Looking for a healthy treat for the lunchbox? Or yourself?! Here are 2 seasonal recipes, 1 cookie, 1 muffin. Both provide whole grains and apples for your day and are low in added sugar. The cookies have the good fats of walnuts, while the muffins add the beta-carotene of carrots and the potassium of bananas. Plus the muffins are egg & dairy free for those with allergies. They both add satisfaction without guilt, keeping young and old(er) happy and healthy.
APPLE OATMEAL COOKIES
Ingredients:
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 cup oats
1/3 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon bread soda
1/3 cup walnuts
3/4 cup apple puree (made from 2 apples)
2 1/2 tablespoon rapeseed oil
1 apple diced
1 egg
First, make the apple puree. Peel and dice 2 apples. Place into a small saucepan with a splash of water. Stir. Turn the heat on high. When water begins to boil, turn down to simmer, cover and allow to cook for a few minutes, stirring occasionally. Take off heat, mash with a potato masher and allow to cool. You can use prepared apple sauce, but be sure to get one with no added sugar or salt.
Pre-heat oven to 180ºC (160ºC fan oven/350ºF).
In a large bowl, mix dry ingredients: whole wheat flour, oats, brown sugar, cinnamon, salt & bread soda. Set aside.
Peel and dice apple - keep dice small, but not so small it turns to mush. Roughly chop walnuts into smaller pieces.
In a small bowl, whisk egg. Add rapeseed oil and apple puree. Whisk. Add wet mixture to dry ingredients. Use a large spoon to mix ingredients well.
Add diced apple and chopped walnuts to mixture. Stir through.
Line 2 baking sheets with baking paper. Scoop approximately 1/3 cup of mixture onto baking sheet for each cookie. Flatten a bit with your fingers (wet them slightly to keep from sticking).
Bake for 20 minutes, until firm. Remove to cooling rack. Makes 10 large cookies.
APPLE CARROT MINI-MUFFINS
(egg & dairy free!)
1 cup finely grated carrot
1 cup grated apple (medium grate)
1 small ripe banana
1/4 cup rapeseed oil
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 tablespoon light brown sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon bread / baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 cup whole wheat flour
3/4 cup oats
Pre-heat oven to 180ºC (160ºC fan oven / 350ºF)
Prepare carrot & apple: finely grate carrot (1cup = approximately 1 large carrot). Peel and grate apples - use a medium coarseness so it doesn't turn to mush. (1 cup = ~1 very large apple or 2 medium)
In a larger bowl, mash banana well with a fork. Add oil & vanilla and whisk together.
Add dry into the wet, mix well using a large spoon spreading the moisture throughout. (It will seem a bit dry, but don't worry, there's a lot of moisture in the apples and carrots, too.
Use a fork to mix in carrots and apples, dispersing them throughout the mixture.
Spoon into muffin trays. For mini muffins, use 1 heaping tablespoon per each. If you don't have a mini-tray and are using a regular sized one, only fill each muffin about 1/2 way.