- 90g golden syrup (1/4 cup + 1 TBS)
- 65g salted butter (1/4 cup + 1/2 TBS)
- 90g soft dark brown sugar (7 TBS)
- 1 large nugget of stem ginger in syrup, chopped finely
- 1 1/2 TBS milk
- 200g plain flour (1 1/2 cups minus 2 TBS)
- 2 tsp bicarbonate of soda (baking soda)
- 2 1/2 tsp ground ginger
- 2 1/2 tsp mixed spice (See recipe notes to make your own.)
- Preheat the oven to 190*C/375*F/ gas mark 6. Line several large baking trays with baking paper. Set aside. (I buy the baking parchment you can get at Costco. You can also butter the trays if you wish and do not have the paper.)
- Place the syrup, butter, and brown sugar into a small saucepan and heat gently over low heat to melt the butter and sugar together with the syrup, stirring constantly. (Don't let it boil. Make sure everything is emulsified.)
- Whisk in the milk and set aside.
- Sift the flour into a bowl with the soda, ginger and mixed spice. Stir in the wet ingredients until thoroughly combined. Stir in the stem ginger. (You don't want any dry streaks at all.)
- Shape into walnut sized balls and place at least 2 inch apart on the baking sheets. Using a damp fork, press down to 1/2 inch thickness. (The size of balls should be a generous inch in size. Dampen the fork with a bit of water. This helps to prevent the dough from sticking.)
- Bake for 12 to 15 minutes in the heated oven, rotating the pans halfway through. (This ensures even baking.)
- Scoop off onto wire rack to cool completely. Store in an airtight container.
- Don't substitute butter for shortening in a recipe which calls for shortening. shortening has a higher melting point, which means it doesn't liquify as quickly, and does a better job of holding the ingredients together. High butter cookie = a cookie that spreads.
- Grease your baking sheets only if the recipe requests you to do so. Most cookies will not stick unless they contain large amounts of butter or sugar.
- Make sure you preheat your oven before baking. If the oven is not hot enough the fat in the cookies will melt before the other ingredients have time to set up.
- Use flat cookie sheets without sides for even baking.
- Place cookies at least 2-inches apart on baking sheets to allow for spreading.
- Use a sheet of baking parchment or a light spritz of cooking spray to grease your cookie sheets. It's not necessary to repeat this step for every batch but do wipe off any crumbs or sugar from the surface before adding the next batch.
- Place your cookie sheets in the middle of the oven.
- Make sure the sides of your cookie sheets don't touch the edges of the oven so that heat can circulate evenly and properly.
- Pay particular attention to bake times. An extra minute or two can make a big difference to the end result since cookies are for the most part quite small and bake quickly. Always aim to underbake rather than overbake. Cookies do continue to bake after you remove them from the oven.
LEVAIN BAKERY OATMEAL RAISIN COOKIES - A copycat recipe of the infamous Levain Bakery cookies. These are excellent oatmeal raisin cookies. The recipe makes nine very large cookies. Each one weighing in at almost half a pound each. These are a real indulgence, with plenty of nutty oats and sweet raisins. You could make them smaller but then they wouldn't be Levain.
Ginger Dunkers
Crisp, spicy and delicious. Perfect for dunking. (This is a British recipe but I have added North American measures in brackets.)
Ingredients
- 90g golden syrup (1/4 cup + 1 TBS)
- 65g salted butter (1/4 cup + 1/2 TBS)
- 90g soft dark brown sugar (7 TBS)
- 1 large nugget of stem ginger in syrup, chopped finely
- 1 1/2 TBS milk
- 200g plain flour (1 1/2 cups minus 2 TBS)
- 2 tsp bicarbonate of soda (baking soda)
- 2 1/2 tsp ground ginger
- 2 1/2 tsp mixed spice (See recipe notes to make your own.)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 190*C/375*F/ gas mark 6. Line several large baking trays with baking paper. Set aside.
- Place the syrup, butter, and brown sugar into a small saucepan and heat gently over low heat to melt the butter and sugar together with the syrup, stirring constantly.
- Whisk in the milk and set aside.
- Sift the flour into a bowl with the soda, ginger and mixed spice. Stir in the wet ingredients until thorougly combined. Stir in the stem ginger.
- Shape into walnut sized balls and place at least 2 inch apart on the baking sheets. Using a damp fork, press down to 1/2 inch thickness.
