In the corner of the kitchen of the house I grew up in was a strawberry-shaped biscuit jar. Being offered a biscuit was always a thrill, but I wasn’t tall enough to see inside, so I’d stand on a stool, reach in and feel around for a favourite. Back then, I wasn’t keen on smooth ones (digestives), and was especially partial to those sandwiched with cream (two for one!), but the holy grail were the ones that mum sometimes made herself: oat cookies. They, like today’s recipe, were craggy and crisp outside, chewy inside, studded with currants and flavoured with chai masala.
Oat, spice and currant cookies
These make a welcome, chocolate-free Easter treat.
Prep 5 min
Cook 25 min
Makes 16
180g wholegrain spelt flour
50g rolled porridge oats
1 tsp baking powder
½ tsp bicarbonate of soda
½ tsp flaky sea salt, crumbled
100g currants
2 tsp chai or mixed spice
50g dark brown soft sugar
100g golden syrup
120ml cold-pressed rapeseed oil
Heat the oven to 200C (180C fan)/390F/gas 6 and line a couple of large trays with baking paper.
In a heatproof bowl, combine the spelt flour, rolled oats, baking powder, bicarb, sea salt, currants and chai spice, and whisk to mix well.
Put the sugar, syrup and oil in a small saucepan, set it over a low heat, cook until the mixture comes to a boil, then take off the heat. Pour into the bowl of dry ingredients and stir with a wooden spoon until everything comes together into a dough.
Roll into balls the size of a ping-pong ball and weighing about 40g each, and place on the baking sheets spaced about 10cm apart – there’s no need to flatten them. Bake for 12 minutes, or until golden in the centre and starting to crisp to a golden brown at the edges.
Remove and leave to cool on the sheets – these cookies regain their integrity when they cool, so they need a bit of a rest before eating.
