Muesli Cookies

We all love muesli bars at my house, perhaps a little too much. A batch rarely lasts more than a day, and so I've been looking for a slightly healthier alternative that we can all enjoy with a little less guilt and a little less exercise required to counteract the over-indulgence. I often scan Teresa Cutter's website in search for healthy ideas, and last week gave her Oatmeal Honey Scones a go. They were a big hit! They are egg-free and dairy free which doesn't bother our household specifically, but I have a few friends whose children have allergies so another recipe up my sleeve is a bonus. They are also super quick to whip up. As always, I added a bit of lib with the recipe, using what I had on hand, so here is my version:

2 1/2 cups rolled oats
1 tablespoon linseed, soy & almond (LSA) mix
1/2 teaspoon bicarb soda
1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup sunflower oil
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 ripe banana
120g chopped fresh dates (pitted)

1. Preheat fan forced oven to 160C. Line a baking tray with baking paper.
2. Place everything minus the dates in a food processor and whiz for 20ish seconds until everything is combined and the oats are mostly chopped.
3. Add dates and whiz to combine.
4. Spoon about a teaspoon worth of mixture for each cookie onto the baking paper and flatten slightly.
5. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until slightly brown and just starting to crack on top.

I made these into 22 little Muesli Cookies, whereas Teresa Cutter made 8 large "scones" out of the same size batch. That way the kids could have a couple and feel like they were being spoiled (and without any sugar or butter, I could have a few and not fear for my arterial health). They are really yummy. I think they might actually taste better than our muesli bars, and of course the recipe is open for experimentation. I've made 3 batches of these since discovering the recipe, but I think I'll try playing with the ingredients next time, maybe changing the fruit and adding some other seeds. FYI, they don't set hard like a biscuit, they are quite soft, I guess given there is no flour.

On another note, I have just been introduced to The Book Depository. How I didn't know about this before is beyond me, but they do free shipping world wide, and their prices are amazing! Needless to say I have a few Nigel Slater gems headed my way.

And on yet another note, we found out today that Chicky and Poppet will be getting a sister in January.