Sunday 31 January 2010

Brown Derby

After the excesses of Moro last night we met up for breakfast at a caff in Blackheath (who'd have thought you could find such a thing in Blackheath?)

We had a pretty good feeding and were contemplating something sweet to finish things off. Nothing leapt off the menu apart from the mysterious Brodn Derby. There wasn't a hint as to what this could be. Naturally one had to be ordered.

Apparently, the "Brown Derby" is a dessert served at Wimpy. It turned out to be a hot ring doughnut, with Mr Wippy ice cream, bitter chocolate sauce and hazelnuts. And very tasty it was too!

Friday 29 January 2010

Moro

One of my bestest friends invited me along to Moro to help celebrate her birthday and it was the least I could do to accept her invitation! It was an excellent food-loving crew to go eating with (including a chef) which made the evening even better. Since Moro's in Exmouth Market in the heart of Clerkenwell, I was expecting an uber-trendy place, with people there to be seen. I was delighted to find that actually it wasn't like that at all. It was actually a buzzing local restaurant full of people enjoying each other's company and excellent grub.

Moro seems to be based on a traditional French (Parisian even) bistro from the heavy curtains around the door and the amazing smells that assault you once the curtains are breached to the big open kitchen at the back of the dining room and the long zinc bar along the whole of one side.

The menu changes weekly and I'd been wondering all day about what to choose. In the end I went for:

Chopped spiced duck hearts with wilted herb salad and preserved lemon

This was amazing. I made myself a similar salad a few weeks ago but this was a cut above. The hearts were finely hand-chopped and beautifully tender and moist. The wilted herbs were great accompaniment. My only slight grumble was that the cumin was too strong.
***
Charcoal grilled scallops with fennel and almond purée and fino sherry

I had three or four whole scallops (including the roe) which is almost unheard of in a London restaurant. The sweetness of the scallops was complemented perfectly by the bitter char-grilling. The fennel purée was subtle. Incredibly the garnish of chopped peanuts which, as well as adding a welcome crunch, served as a great compliment to all the other ingredients. was possibly the most important ingredient on the plate. The scallops were served with a side of purple sprouting broccoli. I say a side , it was more like it had been unceremoniously dumped on the side of the plate; tasty though!
***
Torta de Barros, Carpuela and Pics de Europa cheeses with membrillo

I couldn't resist the cheeses which were sublime. I wasn't sure what membrillo was and when I found out that it was a quince jelly, I was disheartened. I've never enjoyed any square/slice/blob of this terrible jelly where ever I've had it. I was delighted to find that this quince concoction was in a different league to anything I've had before; a perfect foil to the cheeses. Together with a fantastic sesame cracker, this was a perfect plate of cheese. (Not so sure about the recommended sherry though...)

I think we ordered almost all the dishes on the menu and thanks to the great company I got to taste them all. I can safely say that there wasn't a single duff offering.

Moro is a great, friendly, restaurant. Especially if you enjoy eating seasonal, well cooked and original food. I'd go back like a shot.

Sorry about the lack of photos, I'm afraid but that's because I was too busy enjoying myself and forgot my blogging obligations.

Moro on Urbanspoon

P.S. A birthday's not a birthday without a birthday cake, so I made my friend an individual Victoria sponge, which I think she appreciated.

Wednesday 27 January 2010

Theo Randall at The Intercontinental

Went to Theo Randall at The Intercontinental in Mayfair with a friend last night. I made the reservation through toptable with an offer of three courses (from a set menu) and a glass of prosecco for £27. I've wanted to go to this restaurant for ages, so was very glad to finally manage to persuade someone to come with me.

The meal was preceded by a very light tomato bruschetta and a workman-like doughy focaccia, which set the scene for a tasty authentic Italian meal to come.

