Benjamina Ebuehi’s recipe for coffee and walnut cookies | The sweet spot
When it comes to British cakes, coffee and walnut is such a staple that if there isn’t one present at a bake sale or coffee morning, I’ll raise an eyebrow,I’ve taken the classic combination and put them in a cookie for something fun and quicker to make,Full of toasty walnuts and a hit of that very nostalgic instant coffee flavour, I finish them off with a white chocolate button as a nod to the sweet, creamy icing,Prep 5 minChill 2 hr+ Cook 55 min Makes 1080g shelled walnuts 140g unsalted butter 1½ tbsp instant espresso powder 100g dark brown sugar 75g caster sugar 1 large egg 150g plain flour 80g porridge oats ½ tsp bicarbonate of soda ½ tsp flaky sea salt 10 white chocolate buttonsHeat the oven to 180C (160C fan)/350F/gas 4,Put the walnuts in a single layer on a small baking tray and roast for 10-12 minutes, until toasty.
Remove and leave to cool, then set aside five whole walnuts and roughly chop the rest.Melt the butter in a small saucepan, then cook until it turns a deep amber colour and starts to smell fragrant and nutty.Pour into a heatproof jug, stir in the instant coffee to dissolve, then leave to cool for a few minutes.Put both sugars in a large bowl, pour in the butter mix, then add the egg and beat until smooth.Add the flour, oats, bicarb, salt and chopped walnuts, and stir to make a thick dough.
Using an ice-cream scoop or tablespoon, portion the dough into 10 balls and arrange these on a large baking tray.Cover and chill in the fridge for at least two hours, until firm.Heat the oven to 190C (170C fan)/375F/gas 5.Put the chilled cookies on two lined oven trays, then bake for 13-15 minutes, until the edges are set and the middle is still a bit soft.Place a white chocolate button on each cookie and return them to the oven for 20 seconds, just until the chocolate softens.
Take the trays out of the oven, place half a walnut on top of each chocolate button then leave to cool completely before serving.
Sport for young people wins sustained investment – why not the arts? | Letter
Your article (‘A safe space to come and just be’: the longed-for radical utopian return of Britain’s youth clubs, 19 February) powerfully captures what is at stake in the slow erosion – and urgent renewal – of youth provision across the country.Against that backdrop, the launch of the Young Creatives Commission could not be more timely. For too long, access to arts and culture has been shaped by postcode and privilege. Creative subjects have been progressively squeezed out of state schools, while youth clubs, local theatres and grassroots arts organisations have weathered years of funding cuts. The consequences are stark: millions of young people, particularly those from working-class and underrepresented backgrounds, are excluded from opportunities that build confidence, support wellbeing and develop employable skills
Jimmy Kimmel on Trump’s State of the Union: ‘A nutjob wannabe king’
Late-night hosts recapped Donald Trump’s interminable State of the Union address and the homeland security secretary, Kristi Noem, using taxpayer money to travel for her alleged affair.Jimmy Kimmel took a break from Trump’s 107-minute State of the Union address – the longest ever, breaking his own record – to record his show on Tuesday evening.“What a speech it wasn’t,” he summarized of the meandering address. Still, “the theme of tonight’s speech was ‘all foreigners are murderers’. And Trump said zero illegal aliens have been allowed into the United States on his watch, but the door is always open to those who come in legally to be his next wife
Jon Stewart on politicization of USA hockey win: ‘Is Kash Patel a Make-a-Wish man?’
Late-night hosts reacted to Republicans claiming USA hockey Olympic victories as their own and the US supreme court declaring Donald Trump’s tariffs unconstitutional.Jon Stewart returned to his Monday-night Daily Show perch just a day after the US Olympic men’s hockey team beat Canada in overtime to win the country’s first gold medal since 1980. “This country is in such emotional turmoil right now,” he said. “A feeling that we are one nation divided, under siege. That perhaps we have crossed a Rubicon of this great American experiment, and that we, slowly and inexorably, are sliding into the abyss of fallen and broken democracies
Maxi Shield, beloved Australian drag queen and Drag Race Down Under star, dies aged 51
One of Australia’s best-known and loved drag queens, Sydney’s Maxi Shield, has died after being diagnosed with throat cancer, prompting tributes from around the world.Kristopher Elliot, who performed drag under the name Maxi Shield, was 51. Shield was a mainstay of the Sydney drag scene and brought Australian drag to the world as contestant in season one of RuPaul’s Drag Race Down Under.Shield revealed she had throat cancer in September, which forced her to step down from performing in a Kath & Kim show at Edinburgh fringe with a fellow Drag Race Down Under season one alum, Art Simone.Sign up: AU Breaking News emailShe returned to performing at the Oxford Hotel and Palms on the gay strip of Oxford Street in Sydney this month, and was set to host a sold-out Mardi Gras viewing party at the Oxford Hotel on Saturday
Kenneth Williams and racist attitudes | Brief letters
While appreciating Kenneth Williams’ humour, I felt uneasy that your article (‘He loved showing his bum. Loved it’: the subversive genius of Kenneth Williams, 20 February) didn’t simply state he had racist attitudes. Referring to a dislike of Sid James and people of colour seems to water down unacceptable views.Catherine UtleyLondon When I can’t sleep because my brain is too busy, I have my own method of “cognitive shufflng” (I tried the latest sleep trick – and my husband and I were up all night, 18 February). I choose a subject and try to think of an example for each letter of the alphabet
Philippe Gaulier obituary
In 1980 the École Philippe Gaulier opened its doors in Paris to help performers find and celebrate their “inner idiot”. The school quickly became the prime destination for clown training, attracting theatre students, actors and curious others from around the world.Philippe, who has died aged 82 following a lung infection, made the concept of le jeu – play – central to his teaching. For him, comedy was not about jokes but about danger: the moment when a performer risks failure or ridicule in pursuit of delight. His clowns were not sentimental innocents but mischievous creatures who loved the audience and longed to be loved in return
We must protect young people from online harms | Letters
Assisted dying bill not at ‘end of the road’, peer says as time runs short
Record number of rough sleepers in England last year, official figures show
Jersey approves bill to legalise assisted dying for terminally ill adults
Mumsnet calls for under-16s social media ban with cigarette-style health warnings
Cruel comments, racism and cover-ups: key findings from England’s maternity care report