- Bake for 12 to 15 minutes in the heated oven, rotating the pans halfway through.
- Scoop off onto wire rack to cool completely. Store in an airtight container.
Notes
Make Your Own Mixed Spice:
You can easily make your own mixed spice: Combine 1 TBS ground cinnamon, 1 tsp each of ground coriander and nutmeg, 1/2 tsp of ground ginger, 1/4 tsp each of ground cloves and all spice. Mix well and store in an airtight container out of the light for up to 6 months.
This content, written and photography, is the sole property of The English Kitchen. Any reposting or misuse is not permitted. If you are reading this elsewhere, please know that it is stolen content and you may report it to me at mariealicejoan at aol dot com.
Hello everyone and welcome to my Meals of the Week post for this the last week of January, 2026. I don't know how it has happened but here we are again, beginning a new month. January has gone by really quickly and with all of the health issues I have been experiencing it is a month I am happy to see the end of.
I have had to keep things pretty simple again this week due to my health issues. I find it very hard to stand for any more than 10 minutes without having to run to the loo. Good news is I am expecting to go in on Monday for a procedure to remove the stent and all being well my recovery should work well from then on.
I have also had my daughter come to live with me for a bit while she is waiting to find a place of her own, so things have changed up a bit. It is nice to have the company. And we get along very well with each other.
Things have been simple this week, but that doesn't mean that they haven't been delicious. I did break down and have a frozen pizza one night, and I was able to actually get out one night to dinner with my father and sister. The rest is simple wholesome food that is quick and easy to prepare. I hope that you enjoy reading about them and that you will be inspired to want to cook at least one or two of these dishes for yourself!
SUNDAY, January 25th - Pizza Night
I am still very unwell and I did what I never do, I caved and had frozen Pizza. Actually the one I had was not too bad. It was the Dr. Oetker Suprema Salame Romano, and it was pretty good as far as frozen pizza goes. It had a nice almost fermented dough crust, a nice flavored sauce, lots of cheese and the meat tasted good, not like the mystery meat on most pizzas. I would buy this again.
In its place I am sharing my recipe for New York Pizza. I have never been to New York and had the pizza there, but I have heard that it is very good. A thin foldable crust with a nice sauce and toppings. I don't know if this is authentic or not, but I can promise you my version is very delicious. The crust has a lovely flavor and is just sturdy enough to stand up to all of the toppings. You can put on it whatever you enjoy having on a pizza.
I don't know any pizza that doesn't go well with some salad on the side.
MONDAY, January 26th - Macaroni, Cheese & Tomato Bake for two
This is one of my favorite recipes that I downsized for the smaller family. Easy to make. What you have here is a base of pasta in a deliciously simple tomato sauce. A rich and cheesy bechamel sauce gets slathered on top and then you crush some cracker crumbs over top of that.
THURSDAY, January 29th - Pork Chops with Cream Gravy
I took a pork chop out of the freezer on this day and had myself a Pork Chop with Cream gravy for my supper. I did use a pot of Instant Mashed Potatoes. I buy the Idaho brand, and they are quite good. They are perfect for someone who is on their own and are basically just dehydrated mashed potatoes. It also made an easy side for me when I really cannot stand long as it is for me at the moment.
I love this pork chop recipe. It always tastes so good. The chops are tender and juicy and that gravy is delicious. I had some frozen corn niblets with it and was quite happy with it. Anything goes well on the side of these. Mashed potatoes, baked potatoes, boiled potatoes, chips, rice, noodles, etc. And of course any vegetable or salad that you enjoy!
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FRIDAY, January 30th - Rice Krispie Chicken
I ended up with unexpected company on Friday. My daughter has come to live with me for a while until she gets a place of her own. I do not mind in the least. I love my daughter and am more than happy to be able to help her out. Now I will have someone to stay with me after my procedure on Monday as well.
We made an old favorite Rice Krispie Chicken for our supper which we enjoyed with rice and a salad that she made. This is a fabulous recipe that, on its own, is quite delicious. It is also very adaptable to a variety of flavors and seasonings. Crispy coated chicken is something most people love.
This content (written and photography) is the sole property of The English Kitchen. Any reposting or misuse is not permitted. If you are reading this elsewhere, please know that it is stolen content and you may report it to me at: mariealicejoan at aol dot com
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