Antipasti
Anguilla affumicata - smoked eel with beetroots, dandelion and fresh horseradish
Bresaola - cured beef fillet with rocket, parmesan and lemon

I'd never had smoked eel before and was delighted to find it was delicious. A very meaty texture but a delicate flavour. The horseraddish cream was too strong and even the slightest hint overpowered the eel. Otherwise the salad and fish went very well. The bresaola was, as expected, fantastic.
***
Primi
Pappardelle con ragù di manzo - fresh pasta with slow cooked beef fillet in Chianti
Risotto di mari - sea-food risotto with mussels, squid and prawns

The ragu was well made and the beef was "melt-in-the-mouth" tender. The risotto was overflowing with seafood. However, both dishes were marred by being just too al dente/undercooked.
***
Secondi
Arrosto di Faraona - wood roasted guinea fowl stuffed with coppa di Parma, mascarpone and thyme with braised Swiss chard and lentils di Castelluccio

We both had the guinea fowl which was by far the highlight of the meal. The bird was perfectly cooked with the mascapone stuffing adding a welcome sweet note. The lentils with chard were a great earthy accompaniment.

Overall the portions were hearty and the food was good. I'd been hoping that this place was going to blow my socks off. Unfortuntately my toes remained very cosy on the way home. It's not to say the food wasn't good, which it clearly was, it just wasn't good enough to make me rave about it. However, given I'd got three courses for £27, it feels unjust to moan too much.

Theo Randall on Urbanspoon

Tuesday 26 January 2010

el bulli - newsflash

El Bulli, the best restaurant in the world, has announced that it will be closed in 2012 and 2013!

That means I've only got two more chances to get a table...

elBulli takes a step forward

During his speech today at the Madrid Fusion Summit, Ferran Adrià has outlined the action plan of elBulli for the years 2010-2020.

In 2012 elBulli will celebrate 50 years since its conception, so Ferran Adrià and Juli Soler have decided to commemorate this anniversary with the closure of one cycle and the beginning of a new phase, in which a radical approach to the creative process and the pursuit of new challenges and stimulus will be the main priority.

Based on this approach, the agenda of elBulli for the coming years will be the following one:
1) In 2010, elBulli will open from 15th June until 20th December.
2) The opening calendar of elBulli for 2011 will be released during September 2010.
3) elBulli will remain closed to the public during 2012 and 2013. This period will be devoted to thinking, planning and preparing the new format for subsequent years:
a. In consequence, this will allow elBulli to have two creative centres: elBullitaller, currently located on Portaferrissa Street in Barcelona, and elBullirestaurant itself in Cala Montjoi.
b. During this time all the know-how about elaborations, techniques and styles acquired after 30 years of creative research will be analysed, and the results of said work will be compiled in a comprehensive and thorough encyclopaedia.
4) elBulli will open again in 2014, constantly challenging the possibilities of the concept of a restaurant, based on the following criteria:
a. Research will be prioritized over production.
b. Each season will be different in terms of opening dates and times, capacity of the restaurant in terms of diners, staff, etc.., going beyond the pursuit of innovation that elBulli has been undertaking ever since the decision was made, among other things, to open only for 6 months, offer only one sitting per day and cancel the standard menu.

Monday 25 January 2010

ICCHFC - Week 19: Molly Cake

John was off ill for the week preceding his bake, but fortunately made it on Friday and put together a vote from three cakes found on the Waitrose food website. The options were:
Molly Cake won the day with four votes!

For a cake that had no eggs, sugar or dairy it was surprisingly good: not too dense and very moist. It was a very big hit with the ladies of the ICCHFC.



