Cheery Monday Smarties Cookies

I don't know about you, but I'm never really desperate to return to work on a Monday morning. Once I'm there and busy, it's fine, but sometimes I just need to make something to soften the blow of losing a lie-in and the general laziness that can be the weekend. Smarties cookies seemed suitably cheering and helpful in making the start of the week not so bad.


These are nice and quick and easy and a good start to the week for colleagues too. These were hoovered up in record time and got lots of favourable comments.

The recipe is one from a BBC Goodfood freebie magazine '52 Cakes, Bakes and Chocolate' which was free with the April 2006 issue. Unfortunately the recipe doesn't seem to be available on the website, so I've reproduced it below.

Smarties Cookies
Ingredients
100g/4oz butter, softened
100g/4oz light muscovado sugar
1 tbsp golden syrup
150g/6oz self-raising flour
85g/ 3oz smarties

Method
- Preheat oven to 180C/Gas 4

- Beat the butter and sugar together in a bowl until light and creamy, then beat in the syrup.

- Work in half the flour. Stir in the remaining flour with the Smarties and work the dough together with your fingers.

- Divide into 16 balls. Place them well apart on baking sheets to allow for them spreading. Squash slightly.

- Bake for 12-15 minutes until pale golden at the edges.

- They will keep for up to four days in an airtight container, if there are any left!

They were lovely and crispy at the edge with a slightly soft centre. You could substitute chocolate chips if you can't get hold of Smarties. Very more-ish and went very quickly.

Just as a side note though - Smarties have really changed since they've removed the artificial colours. The colours now are just sort of dull. Like the colours I used to remember, but dull. I was really disappointed, as I haven't bought Smarties for ages! The things we lose in the name of progress (and I suppose losing artificial colours is progress really!),