Oatmeal Cookies (Whole Wheat)

This recipe is adapted from Joy of Baking

Ingredients:

Walnuts - 1 cup
Butter at room temperature - 3/4 cup
Brown sugar - 1 cup
Pear - 1 medium
Vanilla extract - 1 tsp
Whole wheat flour - 3/4 cup
Baking soda - 3/4 tsp
Salt - 1/4 tsp
Cinnamon - 1/2 tsp
Oats - 3 cups
Raisins - 1 cup
Milk - as required

Preheat oven to 200 degrees C.

Toast walnuts on a baking sheet for 10 minutes. Cool and chop coarsely.

Puree pear with milk, if required into a smooth paste. Beat butter and sugar in a stand mixer until pale. Add pureed pear and vanilla extract and beat until combined.

Sift flour, bakind soda, salt and Cinnamon into the above mixture and beat at a slow speed.

Finally, add oats, walnuts and raisins.

Using an icecream scoop, place cookie batter on a parchment lined baking sheet with enough space between each cookie. Flatten the batter with a fork or your fingers.

Bake for 15 minutes until golden brown around the outer circumference.

Cool on a wire rack and store in an airtight container.

It is snowing

The daily temperatures were just shy of teens last week and there was plenty of sunshine, which led me to believe that winter was over and spring was already on its way. But this week, it is snowing away to glory. This morning I had to drop Sunshine at his daycare as DH had a conference in another city and he had to leave early. I slipped several times, but managed to get us both to the daycare in one piece. Now, back at my home office, with my working hours for the day clocked already, I can look out of the window and enjoy the snowfall. Watching huge flakes of snow falling down slowly and liesurely calms me down like nothing else can. I don't have to drive anywhere in this weather, so I can just enjoy its beauty and my homemade caramel sauce.

I have to share my recipe because it is heavenly. It is adapted from Ina Garten's caramel sauce recipe.

Caramel Sauce

Homemade caramel sauce - my heaven in a jar

Sugar - 11/2 cups
Cream - 11/2 cups
Vanilla - 1 tsp
Water - 1/3 cup
Butter - 1 Tbsp
Salt - 1/4 tsp

Mix sugar, salt, butter and water in a heavy bottomed pan and put it on medium heat till sugar dissolves, swirling in between. (NO STIRRING)

Once sugar dissolves, raise the heat to medium high. Swirl frequently until sugar caramelises and turns dark copper. Take off heat as soon as it starts to smoke. Take it off the heat when it reaches a dark amber colour if you do not like the intense caramel flavour.

Add cream and vanilla and stir well. Return to the stove and stir until a smooth creamy sauce is formed.

Cool to room temperature and store in fridge. Enjoy it with your homemade icecreams, cakes or just lick it off a spoon like I do when it is snowing.