Tamzin Outhwaite’s Cherry Cookies

You’ll need:

School-feeding charity Mary’s Meals is asking people across the UK to take part in its baking fundraiser, Raise Some Dough. The charity has launched a free fundraising pack including everything you “knead” to get started – including an exclusive digital book including tasty recipes from a range of UK celebrities! Why not try Tamzin Outhwaite’s cherry cookie recipe for your next bake sale?

◆ 150g butter

◆ 150g plain flour

◆ 50g icing sugar

◆ 70g glacé cherries chopped, or fresh if in season – pips removed and chopped up.

◆ ½tsp vanilla essence

◆ Pinch of salt, optional

◆ Chopped almonds, optional

1

Preheat oven to 190°C. Place butter and sugar in a large bowl and beat together until light and fluffy. Add vanilla essence and beat until combined. Sift in the flour and salt in batches, mixing well between each addition. Stir in the cherries and mix well.

2

When the mix is quite firm, take a spoon and make even piles of mixture, depending on how big you want your cookies to be. Using a spoon, slightly flatten the mixture. You may need to dip your spoon in some water to stop it sticking 3

Pop in the oven and bake for 8-10 minutes, or until cooked and golden brown and smelling delicious.

4

As an extra, I like to melt chocolate and dip in the cookies so half are covered in chocolate. A bit sinful, but the cherries and the chocolate go so well together. You could also add chopped almonds to the tops of the cookies prior to baking. Sprinkle over generously. Or even better, melt the chocolate and then dip in the almonds!