Oats – Feasting Is Fun

Strawberry Oat Crumble Cookies

I, as some of you may know, am a self confessed Cookie Monster. Since early childhood starting the day with a cup of tea and a biscuit has become a tradition. Something I have passed on to our children as well. As long as I’ve had my cuppa and biscuit/cookie I can face the day. Especially if I have to wait a while for breakfast. Oat and fruit cookies are among my favourites, obviously the children always prefer chocolate. Yet, after tasting these Strawberry Oat Crumble Cookies there were smiles all round and they received a big thumbs up.

Since I discovered these baked strawberries from Urban Fruit I have loved adding them to bakes, such as my Double Strawberry Almond Muffins. Similar in texture to dried apricots, the baked strawberries are little pods of intense strawberry flavour. As well as being a delicious snack they are perfect for adding to bakes. Because fresh strawberries are so full of water they can be difficult to add to dry bakes. Whereas the chewy texture of the baked strawberries contrasts well in the oat crumble cookie.

FF Strawberry Oat Crumble Cookies — Strawberry Oat Crumble Cookies

While I have used the snack pack strawberries from Urban Fruit I have also checked online and found similar products available to buy from both high street stores and online. I find it quite frustrating when wanting to try a recipe and it requires a specialist ingredient. Actually I bulk bought these baked strawberries from Amazon.

Recipe: Strawberry Oat Crumble Cookies makes approximately 20

225g/8oz Unsalted Butter at room temperature

150g/5oz Caster Sugar

1/4tsp Sea Salt (halve if using table salt)

1 Large Free Range Egg Yolk

1tsp Vanilla Extract – I use Nielsen-Massey

100g/4oz Rolled Oats – not quick cook

175g/6oz Plain White Flour

90g/4oz Baked Strawberries – I use 1 packet from Urban Fruit

Method: Preheat the oven to 180C/160C fan, 325F, gas mark 3

Making the cookie dough

First of all line 2 large baking trays with baking parchment.
Into a large bowl add the butter, sugar and salt. Whisk together until pale and creamy.
Add the egg yolk and vanilla extract. Continue whisking until fully incorporated.
Next add the rolled oats.
Using a sharp knife chop the baked strawberries in half.
Add half of both the flour and strawberries to the bowl. Toss the strawberries around in the flour, this will stop them sticking together. Add the remaining flour and strawberries and repeat as before.

Using a spoon mix the cookie dough together.
Place the cookie in the fridge for half an hour to chill and firm up.

Shaping the cookies

Remove a heaped teaspoon of cookie dough and roll into a ball. Place on the baking tray. Repeat until both baking trays are full.
Gently press down with your fingers to flatten the dough ball.
Note – I placed 8 cookies on each baking tray. After baking and cooling I flipped over the baking parchment, added the remaining 5 cookies and baked them.

Baking the cookies

Place the baking trays into the oven and bake the cookies for 20-25 minutes until golden brown.
As soon as the cookies are baked remove from the oven.
Leave to cool for 5 minutes on the tray and then transfer to a cooling rack.
Check the underside of the cookie is golden.

Leave the cookies to cool before serving.

Who could resist a delicious crumbly, strawberry and oat cookie with a cup of tea? Not me!

Once cooled store the cookies in an airtight container and eat within 5 days.

If you have enjoyed this recipe for Strawberry Oat Crumble Cookies you may also like these:

Walnut Chocolate Chunk Cookies

Cherry Bakewell Cookies

Oat Chocolate Chip Cookies

I love baking cookies, especially to share with others. And while it would be a real stretch to call these cookies healthy, sneaking oats into the recipe does add extra goodness. Also, the oats give these cookies their delicious crumbly texture. The perfect cookie to bake and take to your workplace and share with colleagues. Because all food tastes better when shared.

Whatever you are making, baking and creating in your kitchens, have fun preparing and sharing your feast.

Sammie xx

No part of this post may be reproduced or duplicated without the written permission of the owner. Please see my Disclosure Policy.

Macadamia Apricot Flapjacks

I am so loving the longer daylight hours at the moment. Feeling as though I want to make the most of every drop of sunshine. Winter being a distant memory, I’ve been out in the garden, clearing, ready for sowing and planting. Don’t worry I have also been in the kitchen baking and these Macadamia Apricot Flapjacks are the delicious result.

When the weather is warm and the sun is shining I simply love being in the garden. Listening to the chatter and chirruping of birds, feeling the warmth of the sun on my back, our garden becomes my haven again, after the long, cold winter months.

Easy Recipes For Breakfast On The Go

So being able to eat breakfast, or more usually brunch, outside is very much treasured. These Macadamia Apricot Flapjacks are perfect to munch on whilst sitting on our garden bench, hot cup of coffee to hand. Packed with slow energy release oats, they make a tasty, yet filling alternative to toast or cereal.

