Recipe- Apricot, Date & Tonka bean Biscotti

Posted on August 13, 2015 by Crumbs In My Beard

Yet another British Bake Off inspired recipe here as part of my #TheGreatBeardedBakeOff . It was Biscuit week and I decided to tackle the signature bake task of “Biscotti”. In fact as I sit here typing this I’m dunking one into my customary strong morning coffee. A classic biscotti has a combination of fruit and nuts so I opted for apricots, dates and macadamia. Whilslt not a big fan of dried fruit I love aprocts in baked goods, and the dates were lying spare from a previous kitchen experiment. I included macadamia nuts as I think their smooth creaminess is massively under-rated. As for the Tonka bean? Well I had to put my. Mr. Mom’s stamp on them some how!?! What better way than with this little known exotic bean. I absolutely love it’s vanilla-like, heady fragrance and love to use it where I can. In fact so much do I adore the smell it’s even an ingredient in a couple of my colognes!

Apricot, Date & Tonka bean Biscotti

Makes 20-24

2 eggs

180g of caster sugar

300g of plain flour

1 tsp baking powder

100g of macadamia nuts, roughly chopped

85g dried apricots, chopped

85g dries dates, chopped

2 tonka beans, grated using a micro-plane

plain flour for dusting

Method

Heat your oven to 150°C/Gas mark 2.
Line a baking tray with baking parchment.
Beat the eggs with the sugar until pale and doubled in size.
Add in the nuts, fruits, flour, baking powder and tonka bean until the mixture forms a dough.
Tip out onto a lightly floured work surface and roll out into a log shape. Divide the log into two, halfway along it’s length. With your hands lightly flatten logs 40mm wide x 20mm high.
Place the logs on the lined baking sheet, bake for 12-15 minutes or until pale golden and firm.
Remove the baking sheet from the oven and leave to cool for 10minutes. After this time cut the logs into slices (10-15mm thick) and lay them flat on a baking sheet and bake again for 10-15 minutes or until crisp.
Remove from the oven and allow to cool on a wire rack.
Serve and enjoy with strong coffee or a glass of dessert wine.

Heady and fragrant- Tonka beans

Recipe- Cherry, Vanilla & Black Pepper Black Forest Gateau

Posted on August 12, 2015 by Crumbs In My Beard

So once again the nation is gripped by Bake Off fever as another 12 amateur bakers take their place in the signature white tent. In unison the nation raises it’s rolling pins, lines it’s pans and no doubt sales of KitchenAid mixers goes through the roof. The first week saw the bakers tackle “Cake” – A maderia cake; Mary’s Walnut Cake and a Black Forest Gateau. Of these three, it’s the Black Forest Gateau that has a special place in my heart. Along with apple pie it’s the other shining beacon of childhood memory that still hasn’t waned. My mother took great pleasure in baking these for special occasions when guests visited. The menu was ritualistically devoid of any variance and reliably (repeatedly?) consisted of :

Starter

Melon Boats: a wedge of honeydew melon, diced sideways and garnished with a slice of orange and glace cherry. Unbeknownst to the guests I could tell their social standing in my mother’s eye from this starter alone. The presence of the cherry meant you were in my mother’s “good books” and the meal would be a welcome flex of her culinary muscle. The lack of a cherry wasn’t necessarily a bad thing. It just meant your visit would be embraced with civil tolerance and laced with healthy side order of platitudes. “‘Tis a far way from shiny cherries they were raised.”

Main course

Mixed Grill: this is basically a fancy fry-up. For dinner you say? Who was I to argue with my mother? The plate’s contents stretched well beyond the realms of your average breakfast fry-up to include pork chops; steak; chips and, if my mother was feeling particularly whimsical, calves liver. Like I said- I didn’t argue.

Dessert

Black Forest Gateau: this was the piece de resistance; the bee’s knees; the dog’s…you get the picture. Well it was, in my eyes. The cherries had to come from a tin (with obligatory bashed edge); the sponge had to made with Cadbury’s cocoa and soaked in syrup from said tinned cherries; and the cream had to whipped to the point of being cloud-like, but not too much, and finished with a liberal sprinkling of Cadbury’s Flake. It really was the stuff of childhood memories!