Recipe for John's Molly Cake (thanks to Waitrose!):

Ingredients:
250g stoned dates, roughly chopped
300ml water
85g plain flour
3 tsp baking powder
1 tsp ground mixed spice
85g wholemeal flour
500g bag dried, mixed fruit
50g ground almonds
80ml orange juice

Method:
1. Preheat the oven to 170°C, gas mark 3 and line a 900g loaf tin with baking parchment.
2. Put the dates and water in a pan and bring to the boil. Remove the pan from the heat and set aside.
3. Sieve the plain flour, baking powder and mixed spice into a bowl. Add the wholemeal flour, mixed fruit and ground almonds and stir to combine.
4. Stir in the wet date mixture and the orange juice. Mix well. Spoon into the loaf tin.
5. Bake for 45-50 minutes, or until a skewer comes out clean. Turn out onto a wire rack and cool.

Sunday 24 January 2010

Eagle Bar Diner

Went to the Eagle Bar Diner just off Oxford Street today with my sister for Sunday lunch. It's an American diner with the usual leather, metal, wood interior, but they pull it off well.

I was eager for a burger and went for the classic 6oz beef burger made from ground rump steak. This was on special £7.99 with three free toppings. It came with red onion marmalade, lettuce, mayonnaise, pickle and tomato. I chose cheese and double bacon as my extra toppings (apparently double bacon means two 2 slices!).

When it came I was initially disappointed. In my opinion the bap should never be bigger than the burger. If anything the meat patty should be bigger than the roll. After all, you get a burger for a moist patty of steak not for the bread! However, the burger was very tasty, moist and perfectly cooked. My only gripe was a touch too much lettuce. I was pleasantly surprised to find the pickle served on the side; gherkins can be a very hit and miss affair. This was definitely hit, not too strongly pickled, adding just the right note of sourness.

The fries were good: thin, crisp and salty. however, the accompanying mayonnaise (very Continental, I know!) was SWEET! I had to try it at least three times to make sure I was right. I truly bizarre experience and a very unwelcome accompaniment.

I had a peanut butter and banana milkshake to go with my burger. I was expecting it to come in one of the metal shakers and was disappointed when I just got a glass. However, appearances had deceived me again. The shake was great. A perfect combination of peanut butter and banana without either being too overpowering or the whole thing being too sweet. The texture was perfect: a strong suck on the straw resulting in a mouthful of dairy delight.

I'd go again, if I was in the area. A good choice for a spot of weekend lunch.

Eagle Bar Diner on Urbanspoon

Friday 22 January 2010

Chocolate stuff!

It seems that making a dress out of chocolate is a common PR stunt:

Lindt made one recently, as has French chocolate maker Magnum and there's even been a white chocolate wedding dress:













But dresses are not the only crazy thing you can get made of chocolate. Do you fancy a Ferrari F1 car, a Swiss army knife, shoes (to go with your dress, obviously) or how about a keyboard?

There are also plenty of chocolate flavoured items for you too, including wine, toothpaste, bubblebath, soap, perfume, pasta, sushi and beer (my favourite).

Wednesday 20 January 2010

ICCHFC - Week 18: Salted caramel chocolate cake

Week 18 meant is was time for my baking skill to be tested for the third time. I gave the ICCHFC the choice of the finalists from the BBC Good Food magazine's Birthday Cake competition that I blogged about previously:
The vote was a two-way tie between the coffee crunch cake and the chocolate cake. As you can probably tell from the picture above, the salted caramel chocolate cake was chosen by a roll of the Dice of Destiny.

To be honest I was a little disappointed with this cake. I was expecting the caramel to be salted to offset a rich sweet chocolate cake, but looking at the recipe (see link) it was the chocolate that was salted!

The chocolate cake itself was deliciously moist and with an intensely bitter-sweet hit of rich chocolate. Unfortunately, the caramel filling wasn't thick enough. I'm not sure if it's because I didn't take the sugar far enough before adding the butter and cream. Also the ganache layer was far too thick and salty I would definitely half the quantities in future. Both of these mistakes are evident in the cross-section:
On to the recipe for my Salted Caramel Chocolate Cake which is adapted from the original i.e. this is how I'd make it next time

