February 14, 2016
Hey guys! It’s officially Valentines day! A day used to celebrate all forms of love and to remember St. Valentine. Valentines day is a holiday based on an ancient Roman festival of Lupercalia, a fertility celebration commemorated annually on the 15th. Most scholars believe St. Valentine was a priest who attracted disfavor of Roman Emperor Claudius II. ( I you ask me it sounds like he messed up his groove)
Anyways..Since Claudius II had prohibited marriage of young men (to keep his soldiers single) St. Valentine secretly performed marriages for them but was eventually apprehended by the Romans to e put to death. The legend goes that Valentine fell in love with the daughter of the jailer and would send her letters often signed “from your Valentine”. … Isn't that cute? It would be like me sending love letters and signing “from your Sydney”… or would I use Syd?... anyways..
All right the real reason you are all here is to get a sweet new recipe for Valentines day. Personally I don’t feel like you can pin “special” or “love” on one specific food because it is different for everyone. So that being said I am going to give you a new recipe but first I have to tell you another love story. (I promise it will include the food).
There are many kinds of love: Romantic, Brotherly, and the love of Friendship. My good friend Lizz came to me and asked me to help her with a baking project for valentines day. She is friends with one of the British Foreign exchange students and wanted to give him something that would remind them oh home.
Hobnobs… No I didn’t sneeze
He wanted hobnobs. These are basically the British version of an oatmeal cookie but it tastes a lot like honey smacks cereal.
Considering I had never heard of this recipe I was so intrigued to try it.
Ingredients
150 grams coarsely chopped GF rolled oats (1 ½ cups)
130 grams Canteen blend flour (1 cup) (see notes)
30 grams GF oat flour (1/4 cup) (see notes)
150 grams granulated sugar (3/4 cup)
½ teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon kosher salt
¼ teaspoon baking powder
1 extra large egg
110 grams neutral vegetable oil (1/2 cup minus two teaspoons)
1 tablespoon maple syrup or honey
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350°F. Line two baking pans with parchment paper. In a large bowl whisk together oats, flours, sugar, baking soda, salt and baking powder until combined. In a small bowl whisk together egg, oil, maple syrup and vanilla until combined. Add to oat flour mixture and stir until mixture comes away from the sides of the bowl and everything is well blended. Expect the dough to feel a little oily, but don't worry about that - they aren't greasy once baked.
Scoop 1 tablespoon sized pieces of dough and squeeze together. Roll the dough into a ball in the palm of your hand. Flatten slightly. Place 8 to a cookie sheet. Cover with plastic wrap and flatten dough balls until they are about ¼-inch thick and no more than 2-inches around.
Place in the oven and bake 12 minutes. Rotate pans. Bake 4-6 minutes more or until they are dark nutty brown but don’t let them burn – watch carefully. Every oven is calibrated slightly differently so keep an eye on them because they go from nutty brown to over done in a flash. You’re looking for a crispy nutty brown and crispy cookie. They do become more crispy as they cool. Transfer cookies to a rack to cool completely. Makes 26-30 cookies.
A few tips with this recipe.
USE THE PARCHMENT PAPER. These cookies like to stick to the pan so make sure you use wither parchment paper or really grease the bottom of the pan and remove them from the pan immediately from the oven. If your cookie breaks while still hot you can re mold and shape them and when they cool they will be in one piece again. They might not need to bake the entire 12 min so watch these cookies like a hawk they bake quickly but they are well worth it. I would suggest checking them every 6 min.
I hope you all enjoy your cooking adventures and have a Happy Valentine's Day!
From your Sydney…… From your Syd….
Sorry guys it’s not gonna stick like the hobnobs do to a cookie sheet.
Keep it real,
Syd.