I digress. It’s because of this Black Forest Gateau and it’s inclusion in the first episode of The Great British Bake Off that I drew inspiration for my first recipe in what I’m calling my #TheGreatBeaardedBakeOff (see what I did there?…)

Cherry, Vanilla & Black Pepper Black Forest Gateau

200g plain flour

40g cocoa powder

1 tablespoon fresh ground black pepper

280g caster sugar

1 tbsp baking powder

½ tsp salt

80g unsalted butter, softened

2 large eggs

240ml semi-skimmed milk

2 tablespoons good quality chocolate extract, I use Nielsen Massey

300ml double cream

2 tablespoons qood quality vanilla extract, I use Nielsen Massey

1 tin (425g) black cherries, retain the syrup

1 vanilla pod, seeds scrapped

200g fresh black cherries, pitted

50g caster sugar

3 tablespoon water

1 teaspoon lemon juice

To decorate

cocoa to dust

8 fresh cherries, with stalks attached

1 egg white, lightly whipped

caster sugar

Frosted cherries

Brush 4 of the fresh cherries with the whipped egg white.
Roll in caster sugar and leave to dry on baking parchment until needed.

For the cherry compote filling

Combine all the pitted fresh cherries; sugar; water and lemon juice in a saucepan and heat over a medium heat.
Continue to heat, stirring occasionally, for 15 minutes until the fruit has broken down to a pulp.
Remove from heat and allow to cool. (The compote filled pan can be placed in cold water bath to speed up cooling time).
Set aside and continue.

For the cherry syrup

Pour the syrup from the tinned cherries into a pan.
Add in the vanilla pod seeds and vanilla pod.
Heat gently for 10 minutes and then allow to cool.
Remove the pod, set aside to cool.

To make the chocolate sponge

Preheat the oven to 180C/160c (fan)/350F/Gas 4.
Line 2 x 8inch cake tins with cake release spray and baking parchment.
In a stand food mixer bowl, combine the flour, cocoa, sugar, baking powder, salt, butter and black pepper. Use the paddle
attachment and mix until the mixture resembles dry sand in texture.
In a separate jug/bowl combine the eggs, milk and chocolate extract and lightly whisk to combine.
With the mixer on a low speed, pour the liquid ingredients in a steady stream until about 100ml remains in the jug.
Increase the mixer speed to medium and continue until all the ingredients are well combined.
Scrape down the bowl sides and add remaining egg mixture, then continue to mix on a medium speed until the mixture is smooth.
Pour finished batter into the 2 prepared tins.
Bake on the middle shelf for about 20 mins, or until a skewer comes out clean when pushed into the centre of the cakes.
Allow to cool in the tins for 10 mins, then remove and transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
In a clean bowl of a stand mixer, combine the double cream and vanilla extract.
Whisk until light and fluffy.

To assemble the gateau

Slice each sponge layer in half, either using a knife or cake slice wire.
Place the bottom layer on a stand or plate, brush liberally with the cooled cherry syrup, and spread with the cooled cherry compote.
Place a second sponge layer on top, brush liberally with the cooled cherry syrup, and spread with half the whipped cream and topped with the tinned cherries.
Place a third sponge layer on top, brush liberally with the cooled cherry syrup, and spread with the cooled cherry compote.
Place the final sponge layer on top of this and pipe/ spread with the remaining whipped cream.
Dust with cocoa.
Arrange the 4 frosted cherries and 4 fresh cherries on top.
Slice, serve and enjoy!

Maple syrup and more

Posted on August 4, 2015 by Crumbs In My Beard

So finally I’ve managed to snag some time to post here about my recent trip to Toronto. It’s only taken the best part of a month! Seriously- where did that go?!?!? Anyway before time moves on even quicker I CANNOT wait to tell you about the city of Toronto and what it has to offer. Most of what I say will indeed be food orientated but hey- why else would you be here?

