Michelle’s Apricot-Maple Oatmeal Cookies

I think I am becoming a cookie monster and for sure developing some sort of cookie addiction. I like the pretty cookies, the healthy ones, the chocolate ones, the old fashion ones, the quick ones, the fruity and nutty ones, the home baked ones and the fancy ones from Laduree too. I like them all with a lovely cup of tea.

Not long ago I came across Michelle’s blog – The Green Bite – and her amazing apricot-maple-oatmeal cookies. I am telling you – they turned out fantastically gooey and chewy! I made the cookies according to Michellle’s instructions, yet I added just a few small amendments.

Those cookies are absolutely tasty, delicious and they would easily make an excellent afternoon or even morning snack.

Btw, the apricot-maple-oatmeal cookies are FUN to make – be ready for a sticky job

To view the original recipe click here: A-M-O Cookies.

Apricot-maple-oatmeal cookies

by Asia(Jo)

You will need:

1 egg

1/3 cup softened butter

1/2 cup cane sugar

1/4 cup maple syrup

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 cup flour

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon ground cinamon

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1 1/2 cup oats

2/3 cup dried apricots, chopped

Preparation:

Preheat the oven to 190 ℃.

Beat softened butter, sugar, maple syrup, and vanilla extract together using a balloon whisk until creamy.  Add the lightly beaten egg and stir to incorporate. In a separate bowl, combine flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, nutmeg, and cinnamon. Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture and stir to combine. Add oats and apricots. Stir to combine.

Form small balls and place on the cookie sheet (use baking paper or grease the tray) pressing the cookie dough gently. Bake for 10-15 minutes, depending on your oven. Remove from oven and let the cookies rest for 1-2 minutes on the cookie sheet before removing and placing on a wire rack to cool completely.

Try and enjoy something new!

by Asia(Jo)

by Asia(Jo)

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“I ♡ Peru” Sugar Cookies

It was a feel-good Sunday even though London seemed miserably grey and unattractive during the entire day. Yet, spending a few hours with my two friends, Marce and Jens – well this just made my day! When I meet those two travel enthusiasts, I always have a great time, loads of laughing and great talks over long lasting meals. So, yesterday we giggled, chatted, ate 1,5 kg of roast beef, drank 2 bottles of Rioja, exchanged Peruvian and Polish chicken soup recipes, arranged ceviche cooking class for me, wondered about the Eastern Europe cultural diversity and the legends of Peruvian Inkas. Marce, who is a person behind a young and energetic travel agency Takeme2peru, is absolutely in love with the country of her origin. She has been planning a special trip to Peru for her friends (my peru group travel) already for a couple of months. Everything what she has done so far to make that trip happen, she has done with passion, vigor and fascination. To celebrate Marce’s recent birthday, which I unfortunately missed because my Eastern Europe voyages, and to celebrate the design of her bright new Takeme2peru logo, I decided to make some cookies. Since I know how Peru is close to Marce’s heart, I baked cookies in the colours of the Peruvian national flag: red and white. Luckily, I have come across Mandy Mortimer’s blog lately; btw you will love Mandy’s recipe collection and photographs. Mandy has featured a great sugar cookies with white chocolate recipe. Immediately, when I saw the pictures of her red heart cookies, I madly fall in love with them and knew they would be a hit and a great present for Marce. And I was right – Marce loved her “I ♡ Peru” cookies and for me it was such a  joy and fun to knead, roll, cut out and chocolate paint those little sugar babies!

Sugar Cookies with white chocolate

Makes 36 sweet and tender cookies

by Asia(Jo)

Please visit Mandy Mortimer’s blog for a full recipe and detailed instructions.

http://www.mandymortimer.com/green-clover-sugar-cookies/

by Asia(Jo)

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Coffee kisses

Recently, I have discovered a very cool series of pocket cook books called All Colour Cookbooks published by Hamlyn. Each of them consists of 200 easy to make, mouthwatering recipes with beautiful photographs and clear instructions. The colour of book cover reefers to different food themes, for instance, red book is dedicated to baking, green book is all about salads and pasta dishes, purple book is devoted to low fat dishes, orange book introduces easy suppers while the brown one is full of veggie feasts. But there is many more giving you a wide choice of different cuisines or food interest. So far I bought two of All Colour Cookbooks: Super Salads and Cakes and Bakes.

Have a look at a sweet recipe from the red book Cakes and Bakes - Coffee Kisses.

Makes 10

by Asia(Jo)

You will need:

2 teaspoons instant coffee

1 teaspoon boiling water

75 g butter, at room temperature

50 g light muscovado sugar

125 g self-raising-flour

For the filling:

2 teaspoons instant coffee

2 teaspoons boiling water

50 g butter, at room temperature

100 g icing sugar, sifted

Preparation:

Dissolve the coffee in the boiling water. Beat the butter and the sugar together in a bowl until pale and creamy. Add the dissolved coffee and then gradually mix in the flour to make a smooth dough.

Knead the dough and shape it into a log and then chill for 15 minutes. Slice the the chilled log into 20 pieces. Roll each piece into a ball, arrange on a greased baking sheet and flatten by pressing with a fork. Bake in the preheated oven, 180 ℃, for 8-10 minutes until browned. Leave the biscuits to cool for 5 minutes then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Make the filling: dissolve the coffee in the boiling water. Beat the butter and icing sugar together then stir in the dissolved coffee until smooth and fluffy. Use the filling to sandwich the biscuits together in pairs. Eat within 2 days.

Have a coffee kiss with your morning coffee – good day everyone!

by Asia(Jo)

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