The best cookies I've ever made

I've been searching for a recipe to make apricot, almond and chocolate cookies for a while and recently I came across the perfect one (after a little tweeking!).

This recipe makes around 12-18 cookies depending on the size you make them.

210g plain flour

half a tsp bicarbonate of soda

pinch of salt

170g butter (I use Pure sunflower spread)

220g light brown sugar

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 egg

80g chocolate (I use a Kinnerton dairy free bar cut up into pieces) 

70g almonds chopped

120g dried apricots chopped into quarters

1. Cream the butter and sugar together in a bowl.

2. Beat in the egg and vanilla extract.

3. Add the flour, soda and salt.

4. Stir in the almonds, apricots and chocolate.

5. Line a tray with baking paper and spoon the mixture on - around one tablespoon per cookie - I usually do 6 cookies at a time to give them room to spread out.

6. Pop them in the oven at 180ºC for 10-12 minutes.

East Side Burgers

A few weeks before travelling to Paris I decided to stop eating dairy and I was determined to stick to my new diet there despite knowing how hard it would be! 

Having lived in Paris as a child I knew that cheese and butter where going to be the main ingredient in most meals, but after a bit of research I found some place that would cater for my fussiness! 

The easiest way to do this was to go down the vegan route as I knew this would completely eliminate the risk of dairy being present in anything.

The first place we visited was East Side Burgers. A vegetarian fast food outlet, they served a selection of tofu burgers which also had a vegan option (they just took the cheese out), as well as vegan hotdogs and for dessert some vegan cookies and tartelettes (they tasted amazing!!). The prices were very good for Paris, with a meal - burger, fries and a drink - only being €9.

The staff were incredibly friendly and the decor of the place was stylish and clean. We loved it so much that we went there twice during our stay (and a third time just to get some tartelettes!!). I will definitely go back there again and I wish there was one in London!!

More information can be found on there website http://www.eastsideburgers.fr/.