Wednesday, July 28, 2010

Hello Ottolenghi Cookie: White Chocolate and Cranberry Biscuits


This was the first recipe I made from Ottolenghi the Cookbook and although these biscuits are nothing spectacular to look at, their texture and flavour are incomparable.  They remind me of these salted white chocolate oatmeal cookies because the white chocolate turns crisp, lacy and caramelly when baked. They are amazingly good.

And these are definitely 'biscuits' as opposed to 'cookies'.  For a more substantial white choc/cranberry cookie, please try these.

White chocolate and cranberry biscuits
makes 25-30 biscuits

Ingredients
90g plain flour
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
100g unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 tsp vanilla essence
110g soft brown sugar
25g caster sugar
1 egg, lightly beaten
80g whole rolled oats
60g white chocolate chips or chopped white chocolate
75g dried cranberries

Method
1. Preheat the oven to 170 deg Celsius. Line a baking tray or two with baking paper.
2. Sift together the flour, salt, baking powder and bicarbonate of soda and set aside.
3. Put the butter, vanilla and sugars in a large mixing bowl and beat until the mixture is light and fluffy.
4. Gradually add the egg, making sure each addition is fully incorporated before adding more.
5. Mix in the flour mixture and the oats, then the chocolate and the cranberries. Do not overmix: stop mixing when the dry ingredients are just incorporated.
6. Roll a teaspoon of the dough into a ball (about the size of a walnut). Put the balls onto the prepared trays and flatten the balls lightly. Leave about 5cm between them for spreading.
7. Place in the oven and bake for about 10 minutes, until they are light brown and crisp. Leave to cool on the tray before removing to a wire rack.
Store the biscuits in an airtight container for up to a week.

Recipe is from Ottolenghi The Cookbook

Ingredients, including the all-important white chocolate and dried cranberries.

The biscuits before and after baking

They will last a week in a locked, airtight container.
Or 5 minutes on a carelessly unguarded plate.

16 comments:

  1. Hey Bel, I think they do look really wonderful actually. I can tell the texture of the biscuits is buttery and crisp, though I've not had much white chocolate. I'm going to look for some at Whole Foods-this is making me want to work with it!

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  2. Leave it to ottolenghi to create a cookie like no other. I bet it would be great dipped in a nice cup of tea.

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  3. oh those look good. Believe it or not, I am a fan of biscuits rather than cookies. ;)

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  4. ohhh these sound delicious. I'd eat a whole batch with a huge glass of cold milk!

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  5. I fear becoming obsessed with this cookbook, because I'll neglect all the others in my collection. These looks so scrumptious!

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  6. hahah!! reminds me of my granola! :D Great combination.... :)

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  7. I'm all for biscuits too, down with cookies!

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  8. Ohhh I was just looking at dried cranberries in the supermarket yesterday thinking.. What could I make with those?! They look and sound wonderful :)

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  9. White chocolate goes with everything! I have always been a little confused with the term cookie and biscuit thinking that one word was just the American term. Don't know what you're on about but they look perfectly yummy to me! =)

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  10. Oh my, you had me at 'lacy and caramelly'. I can imagine the texture right now...

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  11. These look fantastic! I love the flavour combination and they are just crying out for a good cup of tea and a wintery afternoon.

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  12. These look delicious & I have a friend who looooves white chocolate - this might be just the treat to bake for her then!

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  13. I thought I just asked you to stop making delicious things from this book I'm trying not to buy?! Granted, you wrote this post before I requested it, but still...really...

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  14. Loving the notion of 'biscuit' over 'cookie'. Way more civilised and worthy of a nice cup of tea accompaniment (and I've never ever said no to a cup of tea).

    PS. Crocheted bun cosies! That's what my rock jumpers were reminding me of! As the penny finally drops....

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