The Year of Fun #40: Bake Cookies! - a podcast by Cat Rose: The Creative Introvert

Oh man. I have a tummy ache.

I may have baked cookies. Shortbread, to be more accurate.

And I may have eaten more than my fair share.

I'm really not a chef, a baker or a candlestick maker - which if you've been paying attention to my Year of Fun adventures, you'll know.

But I've had this bizarre and persistent craving for shortbread recently - buttery, crumbly, preferably warm, shortbread.

And each time I attempt to satisfy that craving, I get left a bit disappointed.

Without giving you my full food critic reviews on the shortbread I've tried, I'll just summarise that store-bought shortbread, the kind that comes in a packet and is filled with preservatives and all sorts of shite, is... below average.

I even tried some festive flavoured ones from Tescos, and they were barely tolerable. I choked them down.

I will say that the shortbread in Pret a Manger is one of the finest you can get that isn't homemade, so props to Pret.

But I wasn't prepared to make a bulk purchase from the coffee shop chain, in order to get my fix on the daily.

So... that leaves me with baking my own.

And this was actually in my original list of things to do on my Year of Fun, I've just delayed it because I'm such a baking fail. I just can't seem to follow instructions.

And this was no different. I found a recipe online that involved just 3 (technically 4, but of course I left out the vanilla essence because... does anyone ever really notice the vanilla?) and they also fit my low-sugar, low-gluten diet.

This may be the first - and the last - time I ever stick a recipe on the blog, but here I go.

• 250g almond flour
• 85g butter (salted - use Kerry Gold!)
• 100g erythritol

Makes 6 big-ass shortbread cookies.

I was meant to 'cream' the butter and sugar substitute together before adding the almond flour, but that takes either a power mixer or elbow grease, neither of which I have.

So I used my fingers. What? It totally worked AND was super therapeutic.

I think that's the part of baking that appeals to me most: the hands on bit. The getting slightly messy bit. The lick your fingers, lick the bowl bit. The don't-think-about-the-washing-up bit.

And that was it. Pre-heat oven to 175 degrees C. Bake for 15 mins, depending on how thick you made 'em.

Get your kettle ready for a nice pot of tea for when they're ready. My patience was really tested here as they come out of the oven too soft (and scalding) to handle, so I had another good 15 minutes wait to tuck in.

But OH how good they are.

Fun rating: 7.5/10

I'd give it a higher score, but my mild tummy ache is telling me to be honest. Next time I do this I'll pace myself.

 

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