I have spoken about the friends I am so grateful to have made through food blogging and about my Blogga Sistahs (though there is a brother or two as well and you know who you are), as we call ourselves, who have come to my rescue in this most difficult of times. They have sent virtual hug after virtual hug, they have let me talk about the hurt, the pain, theyhave made me laugh and lightened the burden. And a couple of the dearest have swooped in and offered to keep my blog going while I am in Florida. Beautiful Hilda of Saffron & Blueberry is one and Deeba of Passionate About Baking is another. Deeba is a true soul mate, we so completely understand each other from the goings on in our daily lives to our baking successes and woes right down to our emotional rhythms. We share a wicked sense of humor and a certain goofiness that makes us us. We connect on all levels and she has become a true friend, kind and generous and making me laugh - often at myself - every day. Here is her guest post:
“The most beautiful discovery true friends make is that they can grow separately without growing apart.”
Elisabeth Foley
I'm a bit nervous to be doing a guest post for Jamie, my dear dear friend, who I met over a few tweets not very long ago. Jamie who writes in a style so unique, so enchanting & so 'head-nodding' is someone precious I am glad to have met. Continents separate us, but thanks to twitter, we are virtually stepping into each others lives. What brought a bunch of us closer together was the Mac Attack, that Jamie steered, almost magically & breathlessly.
I am honoured to be doing a guest post for her beautiful blog, but under circumstances that are not the best. Jamie recently lost her beloved brother Michael, tragically to Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis or Lou Gehrig's Disease before she could meet him, in October, when she was due to fly in. She is in the States now for a while, keeping her Mum company, sharing memories and lightening the atmosphere in true Jamie style.
I saw these cookies at Brown Eyed Baker a few days ago & my first thought was how lovely and comforting they looked. Said to be the famed Neiman Marcus cookies, off a recipe that has been making the rounds via e-mail for ages, they have rave reviews. The difference in these cookies is the way the oats are added. They are ground into oat flour and give the cookie a lovely texture, more wholesome than the plain flour chocolate chips cookies, yet lighter than regular oat cookies. I think they bridge the gap perfectly & I had to make some for Jamie! I hope you find comfort in these!
You might wonder if they have lavender in them. No they don't actually! I added a sprig of lavender to the pictures because I've begun to associate my one & only precious sprig of lavender with this wonderful girl. She put violet sugar to such great use during our twitter mac attack, turning out macarons after macarons like a pro, that I could only gape. My sprig of lavender reminds me of the violet she used!
You might wonder if they have lavender in them. No they don't actually! I added a sprig of lavender to the pictures because I've begun to associate my one & only precious sprig of lavender with this wonderful girl. She put violet sugar to such great use during our twitter mac attack, turning out macarons after macarons like a pro, that I could only gape. My sprig of lavender reminds me of the violet she used!
Our very own mac queen, these are for you! Must admit I contemplated a batch of macs for the guest post, but my previous misadventures loomed large in front of me! Opted for these instead!
The Neiman Marcus Cookie as adapted from recipe at Brown Eyed BakerMakes about 48 (2½-inch) cookies
Ingredients:2½ cups rolled oats
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1½ cups dark chocolate chips
1½ cups chopped walnuts
Method:
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
2. Blend the oats in a food processor or blender to a fine powder. In a medium bowl whisk together the blended oats with the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Set aside.
3. In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream together the butter and both sugars until light and fluffy, 3-4 minutes. Scrape down the sides and beat in the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in the pure vanilla extract. On low speed gradually mix in the flour mixture, beating just until incorporated. With a rubber spatula fold in the chocolate chips and walnuts.
4. Roll the dough into 2-ounce balls (or about 2 heaping tablespoonfuls worth) and place about 2 inches apart on the baking sheets. Bake in the preheated oven for 12 minutes. Cookies should be lightly brown and set on the outside but still look a little undone in the middle. That’s okay – they will finish setting up after you remove them from the oven. Let cool completely and store in an airtight container.
Method:
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
2. Blend the oats in a food processor or blender to a fine powder. In a medium bowl whisk together the blended oats with the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Set aside.
3. In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream together the butter and both sugars until light and fluffy, 3-4 minutes. Scrape down the sides and beat in the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in the pure vanilla extract. On low speed gradually mix in the flour mixture, beating just until incorporated. With a rubber spatula fold in the chocolate chips and walnuts.
4. Roll the dough into 2-ounce balls (or about 2 heaping tablespoonfuls worth) and place about 2 inches apart on the baking sheets. Bake in the preheated oven for 12 minutes. Cookies should be lightly brown and set on the outside but still look a little undone in the middle. That’s okay – they will finish setting up after you remove them from the oven. Let cool completely and store in an airtight container.
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