90g butter, melted ½ cup brown sugar ¼ cup caster sugar 1 large egg, size7 ½ tsp vanilla extract 1 cup plain flour ¾ cup rolled oats ½ tsp each sea salt, ground cinnamon and baking soda ¼ tsp baking powder ⅓ cup raisins, roughly chopped ⅓ cup sunflower seeds 1¼ cups dark chocolate baking bits or buttons, roughly chopped if large
Directions
1. Lightly grease 2 large flat baking sheets and line with baking paper. Preheat the oven to 160°C fan bake.
2. Combine the butter and both sugars in a bowl then whisk in the egg and the vanilla.
3. Combine the flour, oats, salt, cinnamon, baking soda, baking powder, raisins sunflower seeds and half of the chocolate bits in a large bowl.
4. Pour on the butter mixture and stir to combine well, making sure there are no pockets of flour in the batter.
5. Scoop out spoonfuls of the dough and place on the trays, spacing them apart as they will spread quite a bit. I put 9 on each tray. Don't overcrowd the trays or they will melt into one huge biscuit.
6. Flatten with the back of a fork then top with a few of the reserved chocolate bits.
7. Bake for about 18-20 minutes, or until the cookies are a good golden colour.
8. Leave for 2 minutes then transfer to a cooling rack. The cookies will keep for 4 days stored in an airtight container.
Change-outs: chopped roasted pumpkin seeds, craisins or cranberries, white or milk chocolate, chopped dried apricots or figs, chopped nuts (peanuts, macadamias, almonds, cashew nuts)
Sticky fingers ginger loaf with butterscotch glaze
Makes 1 loaf
Dense, sticky and beautifully spiced, you can pour the butterscotch glaze over this ginger loaf, serve alongside or ditch the glaze and serve plain.
Ingredients
1 cup golden syrup ½ cup water 75g butter ½ cup packed cup brown sugar 1 orange, finely grated zest only 1 tsp vanilla extract 2 cups plain flour 2 Tbsp ground ginger 1 tsp each baking soda and ground cinnamon ½ tsp each sea salt and ground mixed spice ¼ cup crystallised ginger, thinly sliced Butterscotch glaze ½ cup packed cup brown sugar ¼ cup cream 1 Tbsp butter 1 tsp vanilla extract
Directions
1. Lightly grease a 5-cup capacity loaf tin and fully line with baking paper. Preheat the oven to 150°C fan bake.
2. Put the golden syrup, water, butter, brown sugar, zest and vanilla in a saucepan over a medium-low heat. Stir to melt the sugar and butter then remove from the heat. Cool for 15 minutes.
3. Sift all the dry ingredients together into a large bowl. Add the cooled syrup and mix until smooth, ensuring there are no pockets of flour in the batter.
4. Pour into the prepared tin and scatter over the sliced ginger. Bake for 35 minutes. Remove from the oven and cover with foil to prevent over-browning. Return to oven and bake for a further 35 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Cool in the tin. The cake is best made a day ahead of eating and keeps beautifully for 4-5 days in an airtight container.
5. For the butterscotch glaze: Bring all the ingredients to the boil in a small saucepan and simmer for 5 minutes. Cool. Makes ½ cup.
- Recipe by Claire Aldous
Apple and plum Anzac crumble
Serves 6-8
This dessert is an Anzac tribute, with tart granny smith apples and black doris plums in the base, the topping is a crumble replica of Anzac biscuits, packed with oats, brown sugar, golden syrup and coconut. It is perfect with a decent blob of whipped cream or vanilla bean ice cream.
Ingredients
8 granny smith apples, peeled, cored and cut into 2–3cm chunks ¼ cup water 2 Tbsp golden syrup 850g-tin black doris plums (or the equivalent of home poached plums), drained Anzac crumble 20g butter 2 Tbsp golden syrup 1¼ cups oats 1¼ cups desiccated coconut 1¼ cups plain flour 1 cup brown or muscovado sugar To serve Softly whipped cream or vanilla bean ice cream
Directions
1. Put apples, water and golden syrup in a large pot and cook over a medium heat for 10–15 minutes until the apples are just soft. Cool in the remaining liquid.
2. For the Anzac crumble: Melt butter with golden syrup in a large pot, or in a large bowl in the microwave. Add all remaining ingredients and stir with a wooden spoon until combined.
3. Preheat oven to 170˚C. Put apples and plums (don't forget to take the stones out!) in a baking dish, approximately 18cm x 30cm.
4. Load on the crumble topping, which should clump together to make nice big crunchy bits when cooked. Bake for 30 minutes or until golden.