Ingredients:
115g salted butter , plus extra for greasing
225g plain chocolate (70% cocoa)
150ml milk
225g light muscovado sugar
2 tsp vanilla extract
2 large eggs , separated
150ml crème fraîche
225g self-raising flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 pinch salt
For the caramel:
450g caster sugar
2 tbsp golden syrup
115g salted butter
125ml double cream
2 tbsp crème fraîche
1tsp sea salt (or to taste)
For the ganache:
112g plain chocolate (70-80% cocoa solids)
125ml double cream

Method:
1. Making the caramel. Pour 100ml water into a large saucepan. Add the sugar and golden syrup, gently cook until melted, then turn up the heat a bit and cook until the caramel is a dark golden brown colour. Swirl the pan occasionally to prevent sticking but do not stir.
2. Turn off the heat and carefully whisk in the butter, double cream and crème fraîche - it will bubble up quite high. Whisk until smooth, then leave to cool until slightly set.
Note: This can be made this up to 3 days in advance and chilled in the fridge. Gently reheat until soft enough to spread before assembling the cake.
3. Making the cake. Heat oven to 180°C. Grease an 8" springform cake tin and line the base with baking parchment.
4. Melt the chocolate, butter and milk in a large pan over a low heat, stirring until smooth.
5. Remove from heat, then beat in the sugar and vanilla. Cool slightly.
6. Beat the egg yolks and crème fraîche together, then mix this into the chocolate mixture, followed by the flour and baking powder.
7. Whisk the egg whites in a clean bowl until stiff peaks form. Stir a third of the egg whites into the cake mix, then gently fold in the rest along with the sea salt.
8. Pour into the prepared tin and bake for 40-50 mins until firm to touch. Leave to cool for 20 mins, then remove from the tin and finish cooling on a wire rack.
9. For the ganache, heat the chocolate and cream together over a low heat until the chocolate has melted. Pour into a bowl to cool.
10. To assemble, slice the cooled cake in half horizontally. Sandwich together with the caramel - generous! Spread the ganache over the top of the cake and sprinkle with some sea salt crystals (and chocolate truffles, if you like).

Wednesday 13 January 2010

Plateau Bar and Grill

Went to Plateau Bar and Grill in Canary Wharf tonight and I was utterly disappointed.

I'd been to the main restaurant before and had the tasting menu which was fantastic. After tonight's experience, I can barely believe just how the quality of food can vary from one end of a restaurant to the other!

We received the usual high standards of service, I've come to expect from a D&D establishment, but the food was atrocious.

As a starter we both had the soup of the day which was Jerusalem artichoke. Now, the last time I had this soup was at Eight at The Thatch (the original winners of Raymond Blanc's The Restaurant, but now just The Thatch) and it was phenomenal: a delicious and luxurious rich bowl of earthy soup. What I had tonight bore no resemblance to the soup I was expecting in any way what so ever, except maybe the colour. The soup was bland and immediately forgettable. And whoever thought adding shavings of raw (maybe they were blanched) artichoke as a garnish needs to think that through. There's nothing I love more than a mouthful of soup and having to crunch through a slice of raw Jerusalem artichoke.

On to the mains and I had the Denham Estate venison burger, admittedly it was cooked perfectly as a rare burger and tasted wonderful. However, my fries were not cooked all the way through, my second case of raw tuber. Also the burger was served with cranberry sauce. I can see the merit in the idea, but the sauce they gave me was sweet enough to serve with a dessert; it had no place as a garnish for a wonderful burger.

My fellow diner had the Billingsgate fish pie. When it arrived it looked promising: a deep bowl of steaming comfort food. However, once she got through the mash topping and through the dense layer of salmon the remainder of the pie was filled with an overcooked fish pap: woeful.

All in all a terrible meal, and only just deserving of the £10 I paid (as well as another £3 for a glass of lemonade!). However, the evening was saved by the front of house and the delicious bread selection: slices of warm doughy carbohydrate heaven flavoured with rosemary or raisins: yummy!

