Smarties Cookies

Today has been a bit of a baking frenzy. Since Sunday, when the Wimbledon Cake was finished off by ravenous housemates, I've been lacking in pudding foods. I've got a massive sweet tooth (can you tell?) so this was quite distressing. I couldn't do much about it because, after a failed attempt at Tamarillo Muffins (far too bitter, even with copious amounts of sugar - next time I'll need to stew them first), I lacked vital baking ingredients. I just about had money left for peanut butter, so I did manage to scrape together some Peanut Butter Banana Muffins, but these were too dry and were more sponge-like than muffin-like (an improved recipe is on its way this coming week, hopefully!)

It's not like I was starving and had nothing sugary to eat, then, but what I had wasn't up to my usual standard and the muffins were eaten reluctantly. I know some of you might be wondering why I didn't just go without dessert, but I'm afraid that's not a realistic idea for me. I need my sugar.

This brings me back to today's bakeathon. If you want an idea of how much baking I did, just look at this picture of my kitchen:

Left to Right: Bread Dough (in Food Processor); Smarties Cookies; Cooling Rack for Banana  & Chocolate Loaf Cake in the Oven; Apple Fudge Tart

And before you ask - yes, I do have exams, but first I need to bake some cakes so that I don't get the urge to bake the day before one of them. Or during one of them. It just wouldn't do if I was sat in my organic exam, trying to remember how the Mitsonubo reaction works, for example, when suddenly I got an uncontrollable urge to bake a cake. It wouldn't do at all.

Anyway, today I made some Smarties cookies. The colour hasn't stayed on the smarties as well as they do in the supermarket versions, but they still taste the same. I had major chocolate cravings this week, so hopefully these will help to stave them off for a while.

Ingredients

• 1 Pack (120g) Smarties
• 150g Caster Sugar
• 50g Light Muscovado Sugar
• 200g Plain Flour
• 150g Butter
• 1 Tsp Baking Powder
• 1 Egg

Recipe

• Preheat the oven to 200C/180C fan; line a baking tray with baking parchment.
• Cream the butter and sugar together in a bowl until light and fluffy.
• Beat the egg into the mixture.
• Slowly add the flour until well combined, then stir in the baking powder.
• Stir in the Smarties, making sure that they get spread evenly through the dough mixture.
• Use a tablespoon to dollop spoonfulls of mixture onto the baking sheet. Space them 2-3inches apart so that they have space to spread out in the oven.
• Bake in the oven for 20 minutes until they have browned.
• Use a spatula to break any joins between the cookies, then place them onto a cooling rack.

For ideas on how to make these cookies a little healthier for you, take a look at Healthy(ish) Baking.

If you're wondering why the cookies in the above photo are outside under a poppy plant, it's World Baking Day on Sunday so I was joining in the fun!

I'll be seeing you soon to tell you about the Apple Fudge Tart. I hope the sun shines on you!