16/08/2010 by D.

The ultimate american cookies… chewy and chocolatey with a bit of crunch… and with all the goodness you need to get through labour.  No (pregnant) lady-in-waiting will be unhappy with the gift of a large box of these!

Use a smallish mug for measuring.  Ideally you need a food processor for this.  The recipe makes 40 - 80 biscuits, depending on size.  I make a variety so little hands have smaller portions.

Dry 
2 mugs wholemeal SR flour (I use Allinsons)
2 1/2 mugs whole oats (blended until fine)
1 1/2 cups brazil nuts (blended until fine)
1 mug muscovado sugar
1 mug caster sugar
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 bar dark chocolate, chopped into small chunks
1/2 mug chopped apricots, chopped into small chunks

Wet
1 pack unsalted butter
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract

Preheat the oven to 170c.  Grease 3 large baking trays.  I love the vast, silver IKEA ones for this.

Mix all the dry ingredients in a bowl.  Process the butter until smooth, then add the eggs and vanilla essence, and process again for a minute or so until it looks creamy.  Mix into dry ingredients.  The dough should be sticky.

Using a large teaspoon or small icecream scoop, put small balls of the mixture onto a tray and flatten slightly.  You can make larger cookies if you like, but I like them slightly smaller than a digestive in size.  Leave some space so they can spread.

Cook for 8-10 minutes - you want them to be pale in colour to retain the chewiness.  Longer cooking will give you a crunchier finish.

Leave on tray for a couple of minutes when they come out of the oven, before transferring to cooling racks.  They keep well for up to three weeks (if you can resist them for that long!).

Posted in Biscuits, Apricots, Brazil nuts, Chocolate, Oats, Recipe, Vegetarian, Eggs, Organic Box | Print | No Comments »

05/08/2010 by D.

fruit: pears, plums, cherries, lemon, bananas
veg: pointed cabbage, cherry tomatoes, Hackney salad, mushrooms, courgettes, carrots, green onions, Colleen potatoes

Things are a bit hectic here, so very much retrospective blogging going on at the momenet, I’m afraid.  I managed to make a clafoutis with the cherries.  So easy and tasty, just like sweet version of toad-in-the hole.

We made a big curry with the potatoes, carrots, onions and mushrooms and did some baked potatoes and coleslaw with the rest.  We also had a courgette risotto with toasted sunflower seeds and the marvellous Hackney Salad on the side.  Creative cooking will recommence once life calms down a bit.

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