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I confess right here and now that Oatmeal Raisin Cookies are my absolute favorite home baked cookie. Well, maybe not on its own. Chocolate Chip cookies and Molasses cookies are right up there with them.
What can I say? I love home baked cookies and it is the simple ones that I love most of all. Good, old fashioned cookies, simple and without pretense. The types of cookies our grandmothers would have baked.
My grandmother made the best molasses cookies. So did my mother. I have wonderful memories of both of their cookies (they were the same recipe).
I have never shared the recipe on here actually. You can find that original recipe on my Recipes From the Big Blue Binder blog. They are very good.
The original recipe was written down on the back of an envelope in my grandmother's handwriting. No instructions as to how to put them together, just a rough list of measurements. It was very much taken for granted in the old days that a woman would know how to put together a batch of cookies.
That recipe makes a bazillion cookies. I need to figure out how to small batch it. I did promise my father that I would make him some molasses cookies, but neither one of us needs a bazillion cookies!
The recipe I am sharing here today is for Classic Oatmeal Raisin Cookies. I small batched them so that it only makes 18 cookies. If you love your oatmeal cookies soft and chewy, this is the recipe for you.
Soft in the middles, with just enough chew . . . crisp and buttery edged. And stogged full of vanilla and sticky sweet raisins.
I am a gal who likes lots of raisins in her oatmeal cookies. If you don't like raisins, you better look away now because this cookie has plenty of raisins going on!
Full disclosure here, I probably add more than the amount listed in the recipe. I was trying to be a bit more reserved than I usually am when I was writing it out. Basically I just throw them in by the handful until I am happy with the amount.
But I know most people are sticklers for exact amounts of these things. And I am when it comes to important things that are going to affect the integrity of the cookie.
When it comes to additions like raisins, nuts and chocolate chips . . . I admit I add what I like.
You could certainly use another dried fruit if you are not fond of raisins. Dried cranberries are nice as are dried cherries, chopped dried apricots, dried dates, etc.
Pick your own pleasure, or just leave them plain. Or better yet use half raisins and half walnuts.
Two kinds of sugar are used in this cookie. White granulated and soft light brown muscovado sugar.
Muscovado sugar is a brown sugar which has a higher molasses content. You can use ordinary light brown sugar if you wish, or regular dark brown sugar. All three work well.
I just happen to love LOVE the extra hint of smoky molasses flavor in muscovado sugar. When I was in the UK that is all I used. It was much more readily available there.
Here in Nova Scotia, well, especially in the Valley, we don't have as much available in the way of different ingredients. We are simple folk with simple tastes and needs. I always was and then I moved to the UK and stretched my palate a bit more.
Lets talk about oatmeal for a minute. Don't ever be tempted to use quick oats in these cookies. Quick oats does not have the right consistency.
I use only good old fashioned large flake oats. You can get away with regular oatmeal, just not quick oats.
I love the toothy wholesomeness of the large flaked oats. Did you know that you can toast your oats before using them?
I do, and you end up with delicious oats with an incredible nutty texture and flavor. 10 minutes in a 350*F/180*C oven does the trick beautifully. Just spread them out on a baking sheet and toast away. Give 'em a bit of a stir every couple minutes.
To me the toasted oats are a part of the appeal of a good granola! I love my nuts and oats toasted. What can I say!
Guilty as charged!
I add no spice to these, preferring the simple unadulterated taste of toasty oats, butter, raisins and vanilla. You can if you want to though.
Its a matter of choice. Cinnamon, nutmeg or both go very well. Be judicious because you don't want anything to overwhelm the cookie and you are only making a few. For this amount I would try adding 1/2 tsp of cinnamon and maybe 1/4 of nutmeg.
Make sure your butter is at room temperature, not melted. Believe it or not, it does make a difference between a buttery cookie or an oily greasy cookie.
I prefer buttery myself. One sure fire way to bring your butter to room temperature quickly is to cut your fridge cold butter into 1/2 inch slices and place them on a plate.
Place 2 cups of cold water in a beaker and pop it into the microwave and cook on high for four minutes. Remove the water. Pop in your plate of butter and just let it sit in there for five minutes, in the residual heat of the microwave. Easy peasy.
Having your butter too soft also causes them to spread out more, which is okay if you like them that way I suppose.
If you want soft and chewy, crisp edged, then room temperature butter is the only way to go.
Needless to say these go down really well with a nice cold glass of milk. They would actually be really nice crumbled into a bowl and topped with some vanilla ice cream.
Yes, I have a mind that stretches to all sorts of possibilities when it comes to food.
