After receiving Nigella Lawson’s Nigella Christmas as a Christmas gift this past year, I was browsing excitedly through it, imagining all the things I’d be making for Christmas 2015. A quick chat with Mel revealed that she owned the same book (no surprises there!). Mel mentioned to me that there was an excellent cookie recipe in the book, as well as lots of other great baking recipes I should try. So, spurred on by Mel’s recommendation, I gave these a go.
I should let it be known that I absolutely loathe white chocolate and all baked goods flavoured with it. Having said that, you’ll understand why I was very surprised at how much I enjoyed eating these, and that the white chocolate flavour was dominated (joyously) by the cranberries and pecans contained within. The tartness of the cranberries and crunch of the pecans really overrode any potential sickly-sweetness the white chocolate might have contributed.
Thanks to these cookies, I am a convert – I will be giving many recipes containing white chocolate a second thought from now on – if they are anywhere near as nice as this chewy, moorish delight then I’ll be happy indeed.
Ingredients:
- 150g plain flour
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 75g rolled oats (not instant)
- 125g soft butter
- 75g dark brown sugar
- 100g caster sugar
- 1 egg
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 75g dried cranberries
- 50g pecans, roughly chopped
- 150g white chocolate chips
Preheat your over to 180°c/160°c fan-forced and line a couple of baking trays with paper.
Measure the flour, salt, baking powder and oats into a bowl and mix briefly.
Beat the butter and sugars together in a separate bowl until creamy (easiest with an electric mixer) then beat in the egg and vanilla extract.
Beat the flour mixture into the butter mixture, then fold in the cranberries, chocolate chips and pecans.
Roll tablespoons of dough into balls with your hands and place on the lined baking sheet and press down gently with a fork. Be sure to place them about 3cm apart to allow for spreading (although Nigella’s do not appear to have spread at all in her photos)
Cook for about 15 minutes, but check them at 10. When they’re ready, they will have a light golden tinge around the edges. Pull the tray out of the oven and leave them on the tray to cool and cook further for about 5 minutes. Then use a spatula to transfer them to a cooling rack.
These can be stored in an airtight container between layers of baking paper for upto 5 days, or frozen in the same manner for upto 3 months.
I think you could swap out any chocolate, nut or dried fruit of your choice with these cookies and they would still turn out beautifully. The oats really make them a nice chewy cookie and I loved this particular flavour combination so I might stick with them as is, for the time being…
A Tale of Two Kitchens 