Two of us were there on the London Evening Standard Reader Offer:

We're delighted to announce the return of our exclusive offer from D&D London.
Readers can have a set-price lunch or dinner at a great selection of top restaurants for £10, £15, £20, £25 or £30 per person. Some of the menus also include a glass of wine or Piper-Heidsieck Champagne.
You can dine as often as you like until Friday 12 February 2010.

Plateau on Urbanspoon

ICCHFC - Week 17: Cinnamon crumble apple cake


The new year was heralded in with Jo's cake for Week 17 of the ICCHFC. Her choices were:
  • Sticky stem ginger cake with lemon icing
  • Cinnamon crumble apple cake
  • Carrot cake

Unfortunately I wasn't in to sample a fresh piece of the winning cinnamon crumble apple cake, but I did get a piece of the reject "dry" cake. Jo ended up making two cakes because she wasn't happy with the first. Then once that had all gone she'd brought in the second!

However, the cake was still excellent with a good thick layer of tart apple and a delightful combination of textures due to the crumble top.
Recipe (c/o waitrose)

Jo's Cinnamon Apple Crumble cake (taken from Waitrose)

Ingredients:
3 small eating apples
2 tsp ground cinnamon
250g caster sugar
250g pack Lurpak Butter Slightly Salted
250g self-raising flour
4 medium eggs
Method:
1. Preheat the oven to 180°C, gas mark 4. Grease and line the base of a 23cm round, deep cake tin.
2. Peel, core and thinly slice the apples, toss in 1 tsp of the cinnamon and set aside.
3. To make the crumble topping, measure 50g each of the caster sugar, butter and flour into a bowl. Add the remaining cinnamon and rub everything together with your fingertips until it forms a rough crumble. Set aside.
4. Put the remaining sugar and the eggs in a large bowl and use an electric whisk to mix together. Whisk for about 10 minutes until the mixture is pale and thick, and leaves a trail on the surface when the whisk blades are lifted.
5. Melt the remaining butter in a pan, cool slightly, then drizzle into the whisked mixture, folding it in carefully to preserve as much air as possible.
6. Sieve the flour over the top and fold in.
7. Turn the mixture into the cake tin and scatter the apple slices evenly over the top. Sprinkle the crumble over and bake for 50-55 minutes, until the cake is firm to the touch and golden brown.
8. Allow to cool for 10 minutes in the tin.
Cook's tips
The key to success with this cake is to whisk the eggs and sugar for long enough for them to hold the butter and flour crumble in suspension. Don't be tempted to rush this stage. Check that there is a trail on the surface of the egg mixture when you lift the whisk, before adding the other ingredients.

Monday 11 January 2010

Braised celery recipe

In my search for ways to use up leftover celery (in this case I was using up leftover celery from making giblet stock.) I've finally tried braised celery and I can tell you I will be making it again.

It was like I got my weeks umami shot in one go. Absolutely delicious and moreish. Although I fear that it may be due to the flavour taken on by the celery, rather than the flavour of the celery itself. However, there's a portion in the freezer, ready for a suitable accompaniment. On to the recipe:

Ingredients:
1 head of celery, washed and chopped into 2-3" lengths
2oz butter
200ml duck stock
300ml Marigold vegetable bouillion
2 crushed garlic cloves
Bay leaf
2 thyme sprigs
Juice of half a lemon
Method:
1. Fry the celery, with the bay and thyme, gently in the butter for about 10minutes
2. Add the stock and bring to the boil. Simmer, covered, for about 30minutes or until the celery is very tender.
3. Remove the celery and increase the eat under the braising liquor. Reduce until it is of a syrup consistency.
4. Season the sauce and finish with a squeeze of lemon juice.
5. Serve the celery with the sauce spooned over the top.

