Maple, Pecan, Raisin & Oaty Cookies

I wanted to make a semi healthy cookie to snack on.

I came across this recipe and thought it sounded good. After looking at the ingredients i realised they weren't as healthy as they sounded, but decided to give them a go anyway.

I'm so glad i made them, they have to be one of the best cookies I've ever had, they are crunchie, chewy and SOOOOO yummy!!!
You got the sweetness of the maple syrup, but the salty pecans cut through the sweetness.

I felt the nuts, raisins and oats would kind of even out all the sugar and fat, well that's what i tell myself every time i have one, but it is hard to stick to just one!!

That's my excuse and I'm sticking to it!!

Makes 24 cookies

Pre heat oven 140c, 275f, gas mark 1

140g oats
50g desiccated coconut
225g plain flour
140g salted pecans roughly chopped (if you can't find salted, just add ½ tsp salt to recipe)
100g raisins
140g unsalted butter
225g light soft brown sugar
3 tbsp maple syrup
3 tbsp golden syrup
2 tbsp boiling water
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda

In a bowl mix the oats, coconut, flour, raisins and pecans.

In a saucepan over a medium heat melt the butter, with the sugar, maple syrup and golden syrup, when melted remove from the heat.

Combine the bicarbonate of soda with the boiling water and stir into the butter mix.

Stir the butter mix into the dry ingredients.

Form balls of dough about the diameter of a 10p coin, place on baking tray about 3 inches apart and flatten slightly.

Bake for 14/16 minutes, depending on how crunchie you want them.

Let them cool on the baking tray for 10 minutes, as they will be too sqidgy to move.

Banana, Cinnamon & Chocolate Muffins....

I was making a batch of Banana, Cinnamon and Chocolate Muffins. I had made some snazzy cases from parchment paper and spooned the mixture in them all, that was time consuming.
I'd put them in the oven, then noticed the bowl of mashed banana still sat on the side!!!
I did wonder why the mixture was too stiff, luckily they had only been in oven for 10 seconds so I managed to save them.

Needless to say I'd had enough of making the cases, so reverted back to the normal shop bought ones.

They may not have looked so pretty, but they still tasted GREAT!!!

They were moist and light and fluffy too....

Pre heat oven 180c, 360f, gas mark 5

Makes about 12 muffins

2 large eggs beaten
125ml vegetable oil
200g light brown soft sugar
½ tsp vanilla extract
2 ripe bananas mashed
250g plain flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
½ tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
50g walnuts toasted and roughly chopped
50g dark chocolate roughly chopped ( i use lindt 70% chocolate)


In a bowl mix the eggs, oil, sugar and vanilla extract, then stir in the bananas.

In another bowl sieve the flour, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda, salt and cinnamon.

Add the wet ingredients to the dry and stir in till just mixed, don't over mix or your muffins will be heavy and tough.

Gently stir in the  nuts and chocolate.

Spoon mixture into paper cases in a muffin tin, about ¾ of the way up.

Bake for 20/25 minutes, till a cocktail stick or skewer comes out clean.

Best served warm.

They freeze well, just revive them in the oven for about 4 minutes.

You can use other nuts like pecans or hazelnuts, and add raisins if you like.

Baked Rice Pudding

I baked this rice pudding yesterday for my in-laws. It went down really well, as did the spaghetti bolognese that i posted yesterday!!
By using golden caster sugar melted with the butter, it creates a delicate caramel flavour to the pudding.
The rice is fluffy and the sauce is rich and creamy.

As with all baked rice puddings you get a beautiful skin on the top.

A tip for you if you don't like the skin.
When the pudding is cooked take out the oven and cover for 10 minutes, the skin will go soft and creamy and it tastes like caramel..YUMMY!!!!

Pre heat oven 140c, 275f, or gas mark 1

Prep time 5 minutes
Cooking time 2 hours

Serves 6

4oz Butter
6oz Golden caster sugar
10oz Pudding rice
1500ml Full fat milk
2 tsp Vanilla extract
300ml Double cream
½ tsp Grated nutmeg
Pinch salt


Melt the butter and sugar in a oven and hob proof casserole dish, add the rice and cook till it puffs up, add the milk, vanilla extract, cream, nutmeg, and salt, bring to the boil, and stir well.
Transfer to the oven and cook uncovered for 2 hours.

Fudgy Chocolate Coconut Brownies!!

 This one is for all you sweet toothed and chocolate lovers out there!! 

These are so easy to make and taste sooooo chocolaty, they are dense and have a slight gooey, chewy, rich centre. 

It's hard to eat just one at a time!!

Mixture makes about 16 Brownies.

10 minutes prep time.

40 minutes cooking time.

100g / 4oz Cocoa Powder - I use Green and Black Organic, it is rich and chocolaty.

250g / 9oz Butter
500g / 1lb 2oz Golden Caster Sugar

4 Eggs beaten

100g / 4oz Dessicated Coconut

100g / 4oz Self Raising Flour

Pre-heat the oven to 160°C, 320°F, or gas mark 4.

Line a 21cm square tin with parchment paper.



In a large saucepan gently melt the butter and sugar with the cocoa powder, stirring all the time so the mixture doesn't catch.

Take the saucepan off the heat and let it cool slightly.

When slightly cooled, quickly stir in the beaten eggs a bit at a time until it's all combined and shiny.

Stir in the dessicated coconut and then the flour, don't over mix or the brownies will become tough.

Pour into the tin and bake in the oven for 40 minutes, check it after 30 minutes and cover if it's starting to brown too much around the edges. It is cooked when a cocktail stick comes out clean.

Leave to cool in the tin, then turn out and cut into squares.

Enjoy one with a nice cup of espresso, the coffee brings out the flavour of the chocolate and visa versa!!