Happy Valentine's Day!

If you are looking for some fun last minute Valentine's Day projects then these Cookies, Cupcakes and Cake Pops are the ideal sweet treat! And of course I had to share some of my favourite cocktail recipes as well! Have a great day x

Drinks

Wild Hibiscus Royale

Raspberry Moscow Mule

Valentine's Kiss

Rhubarb Mojito (not pictured)

Sweet Treats

Valentine's Cake Pops

Valentine's Cupcakes

Valentine's Cookies (Vanilla)

Valentine's Cookies (Chocolate)

Pink Champagne Truffles (not pictured)

Jewelled Cupcakes

I can never resist the opportunity to make cupcakes! They are so easy to make and kids and adults alike love them. As well as that cupcakes are so much fun to make because the options of icing and decorating them are endless! I am always on the lookout for some new ideas so when I was back home in Scotland in February I couldn't resist the latest issue of the magazine Cake Decorating which came with a silicone mould for creating your own stunning jewels. I had hoped to post these special cupcakes in time for Mother's Day but unfortunately the best made plans don't always work so here they are, a little late but still just as special for any celebration.

In the magazine they suggested covering the cakes with fondant icing then sticking the jewels on with edible glue. They looked amazing but I didn't have much fondant and no edible glue (although you could use royal icing I'm sure) so I went with the faster, easier option of topping the cakes with my standard Royal Icing then carefully placing the jewels and pearls on top. My only advice if using the same method as me is to make sure after putting the jewels on to let the icing set before moving as it will crack slightly.

I did use fondant for the jewels where they suggested Flower Paste so use whatever you have or can get your hands on.

Pumpkin Cupcakes

I recently made these Pumpkin Cupcakes and I just had to share them with you! Whether you are a fan of Halloween or not these are the perfect cupcakes for Autumn/Fall although I would be tempted to make them year-round! They are absolutely perfect served with a cup of tea for a decadent little treat to warm you up.

This recipe was taken from the Hummingbird Bakery Cookbook – my baking bible!

Makes 12 Cupcakes

120g plain or all-purpose flour

140g caster or fine sugar

1 tbsp baking powder

1 ½ tsp cinnamon, plus extra for sprinkling

a pinch of salt

40g unsalted butter, softened to room temperature

120ml milk

2 large eggs

200g tinned pumpkin puree

Cream Cheese Icing:*

315g icing sugar sifted

50g unsalted butter, at room temperature

125g cold cream cheese

To Decorate (optional):

Halloween Sprinkles

Edible Glitter

Preheat your oven to 170C/ 325F/ GM 3 and line a cupcake tin with medium sized paper cases.

Place the flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, salt and butter into the bowl of a KitchenAid (or other freestanding mixer) and using the paddle attachment mix slowly until everything is combined and you have a sandy consistency (if you don't have a KitchenAid use a hand-held electric beater). While the mixer is running, slowly pour in half of the milk and mix until it's just incorporated. Add the eggs to the remaining milk along and continue beating until it's mixed in. Scrape down the sides of the bowl to make sure everything is properly mixed but be careful not to over beat the mixture. Add the pumpkin puree and mix on a low speed until evenly combined. (The original recipe says to stir the puree by hand, but I found it a lot easier to evenly disperse it using the mixture – just keep it on low speed. If you prefer however just use a spoon or spatula to gently mix it in.)

Evenly spoon the cake mixture into the cupcake cases and bake for 20-25 minutes until the sponge bounces back when touched (the recipe states 20 minutes – mine take 25, perhaps even a couple more but it will depend on your oven and where you live) and a skewer comes out clean with put into the centre of the cake. Leave to cool for a few minutes then transfer the cupcakes onto a wire rack.

While the cupcakes are cooling make the icing. Sift the icing sugar into the bowl of a free-standing mixture or large bowl, then add the butter and beat on a low setting until it comes together. Turn the speed up a little and continue beating until it is well mixed. Add all of the cream cheese and mix until it is well combined and smooth, then turn up to a higher setting and beat for roughly 5 minutes until the icing is light and fluffy. Be careful not to overbeat the mixture though as it can turn runny quickly!

