Always after easy things to put in the Small’s lunchboxes that reduce our plastic and packaging waste, I have been trying to find a recipe for a ‘pudding’ bar that is easy to make and that the kids actually eat. That last bit is the biggest challenge because, whilst better than they were, they are still fussy little blighters.
I finally seem to have cracked it!
After a bit of experimentation, playing around and mixing recipes up (and doing the classic… hmmm, I don’t have that ingredient so I’ll just throw something else in and hope!) I have landed on my new favourite thing to make. It is super easy and pretty quick and painless to knock up on a Sunday evening ready for the week of lunch boxes ahead. And it is so tasty I’m going to have to start making double batches so Caius and I can have a tub of them at home for our lunches as well!!
They are somewhere between a flapjack and a blondie – too cakey for one and too oaty for the other – and they are super moreish!
Oaty Lunchbox Cake Bar Recipe
You will need:
- 150g Self Raising Flour
- 75g Caster Sugar
- 75g Soft Brown Sugar
- Pinch of Salt
- 1tsp ground Cinnamon
- ½tsp ground Ginger
- ¼tsp freshly grated Nutmeg (or ground if that’s what you have)
- 1tsp Vanilla Extract
- 1 large egg
- 100g melted Butter, cooled
- 210g Rolled Oats
- 150g Mixed Dried Fruit
- 50g White Chocolate Chips
Method:
- Preheat the oven to 175C & line a brownie tin (approx. 8″x8″) with greaseproof paper.
- Mix the flour, both sugars, salt, cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg in a large bowl.
- Make a well in the middle of the bowl and add the butter, egg and vanilla extract, then mix thoroughly.
- Stir in the oats and your choice of flavourings until they are evenly distributed and you have a fairly firm dough.
- Empty the dough into the tin and press it into the corners until it is an even thickness all over.
- Put it in the oven for 20-25 minutes until the edges are turning golden brown and the centre is solid but still moist.
- Allow to cool in the tin for ten minutes before turning out to cool on a wire rack.
- Cut into squares or bars once cold, and enjoy!
These keep well in an air-tight tub for about a week. If you can manage to make them last that long, that is.
If you don’t want to use chocolate chips you can just make it with raisins, or any other dried fruit or even crystalised ginger – have a play
Carole Finds Her Wings 