It’s getting darker and more blustery by the day, so I think it’s probably time to roll out the nostalgic baking programme. It all started with an apple, cinnamon and fresh ginger crumble I made to finish off a roast last week. Sticky toffee puddings, school-dinner chocolate custard and the like have been on my mind since, and this weekend Cherry Bakewell joined them in the rotating menu in my head. I’ve made the classic before to great success, not to mention tasty iterations of the same flavour profile like Nigella’s cherry almond loaf cake, but this time, I decided on cookies as my vessel.
My friend’s boyfriend recently made a batch of cookies that required two hours in the fridge, and they were delicious, but no adult human can be expected to wait that long for a treat (we work so hard). These ones still benefit from the gooey centre and improved shape that comes with chilling, but they only take up precious fridge space and patience for 30 minutes.
In terms of flavour, I’m not in the business of making nostalgic tastes ‘healthy’, so I’ve used glacé cherries and almond extract for that Mr Kipling feel. The white chocolate is there just because I fancied it, and because baking should always be a bit of what you fancy.
Cherry Bakewell and white chocolate cookies
Makes 18 cookies
125g unsalted butter, softened
125g caster sugar
100g light brown sugar
1 egg
1 tsp almond extract
225g self-raising flour
a pinch of salt
100g glacé cherries
100g white chocolate
50g toasted flaked almonds
Beat together your butter and sugars until creamy with an electric whisk. Add your egg and almond extract and combine.
Sift in your flour and add a pinch of salt, then stir to combine, being careful not to over mix.
Chop the white chocolate into large chunks, and slice the cherries in half. Stir through the mixture with 25g of the toasted flaked almonds.
Use a dessert spoon to scoop out chunks of the mixture, then roll into round balls. Place on a large tray covered in baking paper, spaced at least 5cm apart (I usually have 6 to a tray). Press down slightly and press in the remaining almonds gently on the top of the cookies.
Chill in the fridge for 30 minutes while preheating your oven to 180C.
Remove from the fridge and bake for 10-12 minutes, depending on how hot your oven gets!
For the last part of the Big Italian Trip™ we flew to Sicily. I’m not going to lie, it was mostly for the cannoli. And let me tell you, it did not disappoint…
Brioche and pistachio granita from Insigne Cafè: this one’s on the pricier side, but I’ll be thinking about the creamy granita and lemon-scented brioche for years.
Cannoli and arancini from Pasticceria Savia: get all your Sicilian baked goods here and you will not be disappointed. Cannoli? Yes. Spinach arancini? Yes. Dinky cups of super-strong espresso or your morning cappuccino? Yes.
Vermouth from Vermut: sip €3 vermouth sodas and feast on Sicilian ‘picky bits’ at this trendy (read: sort of like Shoreditch but 2/3 of the price) bar just off the main shopping street.
Homemade wine from La Cantina del Castello Ursino: not for the faint hearted - if you like local wine poured from a plastic water bottle by a lovely elderly Sicilian man that costs €1, this place is for you.
Arancini and locally made beers from L'Antica Salumeria: when it’s raining in Siracusa and you came dressed for sunshine there’s only one thing for it - arancini and local beers from a little bar like this one.
Etna wines and caponata from Razmataz: the small wine menu gives you only one choice: rosso or bianco. Order a some caponata, aubergine parmigiana and fondant potatoes to make a night of it.
Pasta alla Norma from Trattoria Da Nuccio: the pasta is al dente, the fish is fresh, and a litre of local wine is €7 - you couldn’t ask for more.
Cocktails from the glamorously named Magna Sicily Typical Food & Drink: a great spot for a €3.50 spritz from this restaurant’s drinks van outside before heading into the city centre.