Autumn is an incredible time of year.
Leaves are changing to that array of amazing hues, crisp golden leaves are floating down by our feet. If you listen carefully you can hear a flurry of fireworks and jingle bells in the distance.
Oh, is that Christmas I hear?
Ha, not just yet but I’m getting my fluffy jumper and warm boots ready! That being said, I was feeling a bit under the weather over the weekend and wanted something to cheer me up. Try as I might it was something that chocolate and Bridget Jones just could not do!
– I needed to bake.
5am. I had my fluffy slippers and my big house coat on and boy was I ready for that cinnamon smell to hit the air.
I had decided the night before that I wanted to make something that was flavoured like autumn, I didn’t want to just use cinnamon or just use cloves, the next obvious choice was mixed spice.
Mixed spice– The flavour of everything I baked in my teens. I thought it was a wonder spice – didn’t actually occur to me that it was a mixture of several spices until my early twenties. Oh well, flavour is flavour and this one is the Mary Berry of spices. So I had my ultimate spice mix and my love of carrots trying to break out of my head and I couldn’t think of anything better than a carrot cake biscuit.
– I know, bare with me. It’s not as crazy as it sounds.
Ingredients
- 1 part flour (100g)
- 1 part oats (100g)
- 1/2 part butter or ‘spread’ (50g)
- 1 part fruit; Raisins, Cranberry, Citrus fruit (100g)
- Half a Tsp of Spices.
Ideas; Almond and Cranberry cookies. Use almond essence instead of spices and use only cranberries as your fruit, swap in some almonds for crunch!
Method:
Blend all dry ingredients with ‘butter’ until a paste is formed then add your oats and dried fruit and blend carefully, so the oats don’t break up too much. Portion them out to 12 balls and flatten slightly. Bake for 15-20 minutes.
Even the ingredients would have you believe that these are more cake-like but they really aren’t! They’re crisp and chewy and delicious. They have the texture of a flapjack with the crunchy crumbly outside of a granola, it gives it something extra that a carrot cake just wouldn’t give you.
In hindsight I would have pressed each cookie down with the back of my spoon so they were all perfectly flat and crispy but -like I said – it was 5am and I was poorly. Baking something pretty was not on my mind, I just wanted something tasty.
The photos were a spur of the moment thing as a full batch of – not so pretty- looking biscuits had already been snaffled up.
These cookies, well.. let’s just say these were the photogenic ones!
Needless to say, these cookies were gone in less that a few breaths, they were the only thing I ate over the weekend (I was still poorly) so I ate five in one sitting.The next morning, I crumbled some up into my muesli too and my taste buds were going crazy, it’s pretty damn good with a dash of extra cinnamon. Am I too eager for the Christmas season? Perhaps, but I’m starting it in style.
These are my new favourite snack but let’s share – What’s your favourite autumn treat?
These sound amazing! I love the spices of carrot cake. They sound like they’d be lovely with a cup of tea 😀
Oooh Yeah! I had mine with a nice cup of hot cocoa on Saturday and stayed in to watch netflix movies!
These look and sound amazing, I may have to try and make these with my daughter x
I love carrot cake and I love cookies, so I’m definitely sure id love these x
oh those sound really nice, and healthy too! Perfect for this time of year!
I love carrot cake and I love cookies, so I’m definitely going to give this recipe a try 😀
Oooh these look delicious. I have started Slimming World so am trying to be good and avoid snacks! Kaz x
Oh yum! They look and sound amazing! I love that you’ve used mixed spices instead of the usual Autumnal spices 😀 These really do sound and look delicious. Yum! xx
Coat on, shoes on. I’m on my way to the shops my afternoon is going to be baking now. These sound amazing and so warming. Thanks for sharing
Aw Claire! I’m so glad you like them! I was worried because they were so unplanned people might think I’d gone crazy! I really hope you try them, they really are delish!
Thsee are definitely going on my ‘must bake’ list! Oat cookies are great for me at the moment as I’m breastfeeding and Ai never thought to put carrot in there. Inspired
Ah, This really should be good for you then, sugar cravings & oats help milk production too (I believe?) If I have carrots in I will use them..Carrot hot dogs, pancakes, bread, honestly, I’ve done it all!