If you are around the same age as me you would have just started university in 1985 when the American rock band Starship released their single We Built This City.
The 1980s was a wonderful time to be young and to imagine we could build a city on rock and roll. Why ever not?
40 years on, London is now built on 20 miles-per-hour speed limits, an underground (subway/ metro) system that takes you everywhere but on filth seating that sags, and dockless electric bikes that are an affront to every pedestrian trying to walk along a pavement. You are a saint if it has not crossed your mind to push over one of these bikes that is in your way, but of course we never do this as it would simply make it worse for the next pedestrian.
Instead, this being a new year, I have downloaded the Lime App and intend to report every Lime bike illegally parked on a pavement that I am walking on.
But London is also still a great city: museums with no entrance fees, the Elizabeth Line that brings you to and from the airport, open spaces and royal parks to picnic in, well-preserved heritage buildings, really good shopping and every type of world cuisine you care to chow down on.
So I think I will stay for a little while longer, and whilst I am staying I might as well make some cookies.
Today’s recipe is taken from the Gail’s Cookbook. I live not far from the first Gail’s shop in Hampstead. Before that I was a big fan of Baker and Spice (same owner). Gail’s has reduced their range of breads but it is still a very reliable stop for any type of baked item.
These cookies are simple to make. I have kept the cranberries whole, reduced the sugar content and made the cookies bigger than what is stated in the recipe. The method below is how I made them.
You will get from this amount of dough: 30 x 30 g cookies, 23 x 40 g cookies and 15 x 60 g cookies. I used an ice cream scoop to make measuring the right amount of dough easier.
For the Cookies:
140 g plain flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon fine sea salt
110 g pecans, toasted and roughly chopped
80 g dried cranberries
200 g rolled oats
170 g unsalted butter, at room temperature
60 g light muscovado sugar
120 g unrefined caster sugar
1 egg, at room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
You will also need 2 large baking sheets, lined with baking paper.
How to Make:
Sift the flour, baking powder and salt into a large mixing bowl. Stir in the pecans, cranberries and oats. Leave aside.
Place the butter in the mixing bowl of a stand mixer (I used a KitchenAid) fitted with the paddle attachment. Beat at high speed until pale and creamy.
Add the sugar and continue beating until it is incorporated and the mixture looks light and fluffy.
Stop the motor and add in the dry ingredients. Mix at low speed until everything is just combined. The cookie dough is quite stiff.
Remove the mixing bowl from its stand, place a cover on and chill for 30 minutes. The temperature outside was 0°C when I was making the dough so I simply placed the mixing bowl on the patio.
When you are ready to bake, preheat the oven to 150°C fan/ 170°C.
Form the dough into the size of cookies you would like. 30 g would be the right size for tea with the ladies, 40 g as a lunch box addition and 60 g is worth the effort of baking at home instead of going to your local Gail’s.
Roll each ball of dough between your palms then press down lightly. Place on the baking sheet, leaving space in between as they will expand in the oven.
Bake for 20 minutes (18 minutes for 40 g and 15 minutes for 30 g). The edges of the cookies would have turned slightly brown, with the centre slightly puffed up.
The dough is fairly stiff and easy to scoop out and shape
Time for tea
The Book:
Gail’s Artisan Bakery Cookbook by Roy Levy and Gail Mejia, published by Ebury Press, ISBN 978-0091948979.
The book was published in 2014 and the recipes therein will not reflect all the bakes sold in the shop today. Nevertheless the recipes given are all very good, well photographed and clearly written. Most importantly the measurements are in metric and the font size not too small for reading.