We decided to take adavantage of a child-free week (thanks to family!) and jet off to the land of bacon and maple syrup, Apologies for the massive stereotyping there but they do make hella’ good bacon and no one, but no one, does maple syrup like the Canadians.

Our first day there and I had a couple of hours to myself as my husbear was getting some business meetings out of the way. First on my checklist (and you’d better believe I had a checklist!) was St. Lawrence Food Market. If you’re a foodie and you’re in Toronto, you MUST go here. It’s the Mecca for mezze; the Valhalla for veal; the…you get what I’m saying? I arrived there not long after opening so there weren’t many people and it was fantastic to be able to meander the hall at a leisurely pace taking in a myriad of sounds and smells- meat being cut on the bone; cheeses; freshly baked breads; smoky tendrilled BBQs being fired up; ice being tumbled onto gleaming fish; freshly roasted coffee beans – this was seriously foodie heaven. Suffice to say I spent most of the free time I had here. In fact I had to take in a few laps of the hall as my first couple were spent in complete, child-like wonder at every new stall and culinary treasure trove I found.

One delight I didn’t manage to partake of was a peameal bacon roll from Carousel Bakery. Consosting of lean back bacon rolled in cornmeal, or “peameal” and served in a soft roll, this apparently is a national insitute with near legendary reviews on the internet. It’s available served in a number of ways from additions of fried eggs and cheese to just good ol’ fashioned mustard. It’s the breakfast sandwich of choice for many discerning Torontonians.

And so on to my next Toronto “Bucket list” destination- “The Gabardine”. I cannot rave about this place enough! Sitauted in the finacial/ business district it’s a haven for suits and secretaries alike so I’d recommed going there slightly after what you would expect to be business lunch time. On our first visit we arrived at 1.30pm and not long after being seated the majority of diners left to go back to work. It seems the Torontonian lunch hour is a little ahead of the Britisih one. There were two things on our “must-try” list- the Mac and Cheese, and the Chicken Pot Pie. I’m not normally a pie type of guy (believe it or not!?!) but after seein this featured on TV I knew I needed this in my life! Rich, creamy and utterly, utterly comforting this was a chicken pie of dreams. Not at all scrimping on the filling of mosit chunks of meat and sublimely favoured herb sauce this needs to be perserved for the sake of humainty. If chicken soup heals, then this pie can raise the dead. The best way to eat it is to break off the surrounding pastry crust and dip in, scooping up rich sauce, whilst harpooning meaty galline nuggets. That way you get the flaky, buttery pastry with the creamy herb sauce and succulent chicken…now just STOP IT!

The Gabardine: Chicken Pot Pie

My other half opted for the other dish synonimous with The Gabardine – their Mac and Cheese. Being of the more Umami persuassion than me, he opted for the pimped version with ham. Now, we were excpected diced bacon mixed into the cheese sauce, or maybe some lardons to add some extra flavoursome oomph. What arrived was…

The Gabardine: Mac and Cheese (topped with smoked bacon)

Yup – ham topped Mac and Cheese. Topped with ham chunks the size of sugar cubes and then some! Rich, cheesy (sad to say not cheesy enough) sauce with a crispy hearb crumb and then topped with “man chinks” of smoked ham this was no “sissy side dish” . Now while I say the sauce wasn’t cheesy enough I do reckon this was just a one-off as on another visit we say other diners having the dish and there was plenty of “cheese pull” to be had.

Purely in the name of research, I opted for the pudding special that day. Peanutbutter Cream Pie. I’ll let the picture speak for itself.

