Freckle Cookies

The end of the year, and warmer weather seems to cause event after event.  A family BBQ seemed like the perfect time to create a tasty treat.  As I am currently house sitting, with a very old and un-reliable oven, and I have already had a failed gingerbread house (I blame the oven completely!!)  I decided to stay clear of anything that required too much care.  I decided upon a favourite of everyone, cookies, I already had a packet of Chocolate Freckles, so Freckle Cookies it was!!  You can of course use whatever chocolate you have on hand.

Ingredients:

250 gram Unsalted Butter, softened

1 teaspoon Vanilla Essence

165 gram (¾ cup) Caster Sugar

165 gram (¾ cup) Brown Sugar, firmly packed   

1 Egg

335 gram (2 ¼ cup) Plain Flour

1 teaspoon Bicarbonate of Soda

1 packet of Chocolate Freckles

When working with butter always make sure it is at room temperature first, makes beating a lot easier.  Beat the butter, vanilla extract, both sugars and egg until they turn light and fluffy.  


Sift the flour and bicarbonate of soda over the egg mixture and stir through.  I broke up about 10 of the freckles to mix through the dough at this stage.

   

Cookie Dough

Freckle Dough

Cover and place in the fridge for 1 hour.  Sit back with a cup of coffee and enjoy.

Once chilled, pre-heat the oven to 180°C, and line 2 trays with baking paper to avoid sticking.  Place tablespoon sized balls onto the tray , flatten and place a Freckle on top.

Ready for the oven, these where a little too close....

Place in the oven for about 12 minutes, or until a nice golden colour.  Cool on a tray.

Once cool share with your loved ones, but I would also suggest eating one while they are still warm.  You must taste test before serving to others.

38 Cookies packed and ready to go, the recipe made 40,
but two didn't quite make it in there!!

Adapted from "The Australians Women's Weekly How to Cook Absolutely Everything" 

Jelly Belly Factory - Fairfield California

We spent our honeymoon in America, and had a quick two days in San Francisco, the only reason this destination was added was because my Husband wanted to try the Pho Challenge, but I’ll save that story for another day!!

Located in Fairfeild at 1 Jelly Belly Lane, about a 45 minute drive from down town San Francisco is the Jelly Belly Factory, they do free tours on the hour, and you even get a sample bag to take home.  The tour was great, and I highly recommend any Jelly Belly fans to make the trip to from San Fran to visit.

There is a free tasting station where you can try there standard, and special flavours, including saw dust and ear wax, which I wasn’t brave enough to try.  No cameras where allowed on the tour, but it was amazing to see, there are nine steps all up, I have never smelt anything as sweet as walking into the drying room where millions of Jelly Bellies lay in trays waiting until the next process.

There is also lots of fun facts like:

• It takes 7 to 21 days to make a single Jelly Belly jelly bean
• The Blueberry flavor was created for Ronald Reagan's presidential inauguration in 1981
• Enough Jelly Belly beans were eaten in the last year to circle the earth more than five times

The factory was set up with the tour in mind and you get a great view over the whole factory, you almost expect to see an oompa loompa to stick their head out.

A Jelly Belly Cupcake

At the end of the tour we had a wander around the shop, and stocked up on Jelly Bellies, and a gift or too.  We decided before the drive back we would stop for lunch, and I am so glad we did.

Jelly Belly Hamburgers!!  I loved these!!  They tasted great, and looked pretty cool.  The burger was served on the bun, and there was a salad bar to add whatever you wanted.  This worked well as you could have as much or little as you wanted so everyone is happy, it means you also know it is fresh!

A Jelly Belly Jellybean Burger

Salad bar, a great idea you can add whatever you like to your burgers

We now have a Mystery Bean and a kilo of Belly Flop Jelly Beans to eat through and choose a favourite flavour.

"Belly Flops"  The ones that didn't make it

Mystery Bean Machine, you never know what is coming out next.

Do you have a favourite flavour?