Once the cupcakes are completely cold decorate them with the icing then finish with a light sprinkling of cinnamon or if you are making them for Halloween, some Halloween inspired sprinkles or other decorations.

*I have added a little extra sugar to the cupcakes as we find it needs a touch more sweetness to it. If, however you prefer your cream cheese icing to have a bit of tang to it then use 300g of icing sugar instead.

Creepy Crawly 'Mud Pie' Cupcakes

These are the perfect little treats to make for Halloween that both kids and adults alike will love. They are so easy as really they are just Chocolate Cupcakes but they look so great and are a fun treat to make. If you can't get or don't have the little silicone terracotta pots you can use any little cup or plastic container you can find – they will still look great! For a final touch you could also add a little sprig of greenery (some fresh herbs work great) but for Halloween I like the earthy, dark look! Have fun and make them your own – it's what it's all about!

As always this is my trusty cupcake recipe that I always use which is taken from The Hummingbird Bakery Cookbook.

Makes 12

For the Chocolate Cupcakes:

100g plain or all-purpose flour

20g cocoa powder

140g caster or berry sugar

1 ½ tsp baking powder

a pinch of salt

40g unsalted butter, softened

½ tsp vanilla extract

120ml milk

1 egg

For the Chocolate Buttercream:

300g icing sugar

40g cocoa powder

100g unsalted butter, softened

40ml milk

To decorate:

12 x Silicone flowerpot muffin cases*

8-10 plain chocolate biscuits of your choice, crushed finely (although it's ok to have different sizes)

Edible glitter (optional)
Jelly worms and spiders

Cheese & Spring Onion Scones

As I've already mentioned (in my last post) right now is one of my favourite seasons ever - Soup Season! Cold days and steaming hot bowls of homely, filling and nourishing soup go hand and hand but when you really want to turn a piping hot bowl of soup into a meal, you can't beat a little something on the side! For me it's almost a necessity to have something to dip into my soup and favourites include things as simple as some thickly sliced fresh bread slathered with butter, an oozing Cheese Toastie or these Cheese and Spring Onion Scones. They are so easy to make and don't take long at all and really are the perfect accompaniment to a hot bowl of soup on a crisp Autumn day. They are also great on their own and would make a perfect accompaniment to an Afternoon Tea Party, Picnic or light lunch, filled with some good mature cheddar, chutney of your choice and some rocket. Either way they won't last long!

450g all-purpose flour, plus extra for dusting

1 tbsp baking powder

½ tsp salt

150g cold butter, cut into cubes

1 tsp chilli flakes (optional)

4-6 spring onions (depending on how big they are), finely sliced

150g strong cheddar cheese, grated

150-175ml milk, plus extra for brushing

Preheat the oven to 400F/ 200C and lightly dust a baking tray with some flour then set aside.

Mix the flour, baking powder and salt in a large bowl then add the cubes of cold butter. Using your finger tips gently rub the butter into the flour until you have coarse crumbs. Stir in half of the chilli flakes (if using), the spring onions and 100g of the cheese. Mix it all together then gradually add 150ml of milk until you have a soft dough. If you need to add the remaining little bit of milk.

Dust a large chopping board or other work surface with flour and turn the scone mixture out onto the surface. Knead the mixture together gently until it just comes together then roll out (or you can gently press it out with the palm of your hand) until it is a thickness of roughly 2.5cm. Using a 6cm (2 ½ inch) round pastry cutter cut out the scones until you have 12 (just re-roll the trimmings until you have 12).

Place the scones on the prepared baking tray and brush each one with a little milk. Sprinkle over a touch of the remaining chilli and the last 50g of cheese then bake in the preheated oven for 12-18 minutes* until golden.

