Cookies are awesome. They’re simple to make, tasty, you can freeze the dough and you can eat it raw if you want to. I love them all. If I had to choose to only make one type of cookie for the rest of my life though, I would choose these.

But why?

Well, I’ve got to admit that the main reason isn’t even in their name – it’s the cinnamon in them that I would gladly give up the chance to eat any other type of cookie for. It might not be the first flavour you’ll taste in them, but it’s there, and it gives the cookies a wonderful warmth that just wouldn’t find otherwise.

Don’t get me wrong, the oatmeal gives the cookies a wonderful chewy texture, and the raisins give a brilliant juiciness, but it’s the cinnamon that does the job for me every time.

So, chances are, if I say I’m going to be making you some cookies I’ll probably be making you The Oatmeal and Raisin cookies. Om nom nom.

Makes 25 small cookies, and takes about 20 minutes all told.

Ingredients

• 150g butter
• 85g soft brown sugar
• 50 granulated sugar
• 1 small egg
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 100g plain flour
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 125g porridge oats
• 100g raisins

Instructions

1. Preheat your oven to 180ºc

2. Cream the butter and sugars together.

3. In a separate bowl, combine the egg and vanilla extract, before adding these to the creamed ingredients and mixing lightly.

4. In yet another bowl combine the flour, baking powder, salt and cinnamon. Then, you guessed it – mix this slowly into the creamy eggy mixture.

   I tend to do this a third at a time to make sure everything combines together.

5. Finally, mix your oatmeal and raisins and add them to the mix.

6. Make sure everything comes together, cover and place in the fridge.

   Ideally, leave your mixture in the fridge overnight, but if you can’t wait then make sure you leave it in there for at least half an hour. The reason we do this is to let everything firm up again, which in turn means that the cookies won’t spread to cover your entire baking tray when you cook them.

7. Once your cookie dough is fully chilled, use a tablespoon to remove small chunks, which you should form into balls. Place them on a baking tray – I tend to fit nine cookies on a tray.

   Try to handle your balls as little as possible – you want them chilled, remember?

8. Bake for 11 minutes. Allow to cool sightly before removing from baking tray and then leave to cool on a cooling rack.

   Alternatively, put a couple of cookies in a shallow bowl with some good quality vanilla ice-cream and nom.

Another post, another chance to point to Lay the Table and show off a different recipe than the one Becs used. This time it’s for big fat nommery Chocolate Orange Cupcakes.

The cake mix is a fairly standard mix, with a bit of good quality cocoa powder thrown in. On top of that you have a nice fruity orange sugar syrup, all topped off with some zesty orange frosting.

Takes a couple of hours all told, ideally with a day in the middle. 20 minutes cooking time for the cakes.

These ingredients make 12 normal sized cupcakes or 24 little ones.

Ingredients

Zesty Orange Frosting

• 150g icing sugar
• 100g cream cheese (full fat!)
• 50g unsalted butter
• The grated zest of two oranges.

Orange Sugar Syrup

• The juice of one orange (about 5 tbsp)
• 75g caster sugar
• 1 tbsp Cointreau

Chocolate Cupcake base

• 100g unsalted butter
• 100g caster sugar
• 2 medium eggs
• 85g self raising flour
• 15g cocoa powder

Instructions

Zesty Orange Frosting

1. Cream the butter and sugar.

2. Add the cream cheese, and mix this in too.

3. Grate the zest of two oranges and, you guessed it, add this into the mix as well!

   Don’t chuck the oranges though – you’ll need one of them for the syrup.

Orange Sugar Syrup

1. Juice one of the oranges you had left over from the frosting.

2. Bring the orange juice and sugar to the boil, stirring to dissolve the sugar.

3. Let the syrup cool, and then stir in the Cointreau (or other orange liqueur if you prefer).

   Yes, this means there will be a tiny bit of alcohol in your cakes. If you’d prefer there not to be, just add another tablespoon of orange juice instead at this point.

4. Leave to infuse overnight if at all possible to let all the lovely flavours intermingle. If you can’t wait, then start making the cupcakes now instead.

Chocolate Cupcake

1. Preheat the oven to 160ºC.

2. Cream the butter and sugar.

3. Lightly beat the eggs, and slowly add them to the mix – combine on a medium speed.

4. Once the sugar, butter and eggs are combined, mix in the flour and cocoa powder at a low speed.

   That’s your cake mix – nice and simple.

5. Put your mix into your cupcake cases, and from there into the oven for 18-20 minutes.

   I use a children’s plastic icing plunger to place my cake mix into cases. I find this is much easier than using spoons, and quicker than using a proper icing bag (which is use for the proper icing).

6. Once the cakes have cooked, leave them to cool for ten minutes if you’re making normal cupcakes, or five minutes if you’re making mini ones.

7. Prick the top of the cupcakes a few times with something pointy like a cocktail stick, and using a pastry brush coat the tops with the sugar syrup.

   Be careful not to splash syrup everywhere, but also remember that the syrup is fantastic and will keep the cakes lovely and moist and add flavour so don’t be stingy. Don’t be worried if you have a load of syrup left though – that’s normal.

8. Once completely cooled, you can ice the cakes using your preferred method.

9. Finally, eat the damn cakes!