Oatmeal Cherry & Walnut Cookies and Dolly Mixture Fairy Cakes
Two Easters ago, I baked a feast. I went so crazy there were cakes, muffins and cookies everywhere: on the tabletops, in the bedroom, in the freezer, in the fridge. It was gloriously nightmarish. A thoroughly obsessively psychotically sick affair.
Last Easter, I believe things were a little more toned down. Moderation was key.
This year, we went for a nice balance of things. Don’t they say good things come in pairs? Two’s a nice number. Well-rounded and more acceptable. In that case, this Easter, we’ve got cookies and cakes. No more than that. No more, no less. I thought we were quite clever.
On Tuesday, we had a nice little wander through the Oxford Covered Market. There’s a cake shop in there which I’ll blog a little later on about. Truly inspiring cakes and sugarcraft. And they make personalized easter eggs made to order too! In fact, H and I had our Easter eggs from there last year. They were yum. And almost too pretty to eat. It’s shops like that that make you feel like you’ve gotta bake. You leave wanting to make something of your very own, to get creative and start challenging yourself in the kitchen. I don’t suppose we really did challenge ourselves but we sure had good fun in the kitchen that day.
Little fairy cakes topped with dolly mixture (we’ve so gotta love these sweets…so mildly flavoured and pretty to look at) for Easter cakes and a twist on the usual oatmeal raisin cookie which gives you something to talk about as well if you’ve got guests coming round for tea. I haven’t posted a recipe for the Fairy Cakes as H actually remembers this basic recipe by heart. It’s simply margarine, vanilla, flour, eggs, sugar all skillfully beaten by hand then baked at 175d Celsius until ready. Cooled, then frosted with a mix of icing sugar and water. Voila. Top them with sweets or decoration of choice. Cute as a button.
When it comes to eating cookies, dunking in a glass of cold milk is second nature. Or sometimes just eating it sans milk is pretty okay too. Dunking in hot coffee or tea seems unthinkable to me. I’ve seen my mum do it and it leaves rings of buttery-surfaced coffee in the cup. I’ve seen my mates do it and it just all looks a little drippy, a little messy. This time I tried it with this oatmeal cookie and I have a strange feeling my cookie-eating ways have been forever altered. Or at least, when it comes to oatmeal cookies. You’ve gotta dunk them in something warm. Leave the cold milk for the chocolate chip cousin. Oatmeal cookies have so gotta be dipped in a hot coffee or tea. A momentary experience of sweet bliss, as comforting as a spoonful of warm honey-laced porridge. So good.
Happy Easter everyone! Hoping the Easter bunny sends out much sugary love to all. Will post up some of my little Oxford visit here soon.
Oatmeal Cherry & Walnut Cookies
Ingredients
- 115g unsalted butter, softened
1 cup plain flour, sifted
1 cup rolled oats
1 cup/225g dark brown sugar
1 large egg
3/4 cup chopped walnuts
3/4 cup glace cherries, chopped
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/8 tsp baking soda
pinch of salt
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
Preheat oven to 175d Celsius.
Cream butter and sugar til light and fluffy. Add egg and vanilla, then beat.
In another bowl, sift together flour, baking powder and baking soda, salt, ginger and cinnamon. Add oats to this and mix. Add to wet mixture of creamed butter and sugar. Mix until it is just incorporated.
Fold in cherries and walnuts. Do not overmix.
Form into 1-2 tbs balls or simply drop onto a greased cookie sheet. Bake for 15-18mins or until just golden brown.
Cooking it for longer gets these cookies a darker shade and they turn into nice crunchy cookies when kept. Cooking for 15mins leaves it nice and chewy in the middle so cook according to your preference. Leave to cool on sheets for a minute before transferring to wire rack to cool completely.
April 1st, 2010 at 8:37 am
Hi-5 sista! I love those fairy cakes. The ultimate girly cake.
I will try the icing sugar + water icing next time. Buttercream is a pain in hot humid weather,
April 1st, 2010 at 9:19 am
Oh gosh, i need to stop looking at cookies….I mean blog cookies!