Oh, and (just saying) these make great ice cream sandwiches. Just sandwich pairs of them together with slightly softened vanilla, cinnamon or maple walnut ice cream. Wrap them up really well in plastic wrap and store in the freezer.
Delicious!
Oatmeal Raisin Cookies (small batch)
Yield: Makes 18 cookies
Prep time: 10 MinCook time: 13 MinTotal time: 23 Min
Moist, chewy and absolutely stogged full of delicious raisins, these are the best oatmeal cookies ever!
Ingredients
- 1 cup (140g) plain all-purpose flour
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 cup (120g) butter, softened
- 1/2 cup (95g) granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup (100g) light muscovado sugar, firmly packed
- 1 large free range egg
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 1 1/2 (125g) cups old fashioned rolled oats, not instant
- 1 cup (150g) raisins
Instructions
- Pre-heat the oven to 180*C/350*F. Lightly grease a large baking sheet and set aside.
- Whisk the flour, soda, baking powder and salt together in a bowl and set aside.
- Cream together the butter and sugars until light and fluffy and well mixed together. Beat in the eggs and vanilla. Gently stir in the flour mixture, mixing it together only until no flour is visible in the mix. (Over mixing develops the gluten in the flour and makes cookies tough.) Gently stir in the oats and the raisins.
- Drop the cookie dough onto the baking sheets in heaping tablespoonfuls at least 2 inches apart from each other, leaving room to spread.
- Bake for 11 to 13 minutes until golden brown. Remove from the oven and let sit on the baking sheets for several minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Store tightly covered.
I don't always eat high fat hedonistic food. Sometimes I actually do try to eat healthy. Well, most of the time I do, it just doesn't look like that on here!
Today for my dinner I made myself a lush creamy chicken and avocado salad, with the creamy bit meaning the avocado. I adore avocado.
Not only is this low in carbs and keto friendly, but it is also totally gluten free for those who cannot tolerate gluten. If you rein in the dressing, it is also low in fat and I think totally Diabetic friendly.
Tender, perfectly cooked pieces of chicken sit atop a salad composed of mixed salad leaves, creamy avocado, and rehydrated sun dried tomatoes. Crisp pepitas or sunflower pumpkin seeds as you may know them, make for a tasty and crispy garnish.
You begin by marinating a boneless skinless chicken breast in a simple mixture of garlic, lemon juice, olive oil and some seasoning.
I cut the chicken breast through the middle horizontally, which really helps to ensure a tender finish when cooking.
Because it is thinner it doesn't take quite as long to cook it and still get it nicely browned. It also stays nice and moist that way.
I used sun dried tomatoes that have not been preserved in oil or in water. I buy them in a little tub at the farm market behind my house. They are really tasty and very easy to rehydrate by putting them in a cup and adding some boiling water.
Just leave them to plump up for a few minutes and then drain. I pat them dry after.
You can snip them up with a pair of kitchen scissors, or leave them as they are. I just left them as they were.
I love avocado. I used to be able to buy them frozen in the UK. They were excellent. I think I will start buying them up when they are on offer and freezing them when I can.
Make sure your avocado is ripe. Ripe avocados will have a dark green to nearly black skin, and should yield slightly when lightly pressed.
You should not be able to leave an indentation that stays and they shouldn't feel mushy. A ripe avocado will also have a pebbly skin rather than a smooth one.
There is nothing so lush and rich as a ripe avocado, but unripe ones are not very appealing or tasty. Been there, done that!
I remember ordering a sandwich as what was supposedly a premier sandwich shop in Chester in the UK one time. It was a California club or some such.
It was supposed to have Avocado in it, which it did, very sparse though I have to say. It was not ripe avocado however and was really nasty so I did remove it. Hard and tasteless.
You would think that a shop which specializes in sandwiches would know enough about all of the ingredients they are offering in their sandwiches to get it right!!!
Obviously not. Either that or their staff was not properly trained.
I just used a mix of garden salad leaves here today. Oh how I miss the Baby Gem lettuces from the UK. They were so good.
They looked like little tiny romaine lettuces, but a bit rounder and had a lovely bitter flavor. I could eat them just like apples, they were so good.
I have not seen them here at all. Perhaps this winter I will look for some seeds and possibly plant some next summer. They are my all favorite lettuces.
I used to love making this Baby Gem with Blue Cheese Vinaigrette Salad. It is quite simply my favorite salad. It was from a recipe I found in Good Food magazine a long time ago. Delicious.
But then I am a salad lover full stop and have many favourites.
One thing I love about this one is the pumpkin seeds. I used roasted salted. Because I am naughty like that. You can use just plain roasted if you wish.