Once ready transfer to a wire rack and leave to cool slightly before splitting and filling as you like (see above) or simply slathering with butter and dipping into a hot bowl of soup!

*The time needed will vary on your oven and where you live but for me it takes longer. Start checking after 12 minutes and go from there until they are raised, golden and covered in melted cheese!

Mint Chocolate Cupcakes

Both my husband and Wee One absolutely love Mint Choc Chip Ice Cream and every weekend (more or less!) for a special treat after dinner that is exactly what Wee One asks for (complete with Chocolate Sauce and Sprinkles!), so I decided for a change to make some Mint Chocolate Cupcakes instead. Light and moist chocolate cupcakes are topped with a lovely fresh tasting mint buttercream creating the perfect popular flavour combination! It is my basic cupcake recipe and is so simple to make that even Wee One helped out, both with the cupcakes and decorating (unfortunately his finished cupcakes didn't quite make the photography session!!).

If you are a fan of Mint Chocolate you will love these and they are special enough that they would make a delicious fun dessert to offer at your next dinner party.....the only problem I had was that they didn't even last until the weekend!

Coconut & Lime Macaroons

Since I am a huge fan of coconut and especially coconut and lime, it's no surprise that I absolutely love these Macaroons. They are quick and easy to make and utterly irresistible! Sweet and chewy the lime cuts through a little just to add just enough zing to stop them from being too cloyingly sweet.

I've tried lots of different macaroon recipes over the years but this one is my favourite since it is very straightforward, quick and easy and doesn't fail. It's a recipe by Rachel Allen from Home Cooking, I just changed it to use lime instead of the cinnamon that she prefers. This is a great recipe for getting kids cooking in the kitchen as it's as simple as 1-2-3 and is perfect for making if you have any unexpected guests showing up and even better it is also gluten free. If you have a batch of these in the cookie jar you are guaranteed to keep everyone happy.

Makes roughly 12 bite-sized cookies

100g shredded coconut
75g sugar
Zest of 1/2 lime
1 egg white

Preheat oven to 350F and line a baking tray with parchment paper.

Simply put all of the ingredients into a bowl and mix everything together until well combined. Use a tablespoon to measure out the macaroons and then with damp hands roll them into little balls and pop onto the baking tray.

Bake in the preheated oven for 12-15 minutes until light golden brown. Cool on the tray for roughly 5 minutes then transfer to a wire rack to finish cooling.


Variation:
For an extra indulgent treat dip half of the macaroons into melted dark chocolate. Total decadence!

Mini Eclairs

These little eclairs are the perfect treat to make for a special occasion. They aren't as time consuming as normal eclairs since they are filled with vanilla whipped cream rather than a custard filling, but they taste every bit as good and make a delicious change to traditional chocolate eclairs. Now they might not look perfect but they are homemade and made with love so for those of you in the UK why not treat your Mum this weekend and make up a batch of these to celebrate Mother's Day. She'll certainly thank you for them!

This recipe is the same as my recipe for Profiteroles I've just changed the quantities of cream filling and the topping.

Chocolate Valentines Cookies

Chocolate and hearts – the perfect treat to make for Valentines Day! Sugar cookies are not only fun to make (and great if you have little children to keep busy) and delicious to eat, but they are make a great personal gift to give to someone. Make up a batch, keep some for yourself and treat everyone you love this Valentines Day!

Coconut Cake {A Random Recipe Challenge}

I love the Random Recipes Challenge set to us by the lovely Dom of Belleau Kitchen, however for the past couple of months I have missed the deadlines due to (let's be honest here) too much basking in the wonderful Canadian sun! This month however I was determined to take part especially when it was revealed that this months challenged was teamed up with Tea Time Treats courtesy of Karen from Lavender &Lovage and Kate from What Kate Baked. Not so good for my expanding waist line but a challenge is a challenge and I had to do it after being absent for so long, so like the good girl that I am I headed straight to my baking collection of books. Now the challenge was Tea Time Treats so it seemed only appropriate to pick the book Afternoon Tea Parties by Susannah Blake, since that's as close as you get to any Tea Time Treats! I closed my eyes and randomly flicked through the pages. When I stopped I was extremely happy to discover I had picked her 'Snow-topped Coconut Cake' which was part of the Winter Wonderland tea menu. Since I love coconut and lime I was ecstatic, and after drooling over the accompanying picture for a couple of weeks I finally got round to baking the cake.

