scarves, gloves, hats and cookies

As an eternal optimist, when autumn sets in I kind of look forward to winter with a romantic dreaminess. I stay positive coveting new boots, thinking about being rich enough to own a beautiful cashmere coat from Harry's, and of sassing up my wardrobe with hats and scarves and gloves.

What I forget though is the sideways southerly rain that pricks like ice on your face, the fact that umbrellas are a waste of time in Wellington, and that no pretty scarf will cheer up a depressing lonely Sunday. Today was one of those days, and not because I got home at 4am, nor for any reason associated with the fisherman(!). Today I just really missed my friends. Now scattered around the country and the world like never before, I missed funny hungover Sundays mooching on the couch talking smack, chocolate milk, duvets and takeaways. I did manage to venture round the corner to find a few of the boys in the grey-trackie uniform of hungover Sundays watching football. They talked me into baking them the cookies I'd promised, and although I enjoyed knocking about the kitchen with the rain hitting the window, even eating chunks of cookie dough couldn't shake my mood!

I've now got the heater going, have talked to/texted 3 of my missing bitches (including one who is actually in Wellington but who is currently living and breathing post grad study...) and with a lot more cookie dough chilling in my fridge for future biscuit requirements, things are looking up.

This recipe is from my friend Paul's sister's blog, and she got it from here.

It's always a battle to hold back from eating all the dough, but from what I could gather the cookies are worth the baking time (10-15minutes). The batch for the boys didn't get chilled first, but they turned out just fine. I made up the chocolate contingent with a 100g block of Lindt dark, 2 whittakers almond gold bars, a packet of cadbury dark choc chips and half a pack of cadbury milk choc drops. I also just used raw sugar instead of demerara, and used a teency bit of rock salt as I was all out of Maldon. The recipe makes enough dough for three batches, and whilst the satisfied feeling you get from giving away home baking doesn't quite match the satisfied feeling of having a flat full of friends, it undoubtedly helps.