Never get a man to do a woman's job.

I rarely post anything here that is political or topical, unless it's my love of the milk chocolate hobnob, or obsession with slicing oranges and stuffing them in jars.
However sometimes something comes along and it's impossible for me not to comment. Last week there was a whole load of fuss in the football world, about women, male commentators, and the offside rule. It all rather irked me, for a number of reasons, as I'm sure you can imagine. So I shall leave it to you to picture my reaction when a male assistant in last night's match failed to have any understanding of the law, as he let a player YARDS offside continue on to score a goal. There was some shouting about men and women's jobs, and much smirking and nodding from those around me.

Humph.

Anyway! Rant over. Let's talk about cookies...oaty, chocolatey, nutty and orangy. Got your attention yet, those of you who phased out when I started blabbing about football (I'm looking at you Lady M and Lady J)?!

My scales have still not arrived, and so I finally gave in and went in search of something I could bake with only the use of my cup measures. I know it's not hard, with the multitude of American recipes out there, but every time I decided what I fancied I was drawn to English cooks and bakers and their cursed use of weights and measures.
And then, as ever, Smitten Kitchen saved me. I didn't know I wanted cookies (I was convinced I wanted brownies) until I saw one of her recipes. I had all the ingredients, and suddenly decided that actually the faff of brownies was over-rated. There's birthday knitting to get finished, and cats to love, and honey and lemon to drink (yes, impending February colds are being kept at bay here). Suddenly I only had 15mins and wanted soft oaty chewy goodness.

So I divided and tweaked and threw together these delicious morsels. I've already eaten one, I might go back for a second (ahem, or a third) and there is the possibility that dinner might be cookies too. These are just the thing for breaking the resolutions of diets on a cold foggy February afternoon.
Chocolate Orange Oaty cookies - makes aprox. 10 largish cookies.

4tbsps soft butter
1/4 cup caster sugar
1/2 cup light muscovado sugar
pinch of salt
1 large egg
1/2 tsp mixed spice
dash of vanilla extract
3/4 cup plain flour
1/2 cup oats
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 cup pecans
1/2 cup dark chocolate, chopped

Preheat oven to 180C and line two baking sheets with parchment.

Cream the butter and sugars until fluffy, adding a dash of vanilla and pinch of salt half way through. Add the egg and beat to combine, then mix in the orange zest. Whisk together the flour, baking soda and spice and add to the batter in two additions. Then stir in the oats, chocolate and pecans.

Place rounded tablespoons well spaced on the baking sheets (I got six on one sheet and four on another) and bake for aprox 10-11 mins, turning half way. Watch as they darken quickly. They may not seem done, but they will firm up slightly as they cool.

Allow to cool on a rack until just warm enough to hold together, and then eat your first one whilst warm and still slightly gooey. Hmm...it's like and oaty dark chocolate orange.
zest of half an orange