'Chewy, Gooey' Raisin Chocolate Chip Cookies

Two things that Wee One really likes is to be kept busy and to eat cookies! So the other day we decided to tick both boxes and make some cookies which I thought would make him extremely happy. It worked and a was a big success and surprisingly not too messy!!

These cookies are really easy to make and don't take long at all so you can have warm-from-the-oven, fresh chewy, gooey cookies in no time! Guaranteed to put a smile on anyone's face!

This is the same recipe for my Cranberry and White Chocolate Cookies but replacing the Cranberries & White Chocolate with Raisins and Milk Chocolate.

Rose Cupcakes for a Wedding

 I've been meaning to post these cupcakes for a while since they were part of the Wedding Cake my Mum and I made for my sister's wedding. She decided that they wanted cupcakes for their wedding which delighted me as I love making cupcakes! That was the only instructions we were given by the relaxed bride to be and groom – the rest was up to us!

Since the reception was in my parent's garden we decided to make three different flavours of cakes – Vanilla, Lemon and Rose.....light and Summery and perfect for a garden wedding. The Rose Cupcakes were also chosen since her flowers all featured beautiful roses so it worked perfectly. The day before the wedding Mum & I set to work baking 144 cupcakes which we then filled with a little buttercream (flavoured to match the cake) then topped with either fondant or royal icing and finished with one of three decorations! It was a busy day to say the least but we did it and the final results turned out pretty well, if I say so myself!

Black Forest Cupcakes

As soon as I saw the cherry cupcake wrappers in the shop I knew they were just perfect for some Black Forest Cupcakes and what better time to make them as a treat for not only my own Birthday but also for my Mother-in-law whose Birthday is just 2 days after mine! Hubby was away so with a full bag of cherries in the fridge it was the perfect time to make them. I used my basic chocolate cupcake recipe which I filled with some cherry jam and topped with some whipped cream, some dark chocolate and of course a fresh cherry. The perfect bite-sized Birthday cake even if I do say so myself! And for an extra special treat rather than using whipping cream try using a scoop of good quality vanilla ice cream instead! Decadent and delicious!

Cookbook Review ~ The Hummingbird Bakery Cake Days - Tarek Malouf

It was only a matter of time before I reviewed this book - The Hummingbird Bakery Cake Days....For those of you that regularly follow my blog you will know that the recipe for my Cupcakes is courtesy of the first book by Tarek Malouf – The Hummingbird Bakery (which was the first book I ever reviewed). I can't say enough how much I love the recipe – it never fails me and every time I make Cupcakes I end up with beautifully moist, melt in your mouth cakes that disappear far too quickly! So as I said, it was literally only a matter of time before I gave in and book number two was used and reviewed!

This book varies slightly from the first (in addition to the obvious fact that it's about 3 times as big!) in that the chapters are divided into occasions instead of specific cakes, such as Valentine's Day; Spring Weekend Bakes; Mother's and Father's Day; Birthdays and Celebrations and Rainy Day Treats to name a few. I happen to love this – it makes searching for a recipe for a special occasion so much easier. The rest of the book however is on the same par as the first, filled with mouthwatering pictures of delicious cakes that you just want to devour and the accompanying recipes don't disappoint. Now as much as I was desperate to review this book it was a little trickier for me than any other book I review as generally we don't eat a lot of baking in this house – unless of course it's a special occasion! Not because we don't enjoy it, but more so that with just being the 3 of us (and really Wee One has only recently started eating cookies and cakes and is definitely limited to special treats!) we just don't eat enough to justify me making a giant cake. I would love to – really I would, but my jeans and expanding waistline wouldn't, so I had to tread with caution for this review! Thankfully I chose to review it when Mum was out visiting so that we had at least one extra person in the house to help enjoy the results! I did however decide to only review 3 recipes for the time being but there are so many amazing looking treats and delights that I will certainly be trying a lot more in the future and will try and update here when possible!

