Last week my little shop turned one! It’s been a crazy year that has taught me so many lessons, helped me overcome so many hurdles, and given me something to be proud of. But if I’m being honest, I’ve been feeling pulled in a different direction. One that’s driving me away from mass production and calling me to focus on the experience.
I’m a process knitter and since I discovered knitting almost ten y
ears ago now, it’s been an escape from the world when I needed it. In a way it filled a very similar role that baking did when I discovered baking back in high school. There’s a method behind both baking and knitting that are calming for me. The routine and regulation behind things help to bring a sense of peace which has been a welcome relief in a world where there isn’t much else bringing peace.
Going forward I’ll be shying away from shop updates with knitwear ‘lines’ and more focused on embracing the meaning behind the pieces I knit. I’ll still be accepting custom orders because the care and love that goes into creating pieces for an individual is more important than the act of knitting alone. I want to provide high quality handmade items that will not only stand the test of time, but will be loved just as much as the person they’re being given to. While I’ll still be updating the shop, it will be more reliant on when inspiration strikes.
I’ll also be working to embrace things that have brought me joy in the past that I haven’t been seeking. I’m hoping to be writing more often and get back into the kitchen. Don’t worry I’ll be sharing the recipes along the way!
In an effort to write more, I’ve got a great recipe for you all! I intended these cookies for my cousins as a thank you for helping drunk Emily navigate the streets of New York City the other weekend and I sent them all a cowl to help keep them warm since they’re scattered throughout New England.
Thanks to a serious moving related ingredient shortage I had to dust off my former baker’s knowledge to make adjustments and I’m so glad I did. Because I ran out of brown sugar, I substituted maple syrup which helps to give these cookies a balanced sweetness instead of a molasses overload like many oatmeal cookies have. I also ran out of oats (I know, not checking I had all the ingredients is a rookie mistake) but thanks to another blogger’s recipe I wanted to try I had hemp hearts on hand which saved the day. Not only did they take the place of the oats, they provided a nuttiness that helps to bring out the flavor of the pecans even more.
All things considered these cookies turned out to be a very happy accident and I’ll definitely be making them again.
Here’s what you’ll need:
225 g (2 sticks) softened butter
130 g (1/3 cup + 1 T) maple syrup
150 g (3/4 cup) granulated sugar
1 large egg, 1 yolk
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
200 g (1 3/5 cups) all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
130 g (1 1/2 cups) rolled oats
90 g (1 1/2 cups) hemp hearts
225 g (1 1/2 cups) chocolate chips
250 g (2 cups) pecans, toasted and chopped
In the bowl of a stand mixer combine butter, maple syrup, and sugar. Beat on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and add in the eggs and vanilla. Beat until incorporated.
Scrape down the sides of the bowl and add in flour, salt, and baking powder. Mix on low speed until flour begins to incorporate. Add in oats and hemp hearts. Mix until the oats begin to incorporate. Finally, add chocolate chips and pecans and mix on medium speed, scraping down the bowl as necessary.
Refrigerate the dough for an hour until thoroughly chilled. Preheat the oven to 350 F.
Place scoops of the dough onto a lined sheet tray. Place sheet tray in the oven and bake until golden brown, about 12-15 minutes rotating the tray half way through. Allow the cookies to cool on the sheet tray for 2 minutes and then transfer to a wire rack to cool.