spiced vanilla cookies

For years and years, the only lip balm that I would use was that little tub of carmex.  You surely know the one, that round pot with a bright yellow lid.  I was convinced that it was the only lip balm that worked and I craved that tingle when you first applied it.  

I was never really sold on the taste (and, let's be honest, you do end up tasting a fair amount) of carmex but my refusal to consider alternatives meant that I was missing out on a world of different flavours.  

I was the same when it came to moisturisers.  I've used the same one for about 15 years and eschewed all other options.  

Now, however, I am completed obsessed with the spiced vanilla range of products from The Body Shop.  I picked up a tub of the body butter on a whim (and because it was less than half price) and now my bathroom shelves are groaning under the weight of my collection.  In my defence, it is a seasonal product so I had to stock up...

It's the perfect combination of sweet and spicy.  Neither the vanilla nor the spice is overwhelming.  It's subtle but with a heady fragrance and it's utterly luxurious.  One of my first thoughts when I smelt it was, obviously, whether I could recreate it in cookie form.  Everyone thinks that way don't they?

The key ingredients were pretty easy to determine - my cookie needed to involve vanilla and spice.  A look at the ingredients of the body butter didn't help hugely but I could determine some notes of nutmeg and a touch of cinnamon.  I wanted it to be more than that though, I wanted it to be the cookie equivalent of a warm fluffy towel when you get out of the bath.  

So, I turned to brown butter.  The deep nutty flavour of brown butter seems to be the closes that you can get to a hug in the culinary world.  Combined with the toffee-notes of the brown sugar, you get a wonderful rich cookie.  Memories stirred of a recipe that Jessica of The Novice Chef had posted.  A quick twitter chat confirmed that the cookies were the texture I wanted, soft and crumbly rather than crisp or chewy, and I was off.  I have converted the recipe into weights but for the original recipe in cups and to see Jessica's beautiful pictures, please visit her site.  

Whilst I knew the cookies would be good because Jessica is a genius in the kitchen, I was pleasently surprised at how close they were to what I was hoping for.  Through the scientific method of taking a bite of cookie and then sniffing myself, I determined that they didn't taste/smell exactly the same (which is, frankly, not bad thing) but they are a delicious approximation.  Even if you don't have this weird addiction to The Body Shop that I do, they are still a cookie to be reckoned with.  

~

Spiced Vanilla Cookies

Yield: Approx 18 cookies

Adapted from The Novice Chef 

Ingredients

For the cookies

• 125g unsalted butter, softened
• 180g brown sugar
• 1 large egg
• 2 1/2 teaspoons vanilla bean paste
• 175g all purpose/plain flour
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda/bicarbonate of soda
• 1/8 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ginger

For rolling

• 30g brown sugar
• 30g caster sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon of spice (I used cinnamon) 

Cooking Directions

1. Put the butter in a saucepan and heat until the butter is golden brown. When the butter is browned, take off the heat and allow to cool.
2. Preheat the oven to 180C/350F and line a baking tray with non-stick paper or a silicone mat.
3. Combine the dipping sugar and spice in a small bowl.
4. In a large bowl, beat together the butter and sugar until light and creamy.
5. Add the egg and vanilla and continue to bit until just combined.
6. Sift together the dry ingredients and add them to the mixture, folding in until just mixed.
7. Roll the dough into balls approx 3cm across and roll into the sugar and spice mixture.
8. Place on the baking tray making sure that there's at least 5cm between each ball and bake for 10 minutes until just golden brown.
9. Allow to cool for 5 minutes on the baking tray before transferring to a wire rack to cool.