The 12 Days of Christmas ~ Day 12: Cake Pops Christmas Tree

The last and final day of my 12 Days of Christmas and I had to end on a high note, so for my Twelfth Day I present my Cake Pops Christmas Tree!

I had always planned to do cake pops but just wasn't sure how best to present them and so I have to thank Buttercream Blondie for the inspiration after seeing her fantastic Cupcake Tree! Although it looks like a lot of work it really isn't too bad and to be honest I had so much fun making this. I made this for a party we were at and it was the perfect dessert to take as not only are they delicious bites of cake, but it makes a beautiful centerpiece for the table. It certainly got everyone talking – that is when their mouths weren't full of cake!!

The 12 Days of Christmas ~ Day 10: Christmas Cookies

Well just like I can't have a celebration without Cupcakes, you can't have Christmas without some Cookies and these are my favourite cookies to make for Christmas. They do take a bit more time (especially in comparison to my Cranberry & White Chocolate Cookies) but I think they are well worth the effort. Besides I find it quite relaxing and fun to sit down and ice them! It also makes a great project to do with children and as well as getting to eat delicious, iced cookies they make fantastic and unique name settings for your Christmas Day table!

This is my standard cookie recipe for when I make Iced Cookies (courtesy of Peggy Porschen and her beautiful books) and is the same one that I used for my Valentines Cookies, I just used a vanilla bean instead of the lemon zest, but if you prefer you could flavour them with lemon, orange or even lime zest for a fruity flavour.

200g unsalted butter, softened

200g caster or berry sugar

1 vanilla bean, seeds scraped out

1 large egg

400g all-purpose or plain flour

To decorate:

12g / 1 heaped tbsp dried egg white powder (meringue powder)

500g icing sugar

1 tsp lemon juice

5-6 tbsp water

Food colouring – red/ green/blue

Edible glitter

Cream together the butter, sugar and vanilla (or other flavouring of your choice) using an electric mixer. Be careful not to over mix as this can cause the mixture to spread during baking. Lightly beat the egg then mix into the cream and sugar until well mixed. With the mixer on low gradually add the flour until a dough forms. Take the dough out and form it into a large disc then wrap in cling film and chill for at least 1 hour.

Line a baking tray with baking parchment or greaseproof paper.

Sprinkle some flour on a large chopping board or your work surface. I tend to cut the dough in half and work on one half at a time. Put the dough onto the floured surface and knead slightly before rolling out to roughly ¼ inch in thickness. Using cookie cutters of your choice cut out the shapes and carefully place onto the lined baking tray. Once they are all cut out chill the cookies for another 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 350F/ 180C/ GM 4. Bake the cookies for 8-12 minutes, depending on the size, until they have just turned golden-brown at the edges. Remove from the oven and let cool on a wire rack.

While the cookies are cooling make up your icing. Sift the dried egg white (meringue powder) and icing sugar into the bowl of a free-standing mixture or large bowl, then add the lemon juice and 5 tbsp of water. Starting on a very low setting mix everything together then increase the speed and mix until well combined, glossy and smooth. In order to pipe the outlines you want the icing to be fairly thick so don't be tempted to thin it too much.

Divide the icing into bowls depending on how many colours you want to make, then add a little food colouring to each bowl (I use gel paste food colouring so it doesn't thin the icing anymore and use a cocktail stick to add the colouring – a little goes a long way!).