They added just a tiny bit of salty crunch. I think if a salad is going to be your main meal for the day, you deserve a bit of salty crunch.
And these have to be much better for you than croutons! So there!
The dressing for this salad is a zesty lime vinaigrette. Its just fresh lime juice, olive oil and seasoning.
Simple. Don't be tempted to use those little squeeze bottles of lime juice. You wouldn't get that same fresh zip that you get from using the real deal. I think you could add a bit of the lime zest as well, which would be nice.
I love the simplicity of the way the chicken is cooked and handled and I loved the nutty crunch of the pumpkin seeds. The richness of the avocado, the sweetness of the tomatoes. I could not improve upon it if I tried.
In short, I quite simply love this salad and I hope that you will too!
This content (written and photography) is the sole property of The English Kitchen. Any reposting or misuse is not permitted. If you are reading this elsewhere, please know that it is stolen content and you may report it to me at: mariealicejoan at aol dot com
Chicken, Avocado & Tomato Salad
Yield: 1
Prep time: 15 MinTotal time: 15 Min
This easy and delicious salad boasts a tangy lime vinaigrette dressing, along with creamy slices of avocado, sweet sun dried tomatoes, crisp pumpkin seeds and perfectly cooked chicken.
Ingredients
For the chicken:
- the juice of 1/2 lemon
- 1 fat clove of garlic, peeled and minced
- 1 TBS light olive oil
- fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1 boneless, skinless chicken breast, sliced in half horizontally
For the dressing:
- the juice of one lime
- 3 TBS extra virgin olive oil
- salt and black pepper to taste
For the salad:
- a large handful of mixed salad leaves
- 1 ripe avocado, peeled and sliced
- 8 sun dried tomato halves
- 1 heaped TBS pumpkin seeds
Instructions
- Measure the lemon, olive oil, salt and pepper into a dish along with the garlic. Add the chicken pieces and turn them to coat in the marinade. Set them aside to marinate for about 30 minutes, giving them a swish every now and then.
- Heat a skillet over medium high heat. Add the chicken breasts and cook for about 3 minutes per side, until golden brown. Remove from the heat, cut into slices and then return to the pan and cook for a further 3 to 4 minutes until no longer pink and nicely glazed. Remove from the heat and allow to cool.
- While they are cooling place the sundried tomatoes into a jar and cover with boiling water. Leave to sit for 5 minutes and then drain completely and pat dry.
- Whisk together the ingredients for your dressing.
- Put the salad leaves, avocado and sundried tomatoes into a bowl. Toss with about half of the dressing. Then place onto a chilled dinner plate.
- Top with the sliced cooked chicken and sprinkle with pumpkin seeds.
- Drizzle with some of the remaining dressing and serve. Save the rest to use as desired.
Tuna Nicoise Salad. I confess I am a huge fan of salads in the summer months. I especially love main dish salads like this one, which is not only a feast for the eyes, but for the tummy as well.
Nicoise Salad or Salad Niçoise as it is also called is a French Salad. It is what is known as a composed salad, somewhat similar to a Cobb salad, with the main difference here being that there is no chicken involved and no bacon either!
This delicious salad comes from Nice, France, which is on the Mediterranean side of France. The side where the Riviera is. So think seafood and sunshine.
One thing which I like about it is that its a salad in which you can totally prepare all of the elements for it ahead of time. This makes it a perfect salad for entertaining as you need only whisk up a dressing and throw things together at the last minute!
The main ingredients for the salad are tuna (of course), boiled potatoes, hard boiled eggs, tomatoes, green beans and black olives.
In France they always use tinned tuna. I use tinned tuna, but you can certainly cook fresh tuna steaks in the place of the tinned tuna if you wish. Just make sure you don't overcook them or you run the risk of them tasting like chicken.
And trust me, if you have run to the expense of buying fresh tuna steaks to use in this delicious salad, you don't want it to taste like chicken. One minute per side is all you really need as far as cook time goes.
I always just use tinned tuna myself. I do use a solid albacore tuna however. I never buy any other kind. Its just my preference when it comes to tuna.
An Italian lady stopped me in the grocery store one day while I was buying tuna and told me that I should only ever buy albacore tuna. She said the rest was garbage.
Who am I to argue with experience! I was quite young at the time and she seemed to be quite old. In all truth she was probably younger then than I am now, but hey ho! She knew what she was talking about.
I have never bought anything but Albacore tuna since that day. I know it can seem to be a bit expensive, but at the end of the day, you always get what you pay for.
I like it in water or in oil. The one in oil is infinitely better, but because I am watching my cholesterol these days, I always settle for it in water.
