Oatmeal cookies with dates, dipped in chocolate

One of my all-time favorite oatmeal cookies. Sweet, chewy, and filling. Also, oats and dates help to compromise with consciousness about having cookies for breakfast. :)

3/4 cups shredded sweetened coconut flakes
1 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 3/4 cups packed dark brown sugar
2 tablespoons honey (can replace with maple syrup)
2 large eggs, at room temperature
1 tablespoon vanilla extract (or almond extract)
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp fine sea salt
1 tsp baking powder
1+3 tsp ground cinnamon
3 cups rolled oats (not instant!)
1/2 cup dates, pitted and chopped
5 tbsp granulated sugar
150g of dark chocolate



Heat the oven to 170C. Put coconut flakes on a parchment paper sheet-ed tray, and place in the oven. Roast till flakes get golden-ish shade, and kitchen fills with a lovely smell. Take a tray out and let coconut flakes to cool down.

Preheat the oven to 190C.

In the mixer bowl cream the butter until light. Beat in brown sugar and honey until smooth and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Beat in eggs, one at a time. Beat in vanilla or almond extract.

In another large bowl, whisk together flour, salt, baking powder and 1 teaspoon of cinnamon. Beat flour mixture into butter mixture until well combined. Add oats, dates and toasted coconut and mix well.

Line three trays with baking parchment. In a small bowl mix granulated sugar with 3 teaspoons of cinnamon. Roll teaspoonful of dough in a ball, roll it in a sugar mixture and place on a tray. Place balls on a tray 5-7 cm apart. Bake for 15 min, or until cookies are golden-brown. When ready, take out from the oven, let them cool completely.

Melt dark chocolate on a water bath (or, if confident, in a microwave oven). Dip cookies’ bottom in chocolate, one by one. Leave until chocolate hardens. Enjoy!

(Adapted from Melissa Clark's recipe for NYT Cooking)

How to make beetroot garlic-y bread

Being a vegetable and pastry enthusiast, I particularly enjoy an opportunity to combine these two together into something tasty and not-so-decadent as regular baked goods. This time I combined few recipes with my imagination, and it shaped out in a well-tasting loaf. Taste, smell and color – I enjoyed all parts of it (in all the modesty).
Also, it is quite easy to make, for a bread. So, here we go.

Ingredients:

2 small boiled beetroots, pureed (should give about 150 g puree)
500 g all-purpose/bread flour
1 tsp salt
7 g dry yeast (can use a bit more if yeast is not very strong, say, 11 g)
225 g water
4 garlic cloves

Preparation:

Boil beetroots for 30-40 minutes, until tender, or use vacuum-packed cooked beetroot. Once tender, let them cool and then puree in a food processor until smooth.

Combine flour, salt and yeast in a big bowl, add beetroot puree, mashed garlic cloves and water. Can use cold water for a slow prove – experts say it makes a better bread. Mix ingredients well with a large spoon.

Once dough starts pulling away from the sides of the bowl and makes a nice ball, cover the bowl with a clean, damp kitchen towel and leave to rest for over an hour. Note! Dough might appear to be a bit wet, but it’s fine, do not add extra flour!

Preheat the oven to 220C.

Turn the dough to a clean, slightly oiled surface and push-fold-turn back in and out for few minutes. Shape it into a loaf shape. Lightly oil a loaf tin, put the dough in, cover with a damp towel and let it rest for another 40 minutes. By that time, the dough will rise right above the lit.

With a sharp knife, make 1cm deep cuts on a dough surface. Dust the top of the loaf with little amount of flour. Put it in the oven.

Bake for 10 minutes, then reduce the temperature to 190C and bake for 30 minutes.

To test whether the loaf is ready, take it out of the oven, tap it on the bottom – it should make a hollow sound and have a good crust.

Let it cool down a bit before slicing.

Enjoy!


(Inspired by Claire Thomson’s recipe for The Guardian)