It’s the weekend.. so obviously that means it’s time for a spot of cookie baking! For me, the concept of thumbprint cookies makes it really simple to create some really cute sweet treats, without having to spend ages cutting out intricate shaped biscuits. I can’t tell you the amount of times that I’ve had a really cool idea of some delicate biscuit shapes, only for them to kinda’ fall apart and result in being slightly misshapen when they emerge from the oven. These are so quick and easy to throw together, they’re sweet, chocolatey and fruity all at the same time! Chocolate and berry is one of my upmost favourite combinations because the burst of fruitiness breaks up the rich chocolate flavour and compliments it beautifully!
If you’re looking for something simple and fun to bake with children, then these would be something that I would recommend. You can also get creative with. the jam filling and change up the fruit to try out different flavours. Personally, I think that I will always be a firm raspberry jam lover through and through; but you could experiment with other berries, blackcurrant, orange .. and I’ve even seen some pomegranate jams around recently! I’ve also added in some of the Arctic Berries freeze dried berry powder in here for an extra kick of berry flavour and antioxidants. These powders are amazing for everyday recipes and creating sweet treats because, not only do they taste good and are packed with nutrients, but they’re also pretty epic to use a natural food colourings. Oh.. and they’re also really easy to use and include in everything recipes and we know that I’m all about those easy and effective ingredients guys! No point having lots of fancy kit if you never get to use it! I’m not one for buying something for a specific recipe and then never being able to use it again; I generally get lots of use from around 90% of the products that I have and love digging out things from the cupboard and seeing what I can come up with! This jam is slightly different from your regular jam however, as it’s made with chia seeds! These wonderful little seeds are what helps to thicken the fruit and form that gelatinous texture. they’re a great source of plant based healthy fats and fibre and so versatile to use! You’re probably familiar with chia puddings or overnight chia oats BUT, did you know you can also use chia gel when baking vegan cakes?! It’s similar to using a flax egg (flaxseed mixed with water) and the thick jelly texture acts as a sort of replacement for eggs in baking. I’m not sure exactly how this works or how effective it actually is.. like, I don’t know how different recipes would be if you removed this. However, I have used this method in vegan baking and the treats have been delicious, so..
I know it’s Autumn and halloween is approaching.. and everything that I seem to make regularly is PUMPKIN SPICE, but I really wanted to share these with you and just couldn’t wait any longer! I promise the pumpkin themed festive treats will resume in due course! But for now guys, it’s time for COOKIES!