Put a little of each icing into a piping bag – I use sandwich bags then cut the very corner off so you just have a small hole. Carefully pipe the outline of the cookies. Once they have all been done you can add a little extra water to each icing to thin it slightly. Spoon some icing into the centre of each cookie and carefully let it flood to the edges, helping it with the back of the spoon or a small spatula (or in extreme cases – ie. Very small areas, I have even used a toothpick!). Once the cookie is evenly covered set aside and repeat using up all of that colour. Once you are finished sprinkle over the edible glitter if using then let dry completely. Repeat with all of the cookies and continue to decorate as you please. The perfect Christmas cookie, place setting or gift!

The 12 Days of Christmas ~ Day 8: Christmas Cupcakes

Well it just wouldn't be a celebration without some cupcakes, so here for Day 8 of my 12 Days of Christmas are my Christmas Cupcakes! At this time of year I actually prefer to make my vanilla cupcakes since I find there is so many other things with spices and fruits in them, so this makes a lovely light change. That being said if you prefer you could easily add the zest from a couple of clementines to the cake mix instead of the vanilla or why not try adding some cinnamon for a cinnamon cupcake!

I decided to keep the icing nice and simple meaning that these cupcakes take no time at all to make (and even less time to eat and enjoy!) and finished them off with some edible stars and glitter for a festive sparkle!

Makes 12 cupcakes

120g plain or all-purpose flour

140g caster or berry sugar

1 ½ tsp baking powder

a pinch of salt

40g unsalted butter, softened

½ tsp vanilla extract

120ml milk

1 egg

Royal Icing:

225g icing sugar

2 tsp {6g} dried egg white powder {white meringue powder}

Few drops of vanilla extract (optional – if you are keeping the icing white I wouldn't recommend it!)

2-3 tbsp water

Food colouring of your choice (or keep it white)

To Decorate:

Edible gold stars and glitter

Preheat your oven to 170C/ 325F/ GM 3 and line a cupcake tin with medium sized paper cases.

Place the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and butter into the bowl of a KitchenAid (or other freestanding mixer) and using the paddle attachment mix slowly until everything is combined and you have a sandy consistency (if you don't have a KitchenAid use a hand-held electric beater). While the mixer is running, slowly pour in half of the milk and mix until it's just incorporated. Add the egg to the remaining milk along with the vanilla and continue beating until it's mixed in. Scrape down the sides of the bowl to make sure everything is properly mixed but be careful not to over beat the mixture.

Evenly spoon the cake mixture into the cupcake cases and bake for 20-25 minutes until the sponge bounces back when touched (with my oven 22 minutes works perfectly every time) and a skewer comes out clean when put into the center of the cake. Leave to cool for a few minutes then transfer the cupcakes onto a wire rack and allow to cool completely.

While the cupcakes are cooling make the icing. Sift the icing sugar and the dried egg white powder/ meringue powder into a medium sized bowl then add the vanilla (if using) and enough water to make a smooth icing – you don't want it too runny so I add the water a tablespoon at a time, until I get the right consistency. If you are colouring the icing divide it into bowls then add a little food colouring to each bowl and mix well. When the cupcakes have completely cooled spoon over the icing so that you have an even, glossy and smooth cover, then finish with a sprinkling of stars and glitter.

The 12 Days of Christmas ~ Day 4: Gingerbread

Day 4 of my 12 Days of Christmas continues with another firm favourite in our house – Gingerbread!

I can't think of many other things that fill the house with the smell of Christmas quite like Gingerbread. I have Nigella to thank for this recipe, well actually I think we all have her to thank as I'm pretty sure you will want to try this one out! I always make 2 batches of this – one to pop in the freezer for when I have people coming round, and one to devour myself as it is impossible to make this and not enjoy a piece while it is still warm. My only word of advice for eating this is to make sure you sit down with a cup of tea, put your feet up and don't attempt to do anything else as it is so deliciously sticky you will only make a mess!

