Orange and Raisin cookies

Hello, how are you today? Good I hope, I really do.
All well here I'm pleased to report, I am feeling so very much better than I was on Friday, and I thank you for all your get well wishes. Little Man is no longer hot and limp (woohoo) and is happily back at school today, and although I am still sniffly with a funny deaf-in-one-ear thing going on, I think I am over the worst. And I am glad.
Its been a lovely morning here today, we have been blessed with such a lot of sunshine in my little corner of the world recently and oh I am so happy about that! I love this late Autumn sunshine very much, it makes daily life shine. And I do like Shiny Happy, especially on a Monday morning.

As soon as I came home from the school run this morning I decided to bake cookies. Aside from  wanting something nice to eat, I had an urge to fill the Attic24 house with the smell of baking and this recipe does just that. I can smell it now as I type, and it's quite wonderful.

I've been meaning to share this recipe with you for a week or two now, but have been slightly nervous. You see its my first ever "own" baking recipe and I needed to make sure it really was good enough to pass on. So this is the fourth batch I've made and yes, if I say so myself, I think they are scrumptious. They are sort of a cross between a rock bun and a cookie, they are soft and moist and really (what word to use??) well they are really mmmmmm. Yeah, thats just it, mmmmmm.

As well as being mmmmmm, these cookies are also lovely and orangey, and I am having a slight crush on all things orangey at the moment. Lemons have been left behind with the summer months and I am enjoying feasting on zesty clementines and big juicy orangey oranges which we always have in the fruit bowl.

So, into a bowl (red and spotty) put the following ::

• 100g plain flour

• 1/2 tsp baking powder

• 50g soft brown sugar
• 50g soft butter/margarine
• finely grated rind of half a small orange
• a little freshly grated nutmeg

Rub together with your fingers until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. Usually when I make cakes or biscuits, I tend to employ the mechanical whizzy method with a blender or processor or electric whisk. I had kind of forgotten the simple pleasure of using my fingers, of getting right in to the cookie mixture. It's great!

When the bowl is full of beautifully zesty crumbs, mix in 80g raisins, or dried fruit of your choice (I thought dried cranberries would work well here actually).

Then add 1 tablespoon (15ml) of freshly squeezed orange juice and mix quickly with a fork until the mixture starts to come together.

The mixture will be quite sticky, but don't worry, it will work out.

Heat the oven to 180 / 350 / gas 4, and line a  baking tray with baking parchment.

Then using your fingers or a spoon, dollop lumps of the cookie mixture onto the baking sheet, spreading well apart :: I manage to make 12 cookies in total. Do not squish the dough together, they should look rough and lumpy and should not be handled too much.

In my oven I bake for 15 mins maximum, but often check after 13 mins or so. You want the cookies to still be soft to the touch on top and only very lightly golden. Do not overcook or they will be hard and dry once they cool. And hard and dry is not nearly so enjoyable as soft and moist.

I think these are best eaten on the day they are made, and bestest still when they are warm from the oven. But be warned they are exceeeeedingly moreish. And are very likely to be snaffled by any Little People in residence. I do really feel appreciated in my house when I make these, I love to witness a good, satisfying post-baking Snaffle.

Comments

[foxgloves73]

Just discovered your blog today and I loved it ! The pictures, the colours and the rest...I nearly passed out when I saw all the liberty fabrics during your London trip...there are sooo expensive here in France ! Anyway keep up the fantastic work ...will visit again soon.