I went to the market just the other day.
I had this kind of fun, kind of annoying assignment where I had to run around and list the budget, premium and organic prices of a huge list of fruit, vegetables, meat and seafood.
I couldn’t really find budget/premium, it was more like normal prices, and organic prices.
And I was shocked. Who would have thought that an organic chicken breast is $36 per kilo? Who would have thought, that a normal chicken, one that used to be considered “normal” anyway (but is now “organic”), that comes from a farm, isn’t fed chemicals, isn’t chained up, could be so expensive?
I mean, sometime ago, everyone used to eat “organic”. Chickens were raised on farms, or in your garden. Then one day, when they were all big and fat, their heads got cut off and they got roasted (sorry for the visual) for dinner. Now, chickens are kept tightly packed in cages and are fully grown in 40 days instead of 3 months because they are fed all sorts of chemicals. And what used to be normal not so long ago, is now labelled “organic” and sold for triple the price.
Fruit shocked me too. Organic versions were also triple the price of “normal” fruit. I don’t get it. Do you shop organic? Do you find that there’s a difference between organic and not organic fruit and vegetables? I think it’s sad that normal produce has gone so far from what it once was, in terms of flavour and appearance, to the point where you have to pay obscene prices for a tasty tomato. Or if all else fails, you have to grow your own.
Anyway, so while I was at the market, I bought some blueberries and made some cookies. I have made blueberry cookies before, and was so pleasantly surprised by them that I was inspired, and dreamed up this version.
Blueberries and white chocolate? Yum. White chocolate and crunchy macadamias? Delicious. Blueberries, white chocolate and macadamias in a thick, crunchy cookie? Heaven. My boyfriend even went as far to say that these are the best cookies I have ever baked him. That’s a huge call.
- ¾ cup rolled oats
- ¾ cup plain flour
- ½ tsp baking soda
- 2 tsp salt
- 110g unsalted butter, melted (1/2 cup)
- ⅓ cup white sugar
- ⅓ cup brown sugar, packed
- ½ tsp vanilla
- 1 egg
- ⅔ cup white chocolate chips
- ⅔ cup macadamias, roasted and roughly chopped
- ⅔ cup blueberries, fresh or frozen
- Preheat the oven to 170 C and line 2 baking trays with parchment paper.
- Grind up the oats in a food processor or blender, until fine.
- In a small bowl, combine the ground oats, flour, soda and salt. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the unsalted butter and sugars, until combined. Whisk in the egg and vanilla.
- Mix in the dry ingredients, until just incorporated.
- Stir through the chocolate chips and macadamias, and then very gently fold in the blueberries.
- Scoop rounded tablespoons of dough onto the prepared baking trays, allowing room for spreading.
- Bake for 13-15 minutes, until deep golden brown. Makes 18 cookies.
Adapted from Alice Medrich’s Chewy Gooey Crispy Crunchy.