150g unsalted butter

200g golden syrup

200g black treacle or molasses (I use molasses)

125g dark muscovado sugar

2 tsp finely grated fresh ginger

1 tsp ground ginger

1 tsp ground cinnamon

¼ tsp ground cloves

1 tsp bicarbonate of soda (baking soda), dissolved in 2 tbsp warm water

250ml milk

2 eggs, beaten

300g plain or all-purpose flour

Icing sugar to decorate (optional)

Edible glitter in white or silver (optional)

Preheat the oven to 325F/ 170C and line an ovenproof baking dish with baking parchment (approx. 30cm x 20cm x 5cm – however I used my square one which is 26cm x 26cm).

Put the butter in a medium sized pan along with the syrup, molasses or treacle, sugar, fresh ginger, ground ginger, cinnamon and cloves and gently heat until the butter has melted.

Remove from the heat then add the bicarbonate of soda and water mixture, milk and the beaten eggs and stir well.

Put the flour into another bowl (If you have a stand mixer put it into that bowl) and then add the liquid ingredients and beat well until it is well mixed. Pour the mixture into the lined baking dish – it will be very runny, but don't be alarmed, it should be like this – and bake for 45-60 minutes (50 minutes works well for me). Once ready it should be nicely risen and firm on top. As Nigella says, try not to overcook it as it will continue to cook a little as it cools.

Transfer onto a wire rack and let the gingerbread cool in the tin. If you like you can freeze it at this point but I can never resist a slice (which is why I always make 2 cakes!) so I sprinkle it with a snowy and powdery dusting of icing sugar and of course a touch of edible glitter before cutting into nice squares and enjoying with a hot cup of tea.

The 12 Days of Christmas ~ Day 3: Cranberry and White Chocolate Cookies

I don't make a lot of cookies, but when I do these are top of my list as they are are so good and it just wouldn't be Christmas without them! The combination of the juicy, tart cranberries with the sweet white chocolate is a match made in heaven. These have become our annual cookies for enjoying while decorating the Christmas tree with a mug of steaming hot chocolate but they are perfect for any occasion whether it's writing your Christmas cards, for a cookie swap, to take to a party as a hostess gift or simply for just sitting down with a good cup of tea and putting your feet up for a moment! They won't last long though so you might want to make a couple of batches....and if that doesn't tempt you they also freeze well so you can make them in advance, keep a few for yourself and freeze the rest for whenever you need them. One thing's for sure though, if you leave these out for Santa you will definitely top the 'nice' list!

Makes approx. 15 - 20 cookies depending on how big you make them.

150g all-purpose or plain flour

½ tsp baking powder

½ tsp salt

100g rolled oats

125g soft unsalted butter

75g dark brown sugar

100g caster sugar

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 large egg

100g dried cranberries

150g white chocolate chips

Preheat the oven to 350F/ 180C and line 2 baking sheets with greaseproof paper then set aside.

Put the flour, baking powder, salt and oats into a bowl and mix then put to the side.

If you have a KitchenAid (or other stand mixer) put the softened butter and both the sugar into it then using the paddle attachment beat together until softened and creamy. (If you don't have a stand mixer use either a hand mixer or just some good old fashion arm power!) Add the vanilla and egg and continue to beat until it is properly mixed in, making sure to stop and scrape down the sides of the bowl.

Add the flour mixture and continue to mix until combined then turn the mixer off and remove the bowl before folding in the cranberries and chocolate.

You can either roll tablespoons of the mixture with your hands or if you have one I use a medium sized ice cream scoop, which in my opinion makes the perfect sized cookies (plus it's easier and they are all evenly sized!). Either way put a good sized spoonful of the cookie mixture onto the lined baking sheets, leaving spaces in between each one. Gently press down the cookies a little to flatten them slightly then bake in the oven for 15 minutes. After 15 minutes they will still feel a bit soft but should be a light golden colour so remove them and leave on the baking tray for 5 minutes in which time they will harden. Transfer the cookies to a wire rack and allow to cool (as long as you can patiently wait!) before treating yourself to the most delicious and easy Christmas cookie!