The Gabardine: Peanuttbutter Cream Pie

So you may gather I was particularly fond of this restaurant. You’d be right. So much so that we went back a second time for dinner. I opted to try the special of “Korean Fried Cauliflower”- and I was not diappointed. This indeed was a special dish. Cauliflower was fried and transformed into crispy, sweetly spicy morsels with jam-like stickiness served with green leaves and creme fraiche. If you’re there and this is on the menu (or specials board) I whole-heartedly recommend ordering it. Now I normally errupt in Verruca Salt-esque pouting if I can’t see meat on my plate but so good a dish was this that in fact I happily scoffed the lot and ne’er a word of complaint was uttered! This was follwed by the pork chop, hominy and greens. And boy what a pork chop it was. Brined, moist and succulent- I was a happy man indeed. So happy was I, that I completely forgot what my husabnd had ordered for his meal!

The Gabardine: Korean Fried Cauliflower (l); Pork Chop w/ hominy (top right); House Chocolate Brownie (bottom right)

And that was just one restaurant! The next on my “To Do List” was the fine establishment called “Rock Lobster”. Or rather one of the fine establishments of Rock Lobster. Part of a trio of seafood resturant set up by Chef Matt Dean Pettit, we went the the Queen West venue. Situated in the Boho/ Alternaitve area of Toronto (think Camden-esque thrift fashion shops and tatoo parlours) it’s still within easy walking distance. In fact so eager were we (well, was I) to get there that we arrived to be one of the first that day for lunch service. Chef Matt has taken seafood and made it appealing- even for me! I digress a little by saying that prior to this we had sampled our first Canadian signature dish that is “Poutine”. Made up of fresh cut fries, topped with “squeaky” cheese curds, and then finished with gravy, this sounds like the stuff of late-night, taxi rank nightmares. In fact it’s quite tasty! Getting back on track it was with much eagerness, and I believe I errupted with a gurgling of, “Nommm!”, that I saw one fo the dishes on the menu was Lobster Poutine – hand-cut fries; cheese curds; Nova Scotia Lobster; lobster bisque gravy and chives. Yes Sir, I’ll take one of those! This along with the Jerk Shrimp Roll were the highlight for me. While the house Lobster Roll was good with creamy, succulent lobster chunks (none of this spreadable, mayo paste nonsense), it was the juicy shrimp and the wonderful punchy jerk spice seasoning that won me over. My only greivance being that they didn’t have my size available in their Rock Lobster T-shirts (Chef Matt, if you read this please feel free to send one over!). Again if you’re in Toronto make sure you make time for a visit to Rock Lobster and feel the Lobster Love.

Rock Lobster: Lobster Roll (front); Lobster Poutine (l); Deep Fried Clams (r); Jerk Shrimp Roll (back)

Rock Lobster: Lobster Poutine

Next on our foodie stop was the CN tower and it’s signature resturant 360. Very much a tourist “must do” the CN tower is none-the-less awe inspiring for it’s views of Toronto and surrounding areas. It was from here that we realised just how big the subrban sprawl fo Toronto really is- whilst getting unnaturally freaked out by the glass floor in the observation area. The first few steps onto it are fine, but it’s when you start getting a couple of feet from the solid floor plate that your feet seem to grind to a halt of their own accord!

Whilst the food at the revolving 360 restuarant is good the main selling point of it are the views afforded from a loction at such a height. Prompt service, to the point of being a little too prompt, gave the venue an air of table-turning and client conveyor-belting. I guess it’s be expected in such a place with massive footfall. Admittedly this was a downside but overall the food was good and we enjoyed the visit here- particularly the aerial views of the neighbouring Hamptons Islands. I would recommend here for lunch, a good place to eat but not to linger too long.