This is a wonderful time of year to enjoy this salad. We are being spoiled right now with an abundance of fresh summer vegetables. Green beans, tomatoes, new potatoes, salad leaves.
Everything is so fresh and local and delicious! It doesn't get much better than this!
I love the wonderful earthy flavors of fresh new potatoes. You don't need to do anything special to them, just wash them really well and pop them into a saucepan of boiling lightly salted water.
10 to 15 minutes later, depending on the size of your potatoes, they are done to perfectly. I like them with the skins on myself. More fiber and that skin is so delicious.
Green beans are in season at the moment and our local ones are beautiful. So are the golden yellow wax beans. I have been feasting on them while I can!!
You want to pick beans for this salad that are not overly large in size. The smaller ones have the best flavor.
I have chosen today to use a mix of salad greens consisting of spinach and baby rocket/agugula. I love the iron earthiness of spinach and I just adore the peppery and meaty punch of rocket leaves!
I eat a lot of rocket, truth be told. I love it in sandwiches, on burgers and all sorts. Trust me when I say a roast beef sandwich with horseradish mayo and rocket leaves is a sandwich made in heaven!
I only ever buy free range eggs. If you are lucky enough to have a farm close by where you can buy free range eggs, so much the better.
Many people are greatly intimidated at the thought of hard boiling eggs. Its really not that hard and is a matter of timing. To hard boil eggs with a firm white and yolk start with room temperature eggs.
Pierce the large end of the egg with an egg piercer or a needle; this helps to prevent the egg from cracking in the heat of the water.
Place then into a saucepan and cover them completely in water. Bring to the boil and then reduce to a simmer and cook for 15 minutes, maximum.
At the end of that time, remove them from the heat and place them in cold water immediately. This will prevent them from over-cooking and developing that unsightly dark ring around the yolks.
They will still taste okay, should the dark ring develop, but they are not as attractive to look at and in this salad, that's quite important.
Black olives are also an important part of this salad. You should use Nicoise olives if you can find them. I can't find those here so I have used Kalamata olives, which are a wonderful substitution.
The final salad ingredient is ripe garden tomatoes. They are starting to come into their own now. Just an ordinary tomato will do . . . fresh from the vine with the warmth of the summer sun still on its skin.
That's what you want, and what is ideal. Failing that, just get the best your money can buy and leave them at room temperature to ripen for a few days. You won't be sorry!
There are a few other things you can add if you want to. Capers is one. I adore capers. Vinegary, salty, they go so very well here.
Some thinly sliced red onion also works well. I have gone for simplicity here however, so I did not include either of those two things.
The final element of course is the dressing and I say keep it simple. I have chosen to use a simple vinaigrette dressing without any bells and whistles. With all of that fresh produce, why run the risk of overwhelming them with a dressing which is overly flavored.
Simple. Simple. Simple. Oil, vinegar and seasoning. That's all you need. Let the beauty of your fresh ingredients speak for themselves. Let them sing. A good dressing will only enhance their flavors, not overwhelm them. This simple dressing does just that.
Enjoy!
Tuna Nicoise Salad
Yield: 2
A beautiful main dish salad for those days when you just can't be asked to cook. It makes a great use of the abundant produce available to us this time of year as well.
Ingredients
For the dressing:
- 2 TBS white wine vinegar
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
- 1/2 cup (120ml) olive oil
- 1/4 tsp ground paprika
For the salad:
- 2 large free range eggs, hardboiled. peeled and quartered
- 4 new potatoes, scrubbed, cooked and quartered
- 12 French beans, washed, trimmed and cooked until crispy tender
- 2 heaped cups (120g) mixed salad leaves
- 2 tomatoes, washed and quartered
- 12 kalamata olives
- 1 (6 1/2 -ounce/170g) solid albacore tuna, drained
Instructions
- Mix the vinegar and the salt together for the dressing in a small bowl. Leave to stand for a few minutes. Add the pepper and then slowly whisk in the olive oil until the mixture emulsifies. Whisk in the paprika. Taste and adjust seasoning as required. Set aside.
- Put the eggs and potatoes into a mixing bowl. Toss with a little bit of the dressing.
- Divide the salad leaves between two chilled plates. Top with the eggs and potatoes. Add the tomatoes and green beans. Place all of this around the edges. Divide the tuna in half and place half in the center of each plate. Scatter the olives over top.
- Drizzle the remaining dressing over everything and serve immediately.
Notes:
You can use two fresh tuna steaks in the place of the tinned tuna. Put a small amount of oil in a skillet and heat over high heat. Season the tuna steaks and sear them in the hot oil, cooking them for no longer than 1 minute per side. Place one onto each plate of salad and serve.
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