National Baking Week....17th to 23rd October 2011

To say I've not stopped the whole day is an understatement...and its still only 4.45pm, so I've still got a way to go yet. On top of a busy day, I came across the fact that its National Baking Week in the UK. Well, I tried to ignore the fact and just move on, but once something like that gets lodged in my brain, the only way I can dismiss it, is to quickly bake something.....what pressure.

I've got so many recipes I want to bake but then my son's away this week, so I don't want to over do on stockpiling of goodies. It's okay for my OH, he cycles about 30k a day so he can burn it off.

Anyway, I thought I'd just throw some cookies together to go with our evening cuppa.

I decided to do two kinds....the first being a Chocolate and Walnut cookie...(well walnuts are supposed to be good for you, isn't that right? Yeah I know.....it's just all the sugar and butter that accompany them that isn't ideal....but then as I've said before anything baked or cooked on a Tuesday doesn't have any calories!) 

The second variety I chose was a scrumptious Chocolate Chip (can you guess that these are my preference.

I just had to make a cuppa when these beauties came out of the oven. Well, you have to taste don't you? I've heard all the celebrity chefs constantly telling us ....taste, taste, taste. So I did! Hmm.........

I'm not sure how this happened but the cookies on the right are the Chocolate Chips and they seem to be extremely bigger than the others. Maybe its my subconsciousness at work. If I only eat one with my cuppa I'd better make it a good one!

Size definitely matters.... ; D

CHOCOLATE & WALNUT / CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIE Recipe:

Serves: approx 16

Preparation time: 20 minutes
Cooking time: 8 minutes

Ingredients

4oz/100g Butter
4oz/100g Soft Light Brown Sugar
1 Egg (beaten)
2 tsp/ 2 x 5 ml Vanilla Essence
6oz/175g Self Raising Flour
1oz/25g Rolled Oats
3oz/75g Walnuts, roughly chopped
5 oz / 150g Milk Chocolate, roughly chopped or chocolate chips

Method
1. Preheat oven to Mark 5 / 190C/ 375F.
2. Cream butter and sugar together.
3. Gradually beat in the egg and vanilla essence
4.Sift Flour and mix into the creamed mixture.
5. Add Oats, Walnuts and chocolate.
6. Mix well.

(You could add anything to the basic cookie mix ~ whatever you fancy) I just divided up the mixture and added the mix to each that I wanted.  

7. Roll a small amount into you hand and pat to make a round flat shape.
8. Place on a non-stick baking tray ~ leaving a space between each one.
9. Bake for 8 minutes or until firm around the edges and soft in the middle.
10. Leave to cool on the baking sheet.
11. Lift off using a palate knife and store in an airtight jar or tin.

Not exactly Masterchef but soooo good and perfect for a cuppa.

The cookies are best eaten the same day :{
Whoops......think I'm going to have to get out on the bike tomorrow!