Dining at CN Tower 360 restaurant

Speaking of awe ispiring views we decided to go uber-touristy and take a trip to Niagara Falls. Well if you’ve seen The Great Barrier Reef you may as well take in once of the other Wonders of The World, right? We opted for a bus journey that would take us into Niagara-on-the-Lake prior to dropping us at Niagara falls itslef, while stopping at a vineyard en route. All might sound very hectic but was paced really well and I’d throughly recommend it. The vineyeard stop allowed us to sample the Niagara speciality that is “Ice Wine”. Made from picking grapes harvested on the coldest night of the year, so cold in fact the grapes freeze, this is a crisp, sweet dessert wine that is definately worth sampling. Niagara-on-the- Lake is one of those quaint Colonial towns here everything is apple pie and shiplap boared houses. Ambling along it’s wide, sun-drenched streets with horse drawn carts it was all too easy to forget the frentic pulse of everyday life. But alas the Falls beckoned! Niagara Falls itself proved to be somewhat of an antithesis with Niagara-on-the-Lake. Gone were the quaint boutiques, open boulevards and porch festooned houses to be replaced with Hard Rock Cafe; traffic ensanred roads and josstling pavements. The Falls themelves are magnificant and the “Maid of the Mist” boat ride places you right in the middle of The Falls- so much so that the obligatory plastic poncho is required. Although you can be soaked to the skin from the spray it’s a worthwhile trip where you can appreciate just how small humankind can be in the face of Mother Nature.

Ice Wine grapes

Niagara-on-the-Lake

I can hardly write aboout Toronto and not mention Church and Wellesley. Otherwise known as The Gay Village, this has beome a distict in it’s own right. This is where being LGBT has become life, work and leisure- not only were the people are gay, but also the crossings and ATMs! 13 years ago I went to Manchester for Mardi Gras weekend and feel in love with it. My visit here showed me I didn’t have to compartmentalise who I was; to leave being a gay man until the weekend at certain venues, or mind my Ps & Qs with who I was talking to. It was part of something that made up who I was, not defined me. In Manchester I saw people going about their eveyday lives, enjoying and celebrating their lives and loves. I realised I wouldn’t have to go without those things, both large and small, that sometimes can be taken for granted – public displays of affection; a significant other and a family, to nut name a few. Walking through Church and Wellesley I sensed that same resoulte, steadfast sense of pride around me. Being LGBT wasn’t a taboo here- it was a cause for celeration and pride. Celebrating everyday life. One sight still sitcks in my mind and at the time made me swell with emotion- an elderly couple of gents walking along arm in arm. Not looking to see if they were being noticed they were too engrossed in their own conversation. Who knows about what? It could have been anything from what to have for dinner, to resolving that morning’s argument, to what color to order the new couch in? The thing was they were having that conversation, arm in arm and not heeding the surrouding world. It was everyday life to them.

Some of the sights of Church and Wellesley Village

And so that was our trip to Toronto and I loved it. It’s a place of great food, great culture, where the people are friendly and relaxed- free from the hectic pace of life so easily found in London. A place where rush-hour is just that – an hour! Would I go back? Absoluely! But maybe next time it’ll be winter- there’s a hankering to see the place snow covered and white, and feel the bitter chill while walking along Church Street. Now if you’ll excuse me I’m off the bath in maple syrup!

In the meantime,

“Remember Mom’s the word- that’s Mr. Mom’s!”

Coming up on Mr. Mom’s

Posted on June 13, 2015 by Crumbs In My Beard

It’s been quite some time since I’ve posted anything so MA-HOOSIVE apologies to you all. However fret not I have been far from idle! If you’ve been follwing my social media feeds on Twitter and Facebook you will have seen posts about two BIG pieces of news concerning Mr. Mom’s.

Photo courtesy of Kitchen Table Projects

Firstly you may remember back in July of last year my post about a group called Kitchen Table Projects. These rather fab bunch of people are championing emerging artisan foodies and providing a much needed source of advice and interaction. In fact they provided Mr. Mom’s with some of my first PR coverage (thanks guys!). If you missed it you can read all about it here. Way back then their founder Tara Sundramoorthi explained the long-term vision of setting up a hub cafe where artisan foodie producers/ makers could showcase their wares. She also expressed interest in stocking Mr. Mom’s bakes there (evidently Tara knows a good thing when she sees it or rather tastes it!). Fast forward nearly a year and it is with great pride (and a little trepidation) that I can say Tara has stayed true to her word and Mr. Mom’s cupcakes and brownies will be stocked in the Kitchen Table Projects Artisan Springboard Pop-up cafe at Old Street Tube Station. The cafe will run from June 22nd until September 13th. Not only will the cafe stock produce of Mr. Mom’s but also some other fantastic artisan food people – Black Sheep Coffee; The Tea People; Knead; and Hush Hush Chefs. For full details of all the suppliers check out the Kitchen Table Projects website here. I can’t tell how grateful I am to Tara and the Kitchen Table Projects team for seeing something in what I do at Mr. Mom’s and be willing to showcase it in their venture. All the way from my humble kitchen to the bustling populous of a London pop-up. Why not come along and try out one (or more!) of my wares?

