Ben’s-style cookies

Choice of oatmeal and raisin or chocolate chip. Makes 5 large cookies.

• 120g soft brown sugar
• 90g butter
• 15g golden syrup
• 1 egg
• 3g vanilla
• 3g bicarb
• 3g salt
• Option 1:
  • 113g bread flour
  • 75g oats
  • 1.5g cinnamon
  • 88g raisins
• Option 2:
  • 150g bread flour
  • 100g dark chocolate

1. Soak the raisins in hot water
2. In mixing bowl, with hand mixer, cream butter and sugar.
3. Add egg, golden syrup, vanilla, salt, bicarb, cinnamon; beat them in.
4. Add flour and mix with a wooden spoon until just combined.
5. Add the oats, raisins, chocolate; give it a final mix.
6. On a baking sheet with parchment, divide into 100g mounds.
7. Chill in the fridge overnight. (1hr absolute minimum)
8. Bake at 180°C (fan) for 10 mins .
9. Leave to cook on the sheet for 10 mins minimum.

2021 version

Oatmeal and raisin. Makes 12.

The basic method is as follows:

1. Preheat the oven if you intend to bake immediately.
2. In a saucepan, melt the butter.
3. Separate the egg and add the yolk to the saucepan, along with the vanilla.
4. Using a wooden spoon, mix in the sugar, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon.
5. Sift in the flour and mix until just blended.
6. Stir in the oats and raisins.
7. Roll into 90g balls. You can freeze the dough balls and bake later if you like.
8. Grease the baking tray or line with parchment.
9. Place dough balls on the baking tray about 8cm apart. Do not flatten.
10. Bake for the specified time. Note that the cookies will be very soft when you take them out; they’ll become firmer as they cool.
11. Cool on the baking tray for a few minutes before transferring to wire racks to cool completely.

2021-04-01

• 170g salted butter, melted
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 3 tsp cinnamon
• 3 tsp baking powder
• 2 eggs
• 250g muscovado
• 150g raisins
• 150g plain flour
• 150g strong flour
• 150g porridge oats

13 mins at 160C fan from fridge. This one was really good!

22 mins at 160C fan in a muffin tray from frozen solid. The muffin tray thing worked out nicely; maybe they were a bit over-done.

2021-03-27

• 175g strong flour + 125g porridge oats
• 170g unsalted butter, melted
• 300g muscovado
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 2.5 tsp (10g) baking powder
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 3 tsp cinnamon
• 150g raisins

10 mins at 160C fan, or 16 mins from frozen.

2011 version

• 250g plain flour + 150g porridge oats
• 170g unsalted butter, melted
• • 300g muscovado or soft brown sugar, or
  • 200g dark brown, soft sugar + 100g caster sugar, or
  • 275g muscovado and a spoon of golden syrup
• 2 egg yolks
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp of bicarb (don’t overdo it!)
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 tbsp hot water
• 3 tsp cinnamon
• 150g raisins

20-25 mins at 170C.

Variation: Chocolate

• Sub oats for more flour (400g total)
• Sub raisins for 100g dark (60%) chocolate and 100g stem ginger in syrup, cut into chunks
• No cinnamon

Sugar

Notes

• More fat = flat, crispy
• Less fat = puffy, cakey
• Try bread/cake flour for less spread
• Bicarb: browner, flatter; baking powder: puffier, lighter
• Caster: crispier; mucavardo: softer, chewier
• Less sugar: puffier
• More egg: puffier, cakier (it’s the white that does it!)
• Use just yolk for a crispier texture
• Use a thicker-bottomed baking tray to avoid the bottoms crisping too quickly
• Water: increases spread and crispiness