The World of Sweets part 3 - Cookies

Let's talk about cookies! Continuing our journey into the world of sweets, today I would like to start with one of my favourites - cookies. Actually we call them biscuits in Australia, but if you call them cookies people will understand what you mean.


In my opinion, a good cookie should be a little soft - too crunchy is no good. There are many cookies out there that are crunchy, some of them are very good, but most are just too crunchy. You are probably guessing that my favourite kind is chocolate chip, but it is not. Chocolate chip cookies are good, but my personal favourite is oatmeal and raisin. Oatmeal is also called Granola in America and in Australia and the UK it is called Muesli. We often eat it for breakfast, because by itself it is very healthy. Added to cookies - not so healthy, but still very nice.


I sometimes make oatmeal and raisin cookies at home. Fresh out of the oven, the cookies are warm and soft - it is the best way to eat them. Sometimes also I add pieces of apple to the cookies; apple goes well with the raisins.
I am going to give you a recipe for making these cookies. Please try it if you have time and enjoy some hot, fresh cookies!


You will need
• 3/4 cup butter
• 3/4 cup white sugar
• 3/4 cup light brown sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract (a kind of liquid that comes in a little brown bottle - Banila Ekisu)
• 1 1/4 cups flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda (in Japanese this is called Juusou)
• 3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 3/4 cups rolled oats (Breakfast cereal is o.k.)
• 1 cup raisins
(these do not have to be exactly the same amounts - I change the amounts all the time when I make these cookies. Just do what you want)
Extra (if you want)
• 1 apple
Peel the apple (take off the skin) and cut it into small pieces. Each piece should be about the sixe off the end of your finger. Fry the apple pieces in a pan until they are soft. Sprinkle some cinnamon on them while they fry. Put the apple pieces in a bowl and let them cool.


Next
In large bowl, mash together (squash) butter, white sugar, and brown sugar until smooth. (If you want to be healthy, you can reduce the amount of sugar)


In a separate bowl, beat in the eggs and vanilla extract until it is fluffy. Then stir it into the butter mixture.


In another bowl mix the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt all together. (I like to use a lot of cinnamon. Some people like a little nutmeg, but I do not - it is up to you, but just make sure you do not use too much)


Slowly add the flour mixture into the butter mixture - do not put it in all at once, just add a little each time and stir it in well before you are some more.


After that, stir in the oats and raisins. I like to add quite a lot of raisins, do not be shy about putting extra raisins in.


If you want to add the apple, now is the time to stir in the pieces of apple.


Take a small spoon, the kind you use for stirring your tea or coffee and get some spoonfuls of the mixture. Put each spoonful on an oven tray. It will be easier to clean the tray if you use oven paper on top of the tray and put the mixture onto the paper.


Cook the spoonfuls of mixture in the oven for 8-10 minutes at 190 degrees. You have to make adjustments for your own oven because every oven is different. Do not let the cookies get too brown or they will not be soft.


Take them our, let them cool for about five minutes. Use a knife underneath the cookies to get them of the tray and put them on a plate. I like to eat them while they are still warm. The best drink to have them with is a large glass of very cold milk.


Eat the cookies. Drink the milk. Have a nap!

We appreciate your vote!


▼▽▼▼【講師】Eddie先生のバックナンバー━━━━━━━━
・【The World of Cake part 2】2009.05.15 (Fri)