Anni's walnut, apple & spice biscuits

This time last year my husband was preparing to travel to Turkey to support the Dept of Veterans Affairs in their preparations leading up to and including the ANZAC Day commemoration at Gallipoli. 

My dear foodie friend Anni had just gifted me with a cookie jar filled with her favourite recipes including this recipe for ANZAC biscuits. (http://missmayblossom.blogspot.com.au/2013/04/anzac-biscuits.html)

In the jar Anni also included this delicious recipe for apple, cinnamon and walnut biscuits. The spices, soft apple and crunchy walnuts make for a lethal combination and when you give them enough time (if you can resist!) to cool, they are chewy on the inside.  

I made these on Friday and my house smelled like spices and apple for hours. Bliss!

1/2 cup butter, softened 

1/2 cup caster (or preferred) sugar

1/2 cup brown sugar

1 large egg

1 tspn vanilla extract

1 cup plain flour

1 1/4 cup oats

1/2 tspn baking powder

1/2 tspn bicarb soda

1/2 tspn salt

1 tspn ground cinnamon 

Generous pinch of freshly grated nutmeg

3/4 cup chopped walnuts

1 medium apple, peeled (optional), finely diced 

1 tspn lemon juice

Preheat the oven to 180°c. Line 3 baking trays with greaseproof baking paper. Toss the diced apple in the lemon juice. 

Beat sugar and butter for 3-4 minutes. Add egg. Beat for 1 minute. Beat in vanilla. 

In a separate bowl, mix together oats, flour, baking powder, bicarb soda, spices and salt. Add to butter mixture and beat slowly until combined. 

Stir in apples and walnuts. 

Drop tblspn sized balls of dough on to the baking trays (spaced apart to allow for rising) and bake for about 20 minutes. 

Allow to cool for 10-15 minutes before removing them from the tray.... straight on to a plate with a cup of tea!

Thermomix recipe

90g butter, softened

80g caster sugar

70g brown sugar

1 large egg

1 tspn vanilla extract 

130g plain flour

115g oats

1/2 tspn baking powder

1/2 tspn bicarb soda

1/2 tspn salt

1 tspn ground cinnamon 

Generous pinch of freshly grated nutmeg

135g chopped walnuts

1 medium apple, peeled (optional), finely diced 

1 tspn lemon juice

Preheat the oven to 180°c. Line 3 baking trays with greaseproof baking paper.

Dice the apple into 5mm cubes. Toss the diced apple in the lemon juice and set aside. 

Place the oats, flour, baking powder, bicarb soda, spices and salt in the TM bowl. Mix on reverse/speed 4/6 seconds or until combined. Set aside.

Place the walnuts in the TM bowl and chop speed 4/4 seconds. Set aside.

Beat sugars and butter speed 4/6 seconds. Scrape down the bowl and repeat speed 4/6 seconds. Scrape down the bowl and add the egg and vanilla. Beat speed 4/4 seconds.

Tip the mixture in to a bowl. I find stirring the apple and walnuts easier by hand at this point.  

Drop tblspn sized balls of dough on to the baking trays (spaced apart to allow for rising) and bake for about 20 minutes. 

Allow to cool for 10-15 minutes before removing them from the tray.... straight on to a plate with a cup of tea!

Notes

* You can peel the apples before you dice them. I prefer to leave the skin on because the apples I use are organic.

* Adjust the sugar quantities according to taste 

* You can do grate the nutmeg by hand with a spice grater or grate a whole nutmeg in the TM speed 9/ 12 seconds. A pinch of fresh nutmeg goes a long way! You could use ground nutmeg from a packet.