ChezJ9

I always bake a lot more at Christmas time, mainly because I make pretty much the majority of all my Christmas Presents.  I love giving edible gifts, always have done and I  always will.  It’s very personal and I think it shows a characteristic approach to whom gives you the Edible gift. 

  This recipe I came across developing today was something that I had been fancying all week and it’s strange as Im not one for liking specifically Chocolate with Orange, I feel its too powerful for me but certainly around Christmas time, my house is filled with the smell of oranges and clementines so its seems such a crime to not involve a hint in My food.
  If I am totally honest I get slightly bored with Chocolate chip cookies/biscuits so when I eat them I want something thats really going to excite me, and Boy did this today.  The recipe worked straight  off, which is always a blessing and I have to say, I think this one is going to have to go towards my Christmas edible gift list, which is getting longer and longer by the day!
  
 I love spices and in many different forms of cooking and I have experimented a few times in My baking also, but something that I do every year that I want to share with you is this:
  I make a Spiced Sugar so it’s infusing all the time and it can be used in all sorts which you will see later.

Spiced Sugar:

All you do is take a jar full of Caster sugar and I infused mine with:

*  Vanilla pod
*  Ground Nutmeg
*  Cloves-  Spice Kitchen
*  Cinnamon Bark- Spice Kitchen
*  Cardamon pods – Spice Kitchen
*  Orange Peel

You don’t need a lot as these Spices are very strong.
Once you have this another tip would be to sprinkle over Popcorn. It’s great to eat whilst watching those Christmas films.

Spiced Orange, Oat and Chocolate Chip Cookies:

Ingredients: 

(Makes approximately 36-40 small sized cookies)

–  150g Vegetable Fat spread ( I used Stork )
–  220g Plain Flour
–  75g Spiced Sugar (As above) Remember to sieve this!
–  75g Light Muscovado Sugar 
–  1 Egg
–  Zest of 1 Orange plus a little spritz of the Juice to add extra zing
–  1/2 tsp Bicarbonate of soda
–  50g Ground almonds
–  100g Milk chocolate chips
–  50g Jumbo Rolled Oats

Method:

*  Preheat Oven to 160-170c

*  Cream together with a Wooden spoon or mixer the Spread, Sugar, egg, Zest and juice.

*  Add the Bicarb and flour and mix together well.

*  Then add the rest of the ingredients and mix well. I found better at this stage with a wooden spoon as the cookie dough will be quite tough.

*  Roll a Small ball of the mixture 2-3 cm wide and place onto a baking tray with greaseproof paper and make sure to leave a few cm’s space in-between like so above.

*  Place in the oven for approximately 13 minutes or until starting to brown at the edges.

*  Allow to cool on a rack before serving.


And there you go, A great tasting, frugal recipe for Christmas Presents or just eating.