The Simple Things

Taking time to live well
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Photography by Kirstie Young

Recipe | Chocolate, Bay Leaf and Spelt Oat Cookies

Iona Bower January 18, 2025

Chewy, chunky cookies. Add ice cream to make it a pudding, or keep for whenever the need arises. You’re never too old for a midnight snack, after all.

Serves 1

125g salted butter

2 tbsp honey

70g light brown sugar

3 fresh bay leaves, very

finely chopped

1 egg, beaten

50g plain flour

100g spelt flour

½ tsp baking powder

85g jumbo oats

75g dark chocolate

60g blanched hazelnuts, chopped

1 Preheat the oven to 190C/Fan 170C/Gas 5. Place the butter, honey, sugar and bay leaves into a saucepan set over a low heat and allow everything to melt together. Remove from the heat and leave to cool for 5 mins, then whisk in the egg.

2 Combine all the other ingredients in a separate bowl, then pour over the butter mixture and stir together to make a stiff dough.

3 Spoon tablespoons of the dough – as many as you want to eat now – onto a lined baking sheet, leaving plenty of space between them, then bake for 10-12 mins, or until just golden on top. Leave to cool and harden a little before serving.

Cook’s note: The dough freezes well, so make as many as you want for yourself, then come back for the rest whenever the need strikes.

This recipe is just one of the ideas from our feature ‘Please Yourself’ in which Kathy Slack devises a seasonal menu to cook and enjoy alone. You’ll find the rest of the recipes, which include cauliflower, leek & mushroom bean bake, bitter leaves and fennel with hazelnut dressing, and malted turmeric milk, in our January issue, out now.

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InEating Tagsissue 151, cookies, spelt, oats, chocolate, bay
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Aug 29, 2025
Aug 29, 2025

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Aug 29, 2025
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The Simple Things is published by Iceberg Press

The Simple Things

Taking time to live well

We celebrate slowing down, enjoying what you have, making the most of where you live, enjoying the company of of friends and family, and feeding them well. We like to grow some of our own vegetables, visit local markets, rummage for vintage finds, and decorate our home with the plunder. We love being outdoors and enjoy the satisfaction that comes with a job well done.

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