Back to School Baking

The Spring school holidays came to a close and the boys went back to school and kindy this week.  I would have gladly taken an extra week of holidays - it feels like a 2 week break is only just long enough to unwind and start relaxing.  Sad as it is, school resuming has however given me a chance to bake (hooray!) and also to catch up on the pile of paperwork that was consuming my desk. 

To start lunch boxes off for the week, I threw together a batch of super yummy Fruity Puff Bars from Chelsea over at Full Little Tummies.  My only alteration is that I only use 50g rapadura (and they're still pretty sweet!).  I also baked a batch of Apricot and Oatmeal Cookies, which my kids eat as fast as I can bake.  The original recipe comes from the Thermomix Forum and I've slightly tweaked it to my taste.  I add pistachios to mine, but you can easily omit the nuts and up the apricot quantity instead.

Apricot and Oatmeal Cookies

Ingredients:-

120g dried apricots
60g pistachios
85g rolled oats
1 tsp ground cardamon
90g rapadura sugar
160g plain flour
125g butter, chopped
25g  golden syrup
2 tablespoons boiling water
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda

Method:-

1. Preheat moderate oven (180 - 200^oC)

2. Chop apricots for 3 seconds on Speed 6.

3. Add pistachios, chop for further 3 seconds on Speed 6.

4.  Add dry ingredients to TMX bowl (except for the bicarb).  Mix for 5 seconds on Speed 3, Reverse.  Set aside (or swap to your second bowl).

5. Add butter to TMX bowl and golden syrup.  Heat for 1 & 1/2 minutes at 80^o  on Speed 3 (until butter is just melted).

6. In a cup, add the boiling water and then the bicarb and stir to combine and then add to the butter mixture in the TMX bowl for 5 seconds on Speed 2.

7. Add dry mixture to wet mixture in the TMX bowl and combine for 30 seconds, closed lid, Intermittent speed.

8. Put tablespoonfuls of mixture onto prepared trays, spaced 5cm apart. Bake in oven for 15-20 mins or until golden.

9. Allow to rest on tray 5 mins, and put on wire rack to cool before serving.


Enjoy!!!