THERE’S SO MUCH CHRISTMAS IN THESE COOKIES!

These are soft and chewy with an unbelievable flavour! Fig and oats work so well together, and the spices and chocolate puts me in such a festive mood. These cookies are for those me-days when you put on an old black-and-white movie, curl up with a blanket and a hot chocolate, and indulge.

RECIPE: Chocolate & Fig Oatmeal Cookies

MAKES: 20

INGREDIENTS:

• 85g BUTTER
• 100g BROWN SUGAR
• 1 EGG
• ½ tsp. VANILLA EXTRACT
• ½ tsp. ORANGE ESSENCE (optional)
• 125g FLOUR
• 1 tsp. BAKING POWDER
• ½ tsp. GROUND CINNAMON
• pinch SALT
• 100g ROLLED OATS
• 75g DRIED FIGS, tough stems removed and finely diced
• 100g CHOCOLATE CHIPS

METHOD:

1. Preheat the oven to 180c. Put the BUTTER in a small frying pan and brown over a medium heat for about 5 minutes. Try and let the butter reach a deep brown, it should also smell nutty.
2. Put the BROWNED BUTTER and BROWN SUGAR into a mixing bowl and whisk. Add the EGG and VANILLA EXTRACT, and ORANGE ESSENCE (if using).
3. In a separate bowl, add the FLOUR, BAKING POWDER, GROUND CINNAMON, SALT and ROLLED OATS. Stir so that everything is evenly distributed. Stir in the DRIED FIGS and CHOCOLATE CHIPS.
4. Now, gradually add the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients. Stir until fully incorporated.
5. Take a spoonful of the mixture and roll into the ball the size of a ping-pong ball. Place on a baking sheet lined with baking paper and press down a little. Continue with the rest of the mixture, ensuring that you leave a little space between the balls for spreading.
6. Bake for 11 – 12 minutes. You’ll see a little colour around the edges when they’re done. When you take them out of the oven, leave them on the tray for a few minutes. They’ll be soft at first, but will firm up as they cool. Transfer to a wire rack to finish cooling.