Oh so simply RUDE cookies

I met Louise from Rude Health at the opening of the new Booths store in Poulton.  I tried their delicious granola which gave me an appetite to road test a few of the other products in the range. 

So what better way than to bake something quick and easy and super tasty. These biscuits are great for snacking on the go and are an adaptation of the biscuit base I use for my cheesecake recipes.
So simple but so versatile – would be so Rude not to try them!

Dorret’s Notes and Tips

This recipe is a variation on the biscuit base I use for my cheesecake.  They can also be crushed to make a nice crumble topping for fruit or yoghut.

Shaping the biscuits can be done in a dessert ring or something similar and pressing the mixture down with a spatula or the back of a spoon.

I have suggested 12 cookies which will be about 60g each with this quantity of mixture.  You can make them bigger or smaller but keep an eye on the baking timings:  smaller ones might need a little less time and larger one a little more.   

The cookies will spread when cooking so leave plenty of space between each one - unless you want one monster cookie!

Don’t leave any loose bits of mixture on the tray; these will burn and be a distraction to the correct cooking time.

Ingredients:

200g   Rude Health Wholemeal Flour

150g   Soft Brown dark sugar

60g     Rude Health Sprouted Oats

60g     Rude Health Granola

1 tsp   Baking powder

¼  tsp Bicarbonate of soda

¼ tsp  Grated Nutmeg

150g   Butter

2 tbsp Runny Honey

Optional: White or Dark couverture Chocolate: melted and drizzled over the cooled biscuits.

Method

1.       Preheat the oven to 180^oC

2.    Line 2 baking trays with parchment

3.       Weigh all of the dry ingredients into a bowl

4.       Melt the butter very gently without letting it bubble and fry. 

5.       Add the honey to the butter and warm through so that it flows freely.

6.       Pour the melted butter and honey into the dry ingredients and mix well.

7.   Shape the mixture into about 12 even sized balls.

8.   Place the cookies well spaced on the baking trays and flatten slightly.

9.  Bake for about 12 minutes - check them to see if they are ready. 

10.  Remove the tray from the oven and allow the biscuits to cool and firm up before moving.  They will be quite soft and will fall apart if you try to lift them straight away.

11. Allow the biscuits to cool completely on a wire rack.

12. They are nice with a drizzle of melted dark or white chocolate. : )

 

Dorret's Tart of the Week - Bakewell Tart

My all time favourite dessert is Bakewell Tart with Icecream.   We made Bakewell Tart as one of our cookery lessons at school and I instantly fell in love with it.

But Bakewell Tart is also significant because it ignited a new phase in my baking journey. Specifically it was after watching the Great British Menu in 2009 when Glynn Purnell showcased his bakewell with cider jam and doublecream icecream that inspired me to recreate and then start looking more closely at chef recipes for my own dinner party desserts.

Glynn Purnell researched Bakewell Tart as part of the process for the competition. His version has a classic frangipane filling.  And rather than add a layer of jam, he served it on the side as a hot sauce.  In my cookery class we made a sponge filling with some semolina flour added to the mixture and whatever jam we had in the larder at home - I am pretty sure mine was strawberry by Robinsons.

The first time I recreated the Glynn Purnell version I did a cheat with the jam.  Since then I now happily make my own jams and marmalades - e.g. apple and mint, rhubarb and passion fruit which I use to give a unique and individual character to my desserts.

Dorret's hints tips and notes

• This dessert has 3 elements - pastry, filling , finishing touches that can be customised to create a tart to suit your own style, taste, mood or occasion.  It might not be a "classic Bakewell" but it will be deliciously perfect.
• To make the cheat jam sauce, start with a good quality jam.  Gently heat the jam in a pan until it is runny.  Do this slowly and keep watch so that it doesn't start to cook. Pass the warmed jam through a fine sieve or muslin. Return the sieved jam to a clean pan and add some alcohol to thin out the jam further, e.g. kirsch, grand marnier or chambourd liqueur are good choices.  Before serving gently reheat again without burning out the alcohol and serve hot with the tart.

My Perfect Bakewell

• Thin shortcrust pasty - sweetened but not a full blown pate sucree or pate sable
• Raspberry jam layer in the tart
• Light sponge filling made with part flour, part ground almonds & flavoured with a couple of drops of bitter almond essence
• For the topping, a drizzle of tempered white chocolate and a few toasted almond flakes. 
• Served with vanilla ice cream or creme chantilly.

R