Grandma's Oatmeal Biscuits / Cookies

Simply the best 'cookies' you will taste anywhere. Whilst we cannot guarantee that consuming quantities of these will lead you to lose inches off you waist, we can guarantee you will earn brownie points with the rest of your family.

Ingredients

• 8oz (225g) of butter
• 8 oz (225g) of brown sugar
• 8oz (225g) of granulated sugar
• ½ teaspoon vanilla
• 2 eggs
• 6 oz (175g) of plain flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 10 oz (300g) Organic Pertwood Porridge Oats
• Chopped nuts, raisins, chocolate chunks (to taste - but we advise adding them all)

Method

1. Pre-heat oven to 350oF/175oC.
2. Cream butter and sugars.
3. Add vanilla and egg, followed by dry ingredients.
4. Drop by small teaspoonfuls onto greased baking sheet.
5. Bake for 8-9 minutes until very light golden colour.

Chai Spiced Tea Bread

Ingredients

• 225g luxury dried fruit
• 50g glace cherries, halved
• 50g ready to eat dried apricots, roughly chopped
• 100g soft brown sugar
• 4tbsp Drink Me Spiced Chai
• 100ml boiling water
• 25g blanched almonds, chopped
• 225g self raising fl our 3 large eggs, beaten

Method

1. In a bowl combine the dried fruit, cherries, apricots, and sugar.
2. In a jug mix the Spiced Chai with a little of the boiling water to dissolve it then stir in the remainder of the boiling water.
3. Pour the Spiced Chai mixture over the fruit mix, stir thoroughly then cover and leave for 2 hours.
4. Preheat the oven to 160c/325f/gas mark 3 and line a 900g (2lb) loaf tin.
5. In a clean bowl combine the almonds and flour. Then make a well in the centre and stir in the fruit and Spiced Chai mixture.
6. Add the beaten eggs and stir until well mixed. Spoon the mixture into the loaf tin and smooth over the surface.
7. Cook on the middle shelf in the preheated oven for 35-40 minutes or until well risen and golden (and a skewer when inserted into the centre comes out clean.)
8. Remove from the oven and leave to cool for 5 minutes in the tin before turning out.

To serve, cut into slices when completely cool.

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At Real Food Direct, we have such a variety of Christmas food hampers that you'll find the perfect gift for everyone, even the kids. The Father Christmas Present Sack is packed full of festive treats like candy canes and a reindeer tin. For that someone special, the simple but luxurious Champagne & Chocolate Hamper contains a bottle of the finest Champagne and a pack of delicious truffles. And for the true foodie, why not try the Organic Christmas Hamper? Brimming with goodies like organic spelt & oat crackers, clotted cream fudge and even a bottle of organic white wine.

For a more personal touch, you can choose your own products from the website and have them packed in a traditional wicker hamper. And don't forget, we can wrap it too. Just make sure you order before midday on Tuesday 22nd December so we can deliver in time for Christmas. And don't worry, all our hampers contain high quality products sourced from independent World and European sources. When you buy from Real Food Direct, you are buying from a completely independent award winning company.

Please visit the website and consider giving Christmas food hampers to your friends and family this Christmas.

About Real Food Direct
Real Food Direct acts as a vital link in the chain between specialist food producers and the customer. Through just one website, the customer can access a wide range of high quality delicatessen products and have them delivered to their door for a small carriage charge. The product range is also available to those in the food trade from the sister company Cotswold Fayre.

Contact Details
For further information on Real Food Direct and its products please contact MD Paul Hargreaves, Real Food Direct, Units 9-11, Manor Farm, Peppard Common, Henley-on-Thames, RG9 5LA.

Tel: +44 (0)844 2477777 Email: sales@realfooddirect.com

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The big talking point this Christmas in some circles is not just how much should we spend but should we be buying Christmas gifts at all? The PC brigade would have us all leading dull austere lives, or so it seems. For my part I think it’s good for the soul to give presents and it’s great to receive them, this is the tradition of Christmas.

But having said that, maybe the politically correct “thought police” do have a point. I don’t subscribe to their preferred martyrdom at Christmas but like many other people I do wonder at the senseless giving and acquiring of so many useless gifts. I feel like screaming when I get yet another scented candle in a box..... So here is my idea, instead of budgeting to allocate a spend level to all the various members of a close group of friends say your sister's family or neighbours that you socialise with, amalgamate the individual budgets and buy one big family present.

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About Real Food Direct
Real Food Direct acts as a vital link in the chain between specialist food producers and the customer. Through just one website, the customer can access a wide range of high quality delicatessen products and have them delivered to their door for a small carriage charge. The product range is also available to those in the food trade from the sister company Cotswold Fayre.

Contact Details
For further information on Real Food Direct and its products please contact MD Paul Hargreaves, Real Food Direct, Units 9-11, Manor Farm, Peppard Common, Henley-on-Thames, RG9 5LA.

Tel: +44 (0)844 2477777
Email: sales@realfooddirect.com

Apple & Butterscotch Layer Puddings

These individual apple puddings are perfect comfort food for the cold winter months. They’re delicious served with crème fraiche or a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

Serves 4

• 75g Unsalted Butter
• 75g Clear Honey
• 4 tbsp Double Cream
• 4 Eating Apples (I used Cox’s), peeled, cored and thinly sliced
• 120g Dean’s Butterscotch Shortbread Rounds

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 200°C. Place the butter, honey and cream in a small saucepan and heat, stirring until melted, to make a caramel sauce
2. Divide the caramel sauce between 4 ramekins, top with a layer of apple slices, then half the crushed shortbread
3. Layer with the remaining apples and shortbread, then pour over the rest of the caramel sauce
4. Place on a baking sheet and cook for 20 minutes until golden and bubbling
5. Allow to stand for 5 minutes then carefully turn out onto plates (you may need to run a sharp knife around the inside of the ramekin)
6. Serve with crème fraiche or vanilla ice cream and a dusting of ground cinnamon