FF Macadamia Apricot Flapjacks — **Macadamia Apricot Flapjacks** so good with a cup of good coffee.

This recipe is so simple and quick. A few minutes in the kitchen melting, mixing, baking and cooling means that you can have a great, portable bar, that is perfect for breakfast on the go, packed lunches, getting through the late afternoon energy dip. Plenty of deicious bars to see you through the week.

That has to be a winning recipe – right?

I love easy recipes – more so during the warmer months, when my passion for cooking and baking is matched by my passion for gardening. Yes I still have to work around my body (see – Living with siezures ), that just makes the time I have even more precious. Whilst in the winter I can happily spend all day – relatively speaking – in the kitchen, during warm spring and summer days my preference is to be outside.

Baking According To The Weather

My hubby jokes that I was born wearing Wellington boots! Whilst I may not be able to do the heavy digging of years past, I still like to get my hands dirty. I’ve also found, especially during the hotter months of summer, baking is best done first thing in the morning. That way there isn’t a hot oven baking bread, mid afternoon, just as the temperature outside is peaking.

Macadamia Nut Dried Apricot Flapjacks — **Macadamia Apricot Flapjacks** crunchy, chewy and full of flavour.

Easily Made Gluten Free Traybake

Back to the Macadamia Apricot Flapjacks! The macadamia nuts add a buttery crunch to these bars that I absolutely adore, however, I know they can be pricey. A great substitute would be almonds, either flakes or whole almonds that you chop yourself. I have used dried apricots that are the gorgeous tangerine orange of their fresh counterparts, however, if you prefer the darker, unsulphured apricots, use them instead. Good quality rolled oats, absolutely make these flapjacks the stars that they are.

I have specified that these Macadamia Apricot Flapjacks are gluten free, please check the labels of ingredients carefully to ensure that they are so. This is vital when baking for someone on a restricted diet. Their health absolutely cannot be compromised.

Recipe: Makes 12 Macadamia Apricot Flapjacks

250g/10oz Unsalted Butter – plus a little extra for greasing the tin

100g/4oz Golden Syrup (light corn syrup)

1/4tsp Salt – I use Maldon

125g/5oz Light Brown Sugar

325g/11.5oz Rolled Oats (not quick cook) – I used Delicious Alchemy as they are 100% gluten free

150g/5oz Dried Apricots – chopped into rough quarters

100g/4oz Chopped Macadamia Nuts – I buy whole nuts and roughly chop them myself

Optional – 100g White Chocolate – alternatively use milk or dark chocolate

Method: Preheat the oven to 180C/160C fan, gas mark 4, 350F

Making The Flapjacks

Grease and line a 8″ x 11″ – 20cm x 28cm swiss roll tin/shallow baking tin, with butter and baking parchment.
Into a medium saucepan add the butter and sugar. Warm over a medium heat, stirring until melted.
In a large bowl add the golden syrup.
Pour the melted butter/sugar mixture into the bowl containing the golden syrup. Stir continuously until combined.
Add the oats, chopped apricots and macadamia nuts and stir to thoroughly combine.
Tip the mixture into the prepared tin and press down using the back of a metal spoon, until the mixture is one even layer.

Baking The Macadamia Nut Apricot Flapjacks

Place the tin in the middle of the oven and bake for 20 minutes exactly.
The flapjacks will be a light golden colour when baked – do not be tempted to bake them for longer as this will result in them being hard, not chewy!
As soon as the flapjacks are baked remove the tin from the oven and allow to cool completely.
When completely cooled remove the entire flapjack bake from the tin, using the excess baking parchment to help lift it out.

**Macadamia Apricot Flapjacks** ready for the finishing touch.

As seen above, cut down the middle length of the bake and then across the width. Cut each quarter into 3 generous bars – you could cut each quarter into 4 making 16 individual flapjacks in total.

Finishing With A Chocolate Drizzle

To finish the flapjacks – chop the white chocolate into small pieces and place in a heatproof, microwaveable bowl.
Zap for 20 seconds at a time, stirring between each heating session.
When the chocolate is half melted, remove from the microwave and stir until completely liquid.
Fill a small disposable piping bag with the melted chocolate.
Snip off the very end of the bag, creating a small hole.
Pipe swirls or zig zags of chocolate onto each flapjack to provide a beautiful finish.

Ooh how completely yummy do these Macadamia Apricot Flapjacks look?

A couple of notes: During the summer, once the flapjack bake has cooled to room temperature, if the ambient temperature is 25C or above, it may be worth popping the tin in the fridge for an hour to allow the flapjacks to completely set. Likewise, unless the flapjacks are stored in the fridge I would leave off the white chocolate drizzle. If these Macadamia Apricot Flapjacks are going to get warm throughout the day, whether in a packed lunch box, or a bag, the white chocolate will melt and create a whole lotta mess!

