Photo by Flickr user edwardkimuk and used under a creative commons license. There was intended to be a photo specific to this recipe but the cookies didn't look edible in it, let alone tasty.
Start by cutting the butter into small blocks and heating it to soften it. In a large bowl thoroughly mix the oats, flour, ground almonds, hazelnuts and some salt. The salt depends on taste and also how salty your butter is, about a 1/4 teaspoon should do it.
Cut the figs up into little bits about the size of small raisins. Mix them in singly, so they do not stick together as a big clump of fig. If you prefer you could replace the figs with dates, for a slightly sweeter cookie with weaker flavour.
Add the molasses. As with the salt this depends on taste, but about a tablespoon should be perfect. Its messy stuff that loves to coagulate, but don’t worry about that for now. Pour in your maple syrup. Ideally, this should be real maple syrup and not the overly sugary maple-flavoured syrup. This is important if you possess taste buds or feel disinclined to facilitate the onset of diabetes.
Prepare a baking tray. If it is not teflon coated, rub a thin film of butter over it. Its important to do this now because running around your kitchen with hands encrusted with oats and molasses is not a good look.
It’s time to get stuck in. Drop in the softened pieces of butter. Using your hands push and pull the mixture to mix it. Press your fingers in through it, spreading the molasses and lumps of butter. Keep an eye out that there is an even blend of ingredients with no lumps of the tastiest bits.
Now you should have enough for about 12 cookies. A good size for each is about 1.5cm deep and with a diameter of about 10cm. Keep the sizes consistent. If they are varied, the smaller ones can easily overcook and dry out. They’ll still be nice but tough to eat, good for dunking though.
Stick them in the middle of your preheated oven for about 30-40 mins. You’ll want to take them out when the top is brown but not blackening. Try and let them cool on a rack, if you can.
This article was posted by Ronan McDonnell on
Monday, May 31st, 2010 at
16:00.
It is archived in Food, Health and tagged cookies, figs, healthy, oats.
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