Guilt Free Oaties

Two things I really miss being able to eat since cutting dairy out of my diet are cookies and banana bread.

After prowling the internet and pinterest, I found many a recipe involving bananas and oats, so I set to work on baking some oaty, banana bready, cookie deliciousness.

This/my recipe works on a three cookies to one banana basis, with about a cup of oats to a banana. Confused?

Anyway, to make 12 decent cookies you will need: 

4 mashable bananas

3 cups oats (both rolled and quick work well!)

1 tsp cinnamon

Several handfuls of sultanas

First mash those bananas like crazy, I used a potato masher!

And a certain someone found this rather exciting to watch...

Add your oats, stir well and you'll be left with something that looks like this:

Hang in there and percivere, it'll look & taste better soon,
Add your cinnamon and fruit,

Aim for about a tablespoon and a half of mixture to each cookie when putting them on the baking tray, and don't worry, these ones don't spread!

Leave them in there for about 15-19 mins at about 180 celcius and you should have something like this.....

No added sugar, no butter or milk, and if you use gluten free oats, no gluten! Whoopee!

They're best eaten on the day, I ate the first batch I made in an hour.. For breakfast... But they're just so moreish and scrummy and healthy that I'm not sure I care!

Update: And good news, if you pop them on a plate and put them in the microwave for 4 mins, take out and flip then pop in for another 30 secs, they'll be done!
Microwavable cookies!!!

Tiddly Banoffee Pies

The other night J and I had a date night, just a trip to the cinema to see "The Big Wedding", which was pretty good, but seeing as he's in the middle of exams right now we can't see each other as often as we'd normally/like to.
Anyway, one of his favourite puddings is Banoffee Pie. It would be risky for the inside of my bag if I had tried to sneak a whole pie into the cinema so I made a small batch of my trusty short crust pastry that made just over 7 pie crusts that I laid over cupcake tins.

3 oz plain flour
1.5 oz butter
About 4 tsps. water

1 can of boiled condensed milk (or dulche de leche)
1 banana
Whipped cream (optional)
Grated chocolate

After making your pastry roll it out and use a cutter to cut out circles that cover the cupcake tin holes like you would if you were making mince pies.
With the point of a sharp knife gently prick the pastry so that it doesn't rise and pop in the oven (200 celcius) for about 15 mins.

You can use a can of condensed milk that you've boiled yourself (keep the tin sealed) or you can use a precooked one like the one below!

 




















Grab a teaspoon and dollop the caramel in the cases, depending on how caramelly you like it (J likes caramel so I went overboard slightly).

Mmm don't they look good??

Then eat the rest of the tin with a spoon by yourself whilst watching a movie. I won't judge you.

 

 Slice up your banana and plonk/arrange artistically on top.

You could go for several half slices, for more bananary tastiness but I was in a rush.

 

Add a good amount of whipped cream if you have some and sprinkle with chocolate (or chocolate powder in my case).

I don't think they are exactly the same as a normal banoffee pie base, because that's with golden syrup, butter and biscuits, but they're really easy for you to eat, and perfect for cinema sneakin'.
I did actually catch J fit one whole into his mouth so they went down a treat!

 

Alternatively you could leave the banana out and eat them as a caramel jam tart!

 

Emily's Banana Bread

So, I know I haven't blogged in a while but I've done two out of three exams and the last one is next Friday (revision is next week's problem) so I'm just easing myself back into my routine.
One of my favourite bloggers, Emily, posted this recipe and after spying it and feeling envious on Instagram, I had to make my own loaf, and then show you all.

Whilst the cake was baking, the whole house filled with its delicious aroma, and that, in my opinion, is how you can tell that it's going to be a good cake.

I lurked around the oven for the last 10 mins, yanking it out when the timer went, then, my sister and I descended. Hindsight has taught me that it's probably a good idea to let it cool a bit before slicing it open, because the break in the crust sort of broke, but that doesn't affect the taste, so it doesn't matter.

Lucy had to make do with grated chocolate on hers because we couldn't find any Nutella, and I went for a naked slice (the crust obviously, the best bit).

 

 

 

Oh my goodness, you have to make this because a) if you need comfort food it's the most homely thing b) it's the best banana bread I've ever tasted.

I'm finishing this post off so I can charge back downstairs for my 4th slice...