Sticky flapjack recipe

Decorating a house as a couple is not so much about making compromise than knowing which battles you are unlikely to ever win and putting your energy into battles that are not completely hopeless.

After having tried for months to get The Man to agree in buying a red sofa for our future house (I may have an obsessive passion for the colour red), I've finally understood that it's never going to happen and that I might get luckier in working him on us adopting a kitten. 
If that doesn't work, I even have a secret weapon; getting his dream beast of smoker-barbecue that costs almost as much as a car (I'm serious, the thing exists and is called a Big Green Egg)

Actually, thinking about it, if I play it well, the crazy barbecue might actually get me a kitten sharpening his claws on a beautiful red sofa...!

Florence's Sticky Golden Syrup Flapjacks

Forget about healthy oat bars, these flapjacks are sticky, naughty, and that's the reason why I like them so much. 
There are crunchier than your usual flapjacks. 
This simple, foolproof recipe was given to me by Florence, my Marmelade boss (who takes her nickname from the fact that she makes the meanest orange marmelade and taught me how to make it myself). 
Make a big batch, they keep well, and there are so good they won't last long anyway!

Ingredients

110g Rolled Oats
150g muesli or granola
A small handful of any dried fruit and or nuts that you like, roughly chopped (I used 100% natural French glacé cherries, raisins, almonds and peanuts)
2 tbsp golden syrup
225g light muscovado or demerara sugar
225g butter

Method for the sticky flapjacks

Preheat the oven at 185deg C

1/ In a saucepan, melt the sugar, butter and golden syrup and mix with a wooden spoon until well combined. 

2/ Add the oats, granola and nuts and fruits and mix well until fully coated in sugar and butter syrup. Turn off the heat.

3/ Transfer to a buttered brownie or metal pie dish, press firmly onto the base and cook in the centre of the oven for about 35 min until golden on top and on the edges. Leave to cool completely before cutting into squares with a sharp knife. Store in an airtight container or cookie jar/box in the fridge for up to 3 or 4 days.

Chewy peanut butter and chocolate cookies : homemade Ben's cookies

This is it. 
I'm all packed up and ready to move in with The Man at the end of the week.
I'm excited, obviously. 
I'm looking forward to it, obviously. 
I'll see him everyday, and his home and my home will become our home and we'll live happily forever after (she writes with little hearts and sparkles in her eyes).
...But slowly, the word "compromise" has appeared in the corner of my mind, and its slowly sinks in, the stress is not doing much for my blood pressure.

So, from now on, I won't be able to sleep like in the middle of the bed ever again, is that right?
And I'll have to share the power over the remote control, my kitchen, the way the bed is tucked in or the dish washer filled in, what we're having for dinner? ...

Hello, my name is Pauline, I'm 31, I'm a bit of a control freak and I'm about to test life a couple's life for the first time.
Thank god, I'm dating the most laid back man in the whole of United Kingdom. We're both going to need it for the transition period!

Best ever 

Peanut Butter and Chocolate Cookies, 

like homemade Ben's cookies

I am crazy about everything tasting of peanut butter, and Ben's peanut butter cookies in particular. After several attempts, I came up with this recipe which makes peanut butter cookies, which are firm on the outside and chewy in the middle, and overall absolutely divine.
I added toasted mixed nuts as well as chocolate chunks, but to be honest I think these cookies would be just as delicious without chocolate.

Ingredients

makes approx 15 large cookies

225g packed brown sugar

120g granulated sugar

250g unsalted butter, at room temperature

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

2 eggs

300g flour

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking powder

270g old-fashioned rolled oats

150g chopped mixed nuts (peanuts, brazil nuts, pecan nuts, almonds), toasted
150g chocolate chunks (I mixed dark and white chocolate) - optional
2 heaped tbsp smooth peanut butter 

Method

1/ Pre heat oven to 190c

2/ Cream the sugars and butter, and then add the vanilla extract and the peanut butter

3/ Beat in the eggs, one at a time

4/ Sieve the flour, salt and baking powder and gently add to the mix. Do not over mix

5/ Stir in the oats, nuts and chocolate chunks, if using any

6/ Line a baking tray with baking parchment

7/ Divide mix into balls between 40 and 80g depending on size preference (I made 80g cookies) and space out on a prepared tray leaving 2 cm between each one, pressing down slightly

8/ Bake for about 15 mins until golden around the edge. Leave to cool for 10 mins before transferring to cooling wire and leave to cool completely before storing in a cookie jar.

My Tips: 
Why weighing each cookie individually before baking? to ensure they all are the same size and will therefor cook at the same speed. This will ensure consistent cookies!
Why waiting for the cookies to cool completely before storing them in a jar? Because otherwise they will release steam in the jar and become soft.

Different sizes for different cookies: the bigger the cookies, the more soft in the middle. Small cookies might be crunchy all way through. 

Fun fact: did you know that the peanut is a legume / a bean and not a nut?