Sunday 10 January 2010

Recipes to make the most of duck leftovers: giblet stock, giblet salad and duck stock

For the meal I made for Jo and Emma recently, I used two whole ducks which I portioned to give me the required breasts and legs. That left me with two carcasses and two sets of giblets. Not wanting to waste anything, I made two lots of duck stock (one using the bones, the other using a set of giblets) and had a giblet salad. Also managed to save a whole pot of duck fat which rendered out of the breasts and legs and am I looking forward to some tasty roast potatoes soon!


Duck giblets, or the heart, neck, liver and gizzard of a duck, may not appear the most appealing of cuts of poultry, but by Jove they don't half contain a hell of a lot of flavour!

Giblet salad
Ingredients: Duck giblets (heart, gizzard, liver) finely sliced (liver slightly thicker)
1oz duck fat (a large teaspoon)
1oz butter
100g (1 packet) of spinach leaves
1tbsp white wine vinegar
3tbsp olive oil

Method:
1. Melt the butter and duck fat together.
2. Briefly fry the heart and gizzard (literally 60-90s), when nearly ready add the liver slices and fry for a further 60s. Once cooked remove to rest on a warmed plate.
NOTE: DO NOTE OVERCOOK the offal otherwise it'll go rubbery and tough
3. Wilt the spinach leaves in the pan briefly. Remove to a bowl.
4. Add the vinegar to the pan and reduce. Add the olive oil and warm through.
5. Gently mix the leaves and offal with the warm dressing.
NOTE: I think this could be improved by some finely chopped shallots in the dressing and something to add a crunchy texture, can't think what but croutons don't seem to fit.

Giblet stock
(makes about 200ml) - recipe taken from Delia Online
Ingredients:
Duck giblets (heart, neck, gizzard NOT the liver: it's too bitter)
Onion, halved
Carrot, halved
Celery stick, roughly chopped
Flavourings: 6 black peppercorns, bay leaf, thyme sprigs
1pint water

Method:
1. Wash the neck and giblets then place them in a medium-sized saucepan and add the rest of the ingredients along with the water.
2. Bring everything up to the boil, skim off any scum that rises to the surface, then turn the heat down to a gentle simmer.
3. Put a lid half on the pan and simmer for 1½-2 hours.
4. After that, strain the stock and it's ready to use, such as to braise celery (see next post) or to make gravy.

Duck Stock
Ingredients:
2kg duck carcass (the more bones and meat the stronger the st0ck)
~2.5l water
Onion, quartered
Carrot, roughly chopped
Leek, roughly chopped

Method:

1. Roast the bones at 200C for about 20 minutes (or until browned) turning halfway through. There's no need for any fat, as enough will render out of the duck carcass). Roasting should intensify the flavour and give the stock a deep colour.
2. Remove the bones into a stockpot, remove any fat and deglaze the roasting pan with 500ml of the water.
3. Add the deglazed liquor and vegetables to the stockpot and pour over the remaining water. Ensure all the ingredients are covered with water, add more water, if required.
4. Bring to the boil and then simmer, uncovered, for approximately 3 hours, always ensuring that the water covers the ingredients.
5. After three hours, or once the bones are disintegrating, remove from the heat and strain into a bowl.
6. Leave to cool and then refrigerate. Once cold remove the fat (it should have solidified in a layer on top)
7. Return the stock to a large pan and reduce by a quarter to a third. Strain again and then leave to cool. The results should be an intense duck flavoured jelly:

Wednesday 6 January 2010

Avgolemono, or a recipe to use up egg yolks

When the views out of the window is like this, it's definitely comfort food time: something to give you a big hug and warm you up from the inside. Avgolemono does exactly that.

Avgolemono is a Greek soup made with little more than chicken stock, egg yolks and lemon juice.
[Note: It's also a great way to use up a vast quantity of egg yolks, that may be left over after making an Angel Food Cake]

It is a deeply satisfying soup that could only be impoved by some nuggets of chicken, quickly sauted and added at the end.

