That smoked haddock tart was actually on page 16 of my baking book, although it was the first recipe. Page 194 caught my eye: oatmeal coconut cookies. Hmm. Given the success with smoked haddock tart, maybe I should try it? I decided to give it a go,
I took 2 oz of butter with 2 oz of sunflower spread, and creamed it with 2 oz of soft brown sugar and 2 oz of castor sugar. I stirred in an egg, then added half a teaspoon of vanilla essence. So far so good; now in a separate bowl I mixed 4 oz of flour with half a teaspoon of baking powder and a quarter of a teaspoon of bicarbonate of soda. I then added this to the butter and sugar mixture, mixing it in with a fork so it formed a soft, sticky dough.
Then I folded in 2 oz of rolled oats and 1.5 oz of desiccated coconut, mixing it together with a spoon, as instructed. I have to say it looked pretty promising so far. With floured hands I made balls of just over an inch in diameter, and slightly flattened them as I put them onto a greased foil sheet. I’d heated the oven to 180 degrees, so in they went. The recipe said 12-15 minutes, “until golden brown.” In fact it took 13 minutes. I cooled them on a wire rack. There were 14 of them, and the aroma of cooking coconut filled the kitchen.
Now the tasting. They were beautifully soft and fluffy, parting easily in the fingers and melting in the mouth. They were fantastic with single Gloucester cheese. Definitely a success. Chalk up another first. The oatmeal and raisin cookies are next.