Home Dried Fruit and Chocolate Cookies

These delicious cookies were baked by Philippa Hill during her summer holidays. She experimented with a fruit & vegetable dehydrator to preserve fresh garden fruits, incorporating the results into her favourite cookie recipe. The first batch was quickly devoured by our colleagues so we hope you enjoy them too!

Note: You will need a food dehydrator to make this recipe in full. You can find a number of suitable options here.

Basic Cookie Dough:

• 225g unsalted butter
• 375g light soft brown sugar
• 50g caster sugar
• 3 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 large eggs
• 400g plain flour
• 2 level tsp bicarbonate of soda

Method:

1. Beat the butter, brown sugar, caster sugar and extract until light and fluffy.
2. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, then sift the flour and bicarbonate of soda together and stir that through.
3. Add the extras at this stage – see notes below.
4. Spoon small dollops on to a greased tray (these cookies ‘grow’ a massive amount so space widely!)
5. Bake in a 170°C (150°C fan-assisted) oven for about 14 minutes until slightly puffed and starting to colour at the edges.
6. Allow to cool on the baking tray and then enjoy!

Extra Ingredients for Raspberry & White Chocolate Version:

• 200g Chopped white chocolate
• 400g fresh raspberries, dried using a dehydrator
• Diluted lemon Juice or a solution of ascorbic acid

Drying the Raspberries: If the raspberries are large, it may be better to cut them in half. Dip the raspberries in either diluted lemon juice (1 tbsp lemon juice to one cup of water) or a dilute solution of Ascorbic Acid – this will help preserve the bright colour of the raspberries. Blot them dry with a kitchen towel. Place the raspberries onto the drier tray – if you have cut them in half, place them with the cut surface facing upwards. Raspberries will take 4-6 hours to dry but follow the manufacturer guidelines for your specific machine for accurate drying times. Once finished, allow to cool and then mix with the white chocolate chunks. Add these to the finished cookie mixture.

Extra Ingredients for Cherry and Dark Chocolate Version

• 200g Chopped Dark Chocolate
• 400g Fresh Cherries

Drying the Cherries: Use a destoner to remove the cherry pits. It may be best to keep the smallest whole and slice the larger cherries. Place the cherries onto the drier tray - if you have cut them in half, place them with the cut surface facing upwards. Cherries will take 5-8 hours to dry depending on how finely sliced (if at all) they have been, but again the manufacturer guidelines for your machine will provide more accurate information. Once finished, allow to cool and then mix with the dark chocolate chunks. Add these to the finished cookie mixture.