Recipe for Avgolemone (taken from Epicurious)
Ingredients:
900ml chicken stock
90g long-grain white rice
6 egg yolks
65ml fresh lemon juice (about 2 lemons worth)
Method:
1. Bring the stock to a boil.
2. Stir in the rice and cook until tender.
3. Meanwhile, beat the egg yolks and lemon juice together in a large bowl.
4. When the rice is tender, slowly ladle half of the hot broth into the yolks, whisking constantly. 5. Whisk the egg yolk mixture into the broth and place over low heat. Cook, stirring constantly, just long enough to thicken the soup. Do not boil.
6. Season to taste with salt and (plenty of) pepper.

Monday 4 January 2010

Food Blog Search

Just found out that I've been added to the Food Blog Search:



Food Blog Search is a custom built search engine specifically for searching recipes in food blogs. It is intended to be a useful tool for food bloggers and for scratch cooks looking for recipes and inspiration. Food Blog Search uses Google technology, through the Google Custom Search Engine program. Started in October 2006, Food Blog Search now searches over three thousand hand-selected, high quality food blogs. More and more food blogs are added to the list of sites searched every day.

Their inclusion criteria are really quite strict:
  • Written in English
  • Subject is food and cooking
  • Is at least three months old, with at least 30 entries
  • Provides a substantial number of recipes, most original or adapted and not just copied word for word from other sites
  • Any recipes taken from other sources must be properly credited, and preferably rewritten in your own words.
  • All recipes include accompanying stories or substantial headnotes (at least a paragraph)
  • All recipes include attractive original photos or illustrations
  • Follows classic scratch-cooking methods with whole food ingredients
  • Presented in a blog format, including comments
  • Is a current, active blog, with at least 2 entries a month
  • Includes an "About" section with information about the blog author(s)
  • Evidence that the blog supports the food blogging community, for example, ample links to other food blogs in entries, a blogroll with several food blogs mentioned, and/or display of the Food Blog Search widget or button on the blog.
I'm dead chuffed to be in as it means people from all over might be searching and using my recipes!

Cake Wrecks

Cake Wrecks is a blog cataloguing the disasters of professional bakers. The cake above started it all, known as the "Under Neat That" cake. It's a daily blog demonstrating that even the professionals get it wrong with crazy consequences. And they get paid for them!

I just hope that I (and the other ICCHFC members) never make such a pratfall.

Saturday 2 January 2010

Cranberry, Pecan and White Chocolate Cookies

This month's Sweet and Simple Bake was these cookies. They turned out OK, but I think I might have slightly over-cooked them. The nuts, fruit and chocolate make for a great combination. a different mouthful every time! However, I did find that by the time it came to adding them to the dough it was very difficult to get an even distribution. I think the dough is just a tad too dry to allow the effective incorporation of all these additions.

Nevertheless, I took a batch in for the charity cake bake in aid of the Samaritan' and they sold out, so they can't have been too bad!

Ingredients:
150g plain flour
½ tsp baking powder
½ tsp salt
75g rolled oats
125g soft butter
75g dark brown sugar
100g caster sugar
1 egg (large)
1 tsp vanilla extract
75g dried cranberries
50g pecans, roughly chopped
150g white chocolate chips

Method:
1. Preheat the oven to 180°C
2. Measure out the flour, baking powder, salt and rolled oats into a bowl.
3. Put the butter and sugars into another bowl and beat together until creamy.
4. Then beat in the egg and vanilla.
5. Beat in the flour, baking powder, salt and oat mixture and then fold in the cranberries, chopped pecans and chocolate chips.
6. Roll tablespoonfuls of dough into a ball with your hands, and then place them on a lined or greased baking sheet and squish the dough balls down with a fork.
7. Cook for 12 to 15 minutes; when ready, the cookies will be tinged a pale gold, but be too soft to lift immediately off the tray, so leave the tray on a cool surface and let them harden for about 5 minutes. Remove with a spatula to cool fully on a wire rack.


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