April 1st, 2010 at 10:36 am
Happy Easter!! I know the feeling about crazy feast-leftovers, they’re awesome but can verge on the grotesque. The dolly mixture on those cupcakes is a very cute touch
April 1st, 2010 at 11:01 am
Happy Easter! Such pretty fairy cakes, and nice manly cookie for balance ;P
April 1st, 2010 at 11:41 am
Whenever I try and bake too many things at once for some affair it all fails! So it is perfect to make two simple yet luscious treats, always favorites. The cupcakes are adorable but those cookies are really fantastic! And yes, chocolate chip cookies are best with milk but cookies like these spicy oatmeal with nuts & cherries are most definitely calling for coffee. Great recipe! Gonna nab it! And a very Happy Easter and I am so looking forward to sweet eating with you in June!
April 1st, 2010 at 1:07 pm
Yummy! I’m quite a fan of dipping cookies into tea or coffee, so I’m sure these will be no exception! Happy Easter!
April 1st, 2010 at 1:45 pm
I cannot decide which recipe I like more.
bittersweetsugarandsarcasm.blogspot.com/
April 1st, 2010 at 1:48 pm
the fairy cakes are so cute and sweet looking. love the pastel colours. the cookies look really delectable as well. It’s a wonderful balance. Happy Easter!
April 1st, 2010 at 3:28 pm
The fairy cakes are gorgeous! Happy Easter Mz Diva… hope you have a good one xx
April 1st, 2010 at 3:58 pm
Jamie: Very glad you agree! And I so definitely cannot wait for June. Who’s coming with us for cupcake walkabout?
xx
April 1st, 2010 at 9:32 pm
Such pretty fairy cakes – all that pastel truly puts a smile on my face. Happy Easter my lovely, we will have to eat lots on Sunday to feel less upset about work!
April 2nd, 2010 at 1:15 am
AWWWW man! I love those pretty dolly mixtures! I had those with the black stripes down the middle and HATED them for their liquorice taste. I think these would have to be the unliquorice cousins! I likey!
And those oatmeal cookies will definitely taste divine, especially with all the add ins and the dark brown sugar. MMMMbaba.
April 2nd, 2010 at 3:00 am
I love the cupcakes… so pretty. They will look great adorning any tea-party table.
April 2nd, 2010 at 7:41 am
Love your fairy cakes – I know poppet will go moon over it.
I haven’t decide what to make for Easter yet but I have already made a No Knead Brioche with M&Ms (my early Easter treat for hub & poppet). Will be posting it on my blog on Sat evening.
April 2nd, 2010 at 10:16 am
Those Fairy Cakes are so pretty!!! I can’t say I’ve tried them, though. But a good oatmeal cookie is always right by me…I can just smell it!
April 2nd, 2010 at 12:04 pm
Love the cakes…and the cookies look perfect for dunking and diving into some warm milky choco drink. Have a great Easter…toned down or not!
April 3rd, 2010 at 6:23 am
Oh, I love the fairy cakes-so adorable! Cookie dunking in hot tea or coffee-I’m guilty of it. Yes, I agree with you, a bit messy but it’s a good hot mess I can live it.
April 3rd, 2010 at 2:51 pm
Happy Easter, these are so cute!
April 3rd, 2010 at 7:35 pm
Those fairy cakes are so cute! I didn’t think you had an oven? Did you make them in Oxford? (I ought to go back and read again because I will feel awful if you’ve already said it up there).
I’m definitely in for the cupcake walk!
April 3rd, 2010 at 9:45 pm
Sarah, Maison Cupcake: yep they were baked in Oxford. Still no oven here
So I pounced on the chance to use H’s. 
Fun times! I’ve still a bag of dolly mixtures. Wondering when I should break into the packet.
xx
April 4th, 2010 at 6:16 am
I grew up with dolly mixture. That has brought back many memories!
I so want to make those cookies. I love big chewy cookies like that – perfect with an iced glass of milk!
April 6th, 2010 at 3:50 pm
Diva girl, missed you. Great recipe! We never have enough cookies in our house:)
April 7th, 2010 at 2:55 pm
oh no the oatmeal cookies look so good! I’m officially craving a good chocolate muffin & oatmeal cookies!
April 8th, 2010 at 2:37 pm
These cupcakes are just so yum, yum!
hmm delicious. can’t wait to try them and display on my fairy cake stand.
July 14th, 2010 at 11:00 am
Love the Dolly Mix idea, I have been looking for ideas for fairy cake baking with my daughter. This will be perfect, nice and simple. I’ll see what I can do to jazz up the cupcake stand too.
November 26th, 2010 at 9:18 am
mmmmmm oatmeal and cherry! Most of my cakes will end up with 1 sweet on each cake – I’ll probably end up eating the rest before I put them on the cakes!