Photocourtesy of Kitchen Table Projects

Photo courtesy of Simply Good Food TV

My other big piece of news is that you’ll soon be able to see me online, on Simply Good Food TV, baking up a storm. “Mr. Mom’s- The Bearded Baker” will be creating delicious treats from the classic to the quirky. Simply Good Food TV is the brainchild of chef Peter Sidwell. As if filming numerous TV series (ITV’s Britian’s Best Bakery) ; doing demos on the foodie show circuit; and running a restaurant and cookery school weren’t enough, Peter has now set about creating a new online TV station, Simply Good Food TV, showcasing food videos from established chefs and new original content from a range of upcoming chefs and bakers- including yours truly! I can’t begin to tell you how chuffed I am to be part of such a fantstic venture. For more information on this fantastic online TV food channel why not check out the Simply Good Food TV Twitter and Facebook pages. You can download the free app for Apple here , or for Android here. As well as being chuffed to bits about it I’m also slightly in awe in being featured along Peter and the other fabulous chefs and bakers- all of us who go to make up the rather gorgeous bunch fetured below!

Photo courtesy of Simply Good Food TV

On the home front I’ve also been busy doing what I’m know best for. A friend’s recent birthday saw a blitz of brownies; cupcakes and a celebratory birthday cake from Mr. Mom’s Kitchen. Cupcakes included Chocolate Cherry Cola: a baked twist on the classic childhood drink; Salted Caramel Popcorn: something to appeal to the grown-up in us and a rather indulgent Classic Chocolate. Brownie flavours included Classic chocolate; a Gluten Free Banana & Pecan and a nutty caramel affair packed full of toasted nuts and oozing salted caramel.

Along with these there was also a birthday cake comissioned. I decided to go with a naked cake featuring the recipient’s favourite bloom- the cornflower. Sized at 2 layers, to suit the attending guests, I went with vanilla genoise with vanilla buttercream and Sicilian lemon curd to the lower layer and vanilla buttercream and strawberry jam to the top layer. As well as using cornflower blooms I also festooned the layers with roses and eryngium (purple thistle) blooms, and scattered darker berries.

Speaking of birthday cakes, I also had the recent pleaseure of providing the birthday cake for Twitter friend ‘Little Pink Kitchen‘ . To be honest I was rather nervous about doing this as it was the first time I’d ever produced something for a fellow baker – would it stand up to the challenge? As it was a particularly special birthday something particularly special was called for- I didn’t want to do a run of the mill sponge cake. Only two pieces of criteria were given – something on the “light” side and maybe hazelnut flavoured. So I got my thinking cap on. Then it came to me- “Dacquoise”!!! Well…at least that was the starting point! What I ended up with was the closest I’ve got to patisserie in anything I’ve ever baked.

From concept to reality. Inital ideas of strata to the finsihed cake.

I created a layered cake of genoise sponge with a thin layer of chocolate ganache, filled with hazelnut flavoured creme mousseline, with a middle layer of hazelnut merignue (the dacquoise influence). The assembled cake was then finished with chocolate ganache and toasted hazelnut nibs. Very proud to say that my final bake went down well and seemed to be enojoyed by all.

Nothing better than having my bakes enjoyed! Photo courtesy of @TheLittlePK

So that’s it for now. I hope you’ve enjoyed catching up with all the goings on in Mr. Mom’s Kitchen. There’s lots of exciting developments on the horizon and I’ll update you all soon.

