I try to create my own recipes when I can, although I don’t sit there with a pen and paper and dream them up out of nowhere. They evolve out of trial and error, hunger and craving.
Here is how even a very simple things{we}make post comes into being.
In the beginning there was crumble: A basic recipe from some children’s cookery cards or from my Mum’s old Dairy Diary, I don’ recall. That is why the quantities here are in ounces not grams. It’s a throwback to the old days of imperial measurements.
Over the years I started to add different sugars as I liked the variation in flavour and crunch they gave. I like a sprinkle of demerara on top of the crumble. Gradually some of the flour was substituted for oats. Ed likes oats in his crumble.
Then almonds entered the mix. Slivered almonds stirred in just before the crumble mix is tumbled on to the soft fruit to add a nutty note.
So then we had, what is now our standard crumble:
One large crumble is too much for us to eat in one go so I began to save half of the mix in the fridge for a rainy day.
I found that if I added an extra spoonful of butter to the rainy day mix I could make it into a bonus batch of crumbly biscuits. The maiden voyage of these was on our holiday in Wales back in 2009.
Recently I have added the extra step of pressing the cookies after they have been in the oven for 10 minutes. You can flatten them down with the back of a fork, or with a cookie stamp like the one I have here. It leaves them a little soft in the middle and crisp on the edges.
I know that the ‘handmade’ imprint doesn’t show too well on these rather rustic cookies, but I kind of like that.
It makes it quite clear that they are very much handmade.
I always do a few test-bakes to write down some meaningful quantities – I find ‘a spoonful of butter’ and ‘a splash of milk’ confuses people.
Finally I take some photos and write it all here for you…but mostly for me, so I can remember how to make them next time.
There is always a next time.
Oat and Almond Crumble Cookies
Makes 10
4 oz Plain Flour
3 oz Porridge Oats
1 oz Flaked Almonds
4 oz Soft Butter
4 oz Soft Brown Sugar
1 tbsp Milk (or a touch more if they won’t mould together)
Tip 1: Weigh out the sugar and almonds and put them in a bowl to one side and get the milk out ready – this will save you getting buttery hands everywhere in a minute.
Tip 2: Soften any ‘fridge cold’ butter by microwaving dice sized chunks of it on medium for 20 seconds.
Rub the butter into the flour and oats until crumbly, then mix in the almonds and sugar.
Add the milk and start to squash the mix firmly into balls a little bigger than a golf ball.
Flatten them between your palms a little so that they are like a burger.
NB You may get very sticky fingers…I will allow you to dust your hands with a bit of flour.
Place them on baking parchment on a cookie sheet.
Bake at 180 degrees C for 10 minutes.
Take them out of the oven and press each hot cookie with a fork or with a cookie stamp.
Cook for 5-6 minutes more until golden on all the edges.
Allow to cool on the tray for 5 minutes then cool further on a cooling rack.
Eat soon.
Patrons of the Pit
January 30, 2013
Man, looks good! Think I just gained 3.7 pounds!
drunkoncake
January 30, 2013
these sound amazing! Def going to give these a try.
Emily's Vegetable Patch
January 30, 2013
I love the cookie stamp, I haven’t seen those before. The cookies look delicious. =>
The Porto Bellas
January 31, 2013
I love a good oatmeal cookie / crumble. You’re pictures make it even more tempting to go bake… Scrumptious:)
-JulieC
thelittleloaf
January 31, 2013
I loved reading about the evolution of these cookies and they look and sound divine. That stamp is fab too – the more rustic the better!
egg me on
January 31, 2013
Experimenting is the fun part of cooking and baking — glad you enjoy it so much too. That stamp is AWESOME by the way.
Jaclyn_Turner
January 31, 2013
These sound amazing! Yummy!
Sarah
February 1, 2013
Yum – cookies with oats and nuts have such a country feel to them, very comforting.
Kumu
February 1, 2013
Oh Wow ! Divine !
wendy@chezchloe
February 2, 2013
I always have a little ziploc baggie full of extra crumble in my freezer for last minute crisps or a nibble- never occurred to me to get them into cookie form. But oh yes why not. Great idea.
ipokex3
February 3, 2013
This sounds lovely. I can just taste the sweetness of the crumble on my tongue! I love how simple and straightforward the ingredient list is, no special flours or powders or liquids, in addition to the beautiful photographs. The cookie stamp is cute! I can’t recall ever seeing or hearing a cookie stamp before!
Lucy
February 3, 2013
I love the story behind these cookies, such a clever yet simple idea! So pretty with the stamp too.
jackiequribe
February 6, 2013
I love how one recipe can segue to another…I look forward to trying it!
vohnmcg
February 6, 2013
Only just found your blog and have enjoyed the last two hours immersed in it. Beautiful pics & yummy recipes. I also found the KenwoodvKitchenAid debate pages – very hinterestingk. I’ve got the blue & white Kenwood that your mother had – it was my grandmother’s. I was talking about it recently with my parents and my dad loved that I’ve migrated from calling it “granny’s old mixer” (and musing about chucking it out for something new and shiny) to now calling it “my vintage Kenwood inherited from my granny and that I will never part with” (and have found out where to get serviced should it ever require it & have started bidding on attachments on eBay). It is so true what you say about heading for 40 and gradually developing an appreciation for those things that have gone before! Vohn x
thingswemake.co.uk
February 7, 2013
Ah, thanks Vohn.
germancookie
February 9, 2013
Hi, found your blog on WP and I want to let you know about the new website I made that is http://www.whenangelscook.com – you will like this new foodie community for special cooking angels like you. Love your recipes! Please check it out!
Lovely angel greetings!
Gabriele from http://www.whenangelscook.com
FB: whenangelscook
Twitter: whenangelscook
See you soon!
shuhan
February 26, 2013
looks gorgeous! good job on the props, styling and photos. I’m sold. Actually just the plain shot of those crisp cookies resting on the rack was enough to get me sold.x
thingswemake.co.uk
February 27, 2013
I do like a ‘cooling on a rack’ photos myself! Makes them look so nickable.
Jaycee Maunsell-Mcmenamin
April 17, 2013
These were so easy to make, easy clean up, great fun with the niece and delicious! Thanks!
Jaycee Maunsell-Mcmenamin
April 17, 2013
It waas so cute too, my niece was so excited about using her hands and she watch the clock the entire 10mins