Brown Sugar Love from English Mum

Aug 30, 2011 by cafebebemama

While I am on holibobs I am handing over Cafe Bebe to some of my favourite bloggers. I figured they might class up the joint a bit! Who knows??

My first guest blogger is a truly special lady called English Mum. Yes, she has a real name but most PR’s seem to like to call her English which I know she loves. English Mum has answered my difficult questions with aplomb (how often do we get to use that word anymore?) and has even, generously donated a GORGEOUS Brown Sugar Cookies recipe for the Cafe Bebe readers. See? I told you she was lovely! I give you Becky aka English Mum. Now, back to my sun lounger and chick-lit novel! ~ Karin

Tell me about yourself in 100 words or less. WHO ARE YOU??

I am Becky – a mum of two fabulously funny teenagers, and very proud wife to a handsome  pilot.  We’ve recently moved back to the Home Counties, so after several years of being ‘English Mum in Ireland’, I’m now just plain ol’ English Mum again!  I’m an enthusiastic foodie, love to travel (mainly to eat the food) and I’m an obsessive cake baker!  I pop up on various places on the interwebz, and in magazines occasionally, writing about food, parenting and travel. You can find me at: Blog: http://englishmum.com/ Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/englishmumdotcom Twitter: http://twitter.com/EnglishMum

What’s the best thing that has happened to you as a result of blogging?

Meeting such wonderful people, some who’ve become really close friends, plus having such amazing adventures – I feel very privileged to have experienced so much.

What are you most looking forward to in the coming months?

Moving in to our new home (and getting to know my new kitchen, of course!).

Share with us 5 of your favourite blogs and WHY!

Just five?!  Okay, well, I’ll avoid mentioning all my friends, then, and introduce you to some blogs you may not have seen before:

1. For pure cake porn you can’t beat Sprinkle Bakes – amazing recipes and fabulous food styling
2. Lucy writes an amazing blog with great recipes and photography. I’ve known her for ages, and her blog deserves a special mention because she’s only in her teens: http://teenbaker.blogspot.com/
3. Deb is a relatively new blogger.  You’ll find her at http://reginadellacucina.wordpress.com/ – I love her blog because there’s loads to read: not just recipes but reviews and product tests too.  She’s on Twitter as : @FoodieDeb
4. Next up is An Egg a Day: I have a weakness for chickens and this blog is gloriously chickeny (plus the recipes are divine).
5. Last up is the beautiful  Laetitia Maklouf – gardening expert: Her blog is as gorgeous as she is and her gardening tips are really helpful and inspiring.  Plus her little girl is adorable!

And so to the recipe.  This is a really easy cookie recipe which has always been  popular on the blog and has popped up in loads of different guises: with white chocolate and cranberries, or spiced at Christmas time.  I love it because it encourages you to mess around with the recipe and create something personal, which I think is the essence of good cooking!

Brown Sugar Cookies

You will need:

125g butter, softened
150g dark brown sugar
1 egg, beaten
1 tsp vanilla extract
150g plain flour
50g oats

So, just cream the butter, then add the sugar and beat together until it’s light and fluffy. Add the egg, then beat again until creamy, then the vanilla. Finally, stir in the flour, then the oats and stir until it’s all combined.

If you want to add extras, pop them in now: chopped nuts and chocolate is a delicious mixture, but also try leaving out the oats and adding shredded coconut instead, with maybe a little lime zest, or popping in a handful of smarties or raisins… whatever you fancy.  It’s pretty difficult to get wrong.

Dollop the mixture in tablespoonfuls onto a baking sheet.

To freeze ahead: at this stage, you can pop the whole tray into the freezer until they’re solid, then bag them up and keep them in the freezer for the efficient bit at a later date.  If you want to be really posh you can roll the dough up in a cling film sausage, chill, then slice before open-freezing.

To bake, they’ll need about 10-12 minutes at 180 degrees/gas 4, a couple of minutes more from frozen.

Oh Becky! How do I love thee?? Fabulous. Of course, those of you who know me know that I am coeliac sooooo I can’t enjoy Becky’s glorious recipe in this form but if I replace the plain flour with Dove’s Farm Gluten Free White Flour, I’m good to go! Give it a whirl and be sure to pop on over to English Mum for more amazing recipes including one of my personal favourites, Roast Chicken with a Lemon up its Bum!

Hasta luego fair readers! Ole!