluffy, about 3-4 minutes.
  3. Mix in egg and vanilla extract.
  4. Add flour and cake mix and mix until well combined.
  5. Stir in sprinkles and chocolate chips. Dough will be thick.
  6. Press the dough into an even layer in the bottom of the cake pan. Bake for 20-22 minutes or until the edges are slightly golden.
  7. Remove from oven and allow to cool mostly in the cake pan, then transfer to cooling rack to cool completely.
VANILLA BUTTERCREAM
  1. Beat the shortening and butter until smooth.
  2. Slowly add 3 cups of powdered sugar. Mix until combined.
  3. Mix in the vanilla extract and 1 tbsp water.
  4. Add the rest of the powdered sugar and mix until smooth. Add more water to get the right consistency.
TO PUT THE CAKE TOGETHER
  1. Use a large serrated knife to remove the edges of the middle and bottom cookie layers, if needed. Sometimes the centers of the cookies fall a bit and it can be good to cut off the edges, so that the layers are even.
  2. Place bottom cookie (Funfetti) on your cake plate.
  3. Top cookie with icing. I used my Ateco 844 icing tip to pipe a nice, thick layer.
  4. Top icing with next cookie (chocolate), then add another layer of icing.
  5. Add last layer of cookie (classic cookie), then finish off by piping icing around the edges and adding sprinkles.
Enjoy!



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