In the meantime,

“Remember Mom’s the word- that’s Mr. Mom’s!”

Recipe Alert…Peanut Butter Oattie cookies

Posted on May 2, 2015 by Crumbs In My Beard

My Peanut Butter Oattie cookies are packed full of oats giving them a soft, chewy texture with whole peanuts adding pleasing crunchiness. Make sure you use salted peanuts as they add wonderful pockets of tangy saltiness contrasting the sweet oats.

Sweet, salty, chewy and incredibly moresish- you need to try these beauties! They’re proving incredibly popular in my household at the moment- I’ve already lost count of the times I’ve been asked to make them. A fantastic treat to have in stock when the kids bundle home from school- a hard days “Rock; Paper; Scissors” having depleted their energy levels! Partnered with a glass of cold milk it’s indeed a marriage made in heaven. But it’s not just my children who can be found pilfering the cookie jar when these are about. My husband’s preference for the savory means he’s oftened to be found checking emails with cookie in hand!

I call them cookies as opposed to biscuits as a personal preference. For me biscuits represent something more uniform and structured- exact bites of crumbly sweetness. The cookie on the other hand is something more rustic. A ballsier rebel of the Baking World conforming less to the rules of appearence and plunging headfirst into the realm of flavours. Cookies don’t care how you think they look- they prefer to let their flavours make an impression. These cookies are not your small, danity bite size treats. They are large handfuls of tastiness- not meant to be nibbled on but greedily chomped at. Partnered with a glass of cold milk your satifaction is sure to be sealed with dripping, grinning milky moustache.

Peanut Butter Oattie Cookies

Makes between 24-30 (depending on size)

175g Unsalted butter

225g Crunchy peanut butter

4 tablespoons Maple syrup

150g Caster sugar

150g Light brown sugar

2 large Eggs

1 tablespoon Vanilla extract

225g Plain flour

2 teaspoons Bicarb of soda

1/2 teaspoon Salt

250g Jumbo porridge oats

100g Salted peanuts

Method

In the bowl of a stand mixer combine the butter, peanut butter, maple syrup, vanilla extract and both of the sugars. Set to beat on medium speed. Beat for about 10 mins.
Whilst the butter mixing is beating you can get on the the other parts of the recipe. Preheat your oven to 170 degrees C and line two baking sheets with baking parchment.
In a separate large bowl combine the flour, bicarb of soda, and salt.
Add the porridge oats and peanuts and mix throughly.
To the butter mixture add 1 egg and beat to evenly incorporate. Add the remaining egg and once again beat to evenly incorporate.
Remove the bowl from the mixer and slowly add half of the dry ingredients, mixing only until just incorporated. Add in the remainder of the dry ingredients and once again mix until just combined. The batter will be quite stiff and lumpy. Don’t worry- this is exactly what you want.
Using two dessert spoons or an icecream scoop, place plarge balls (slightly larger than golf-ball shapes) onto the lined baking trays. Leave apx 2 inches between each cookie ball as they will spread whilst cooking they will spread. (I’m never too fussed about having them an even size as I think having them varying shapes and textures adds to their charm and tastiness).
Place the cookie trays into the preheated oven and bake for 10-12 minutes, until they spread and are golden brown.
Remove from the oven and allow the baked cookies to rest on the trays for about 8-10mins. They will still be a bit soft at this point so remove from the trays with a fish-slice or flat spatula and leave to cool fully on wire racks. During cooling they will frim up some more giving a soft cookie texture.
Once fully cooled, remove from the rack and enjoy.

In the meantime,

“Remember Mom’s the word- that’s Mr. Mom’s!”

Crumbs In My Beard

The bearded baker of unexpected flavours

Author Archives: Crumbs In My Beard

Recipe- Apricot, Date & Tonka bean Biscotti

Recipe- Cherry, Vanilla & Black Pepper Black Forest Gateau

Maple syrup and more

Coming up on Mr. Mom’s

Recipe Alert…Peanut Butter Oattie cookies

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