This is just my advice as a mum of three and wife to hubby who takes a packed lunch to work.

Im just sayin’!!!

Love these Macadamia Apricot Flapjacks? Here are a couple of other recipes you may like to try as well.

Coconut Almond Date Flapjacks

Bakewell Shortbread Bars

Cranberry Walnut Flapjacks

While spending time in your kitchen, baking and cooking, have you ever thought of making extra and sharing some?

We all have people in our neighbourhood who are lonely and perhaps a little unhappy. Inviting them round for a chat over a cup of tea and delicious slice of cake, or flapjack, may seem such a small thing to us and yet can make the world of difference to someone else’s day.

Time seems to be so precious to many, which is why it is such a valuable gift to give.

Sammie xx

No part of this post may be reproduced or duplicated without the written permission of the owner. Please see my Disclosure Policy.

Oat Topped Lemon Shortbread Bars

Hi and thank you for dropping by. I have a delightful treat for you today, my – Oat Topped Lemon Shortbread Bars.

The other day I spotted a jar of Lemon Curd (unopened) in the cupboard. My brain started whirring with all the possibilities of how I could incorporate the Lemon Curd into my next bake. I didn’t fancy making pastry, let’s be honest, sometimes it seems like too much effort – even though it is really easy – anyhow, wasn’t feeling the pastry thing. Then I thought about a cake, but that wasn’t doing it for me either, I must’ve been having a funny day? Then I thought shortbread. But not as a biscuit, as a base. Yippee, I was finally getting somewhere. Everything good so far, shortbread base, slathered with lemon curd and then oats. Wasn’t quite sure how I was going to use them in the topping, just knew I needed oats – and that’s how these Oat Topped Lemon Shortbread Bars were born!

With the oat topping I decided to keep back a quarter of the shortbread dough and then crumble with the oats and pray that it would work – am not joking. It did! Although in all honesty, the bars were quite crumbly when I cut them up. Next time I would leave the whole tray bake intact, for at least a few hours, or even better overnight. The bars had firmed up beautifully by the next day.

Recipe : Oat Topped Lemon Shortbread Bars – makes 12

225g/8oz Unsalted Butter – room temp

150g/5oz Caster Sugar

1/4tsp Salt – I use Maldon

1tsp Vanilla Extract

1 Large Egg Yolk – room temp

275g/10oz Plain White Flour

310g/11oz Jar Lemon Curd

175g/6oz Rolled Oats – not quick cook

Making The Shortbread Layer

Preheat the oven to 180C/160C fan, gas mark 4, 350F.

Butter and line with parchment paper a 30cm x 20cm (12″ x 8″) at least 4cm (1.5″) deep tin.

Into a large bowl whisk the butter, sugar and salt until light and fluffy.

Add the egg yolk and vanilla extract, whisk until fully incorporated.

Next add the flour and stir with a spoon until just combined.

This is how your shortbread dough should look.

Reserve a quarter of the shortbread dough (for the topping).

Using the remaining shortbread dough, press lightly into the pan, so it forms an even layer. — Using the remaining shortbread dough, press lightly into the tin, so it forms an even layer.

Pop the tin into the oven for 10 minutes. This will form a light crust on, but not fully cooked, the shortbread. After 10 minutes remove from the oven.

Adding The Lemon Layer

Immediately start spooning the Lemon Curd over the shortbread base.

Cover the entire shortbread base, just inside the edge.

Making And Using The Oat Crumble Topping

Set to one side whilst you make the oat topping.

Add the oats to the remaining shortbread dough.

Using your fingers rub the buttery shortbread dough through the oats until you have an even crumble mix.

Starting at one corner sprinkle the oat crumble topping... — Starting at one corner sprinkle the oat crumble topping…

...until the entire top is covered. Very gently press down on the topping to slightly compact it. — …until the entire top is covered. Very gently press down on the topping to slightly compact it.

Baking The Oat Topped Lemon Shortbread Bars

Place in the oven for 25-30 minutes, until the oat topping is golden in colour, then remove from oven.

Oat Topped Lemon Shortbread Bars - allow to cool completely in the pan. — Oat Topped Lemon Shortbread Bars – allow to cool completely in the tin.

Once completely cooled, cut lengthways down the middle of the bake. Then cut into bars. Remove and store in an airtight container.

Oat Topped Lemon Shortbread Bars - pre-cooking the shortbread layer ensures it is cooked through with a lovely golden bottom. — Oat Topped Lemon Shortbread Bars – pre-cooking the shortbread layer ensures it is cooked through with a lovely golden bottom.

I really cannot emphasise how gorgeous these Oat Topped Lemon Bars are. The buttery shortbread, topped with good, tangy, lemon curd and then the crunch from the oat crumble topping.

Everyone who has tried these has loved them! That’s definitely a winner in my book (or blog!!!).

Perfect for sharing!

Please let me know what you think?

Sammie x