In our ongoing attempts at potty training we have a reward system where there is a treat at the end of the day if there are no accidents. The problem is that this has to be balanced against a big sugar rush at bedtime so I try out different recipes with reduced sugar content to see which are successful. This week I tried oaty cookies. I adapted a recipe by reducing the sugar, adding extra oats and trying different dried fruits. I split the mix in two and added sultanas to one half (popular with the kiddies) and dried cranberries and orange zest (popular with the grown-ups) to the other half.

Ingredients:

270g Stork margarine

100 g castor sugar

100g dark muscavado sugar

2 eggs (beaten)

1 and a half tsp vanilla extract

380g plain flour

three quarters of a tsp salt

1tsp bicarbonate of soda

220g rolled oats

100g sultanas

100g dried sweetened cranberries

zest of 1 large orange

Method:

• Cream the butters and sugars in a freestanding mixer.
• Beat the eggs and add the vanilla extract before adding to the buttercream a little at a time while continuinjg to mix.
• Mix together the salt, flour and bicarb and add slowly to the egg mix, continuing to mix until smooth.
• Add the rolled oats and mix to evenly distribute.
• Split the mixture into two:
  • Add the cranberries and orange zest to one half
  • Add the sultanas to the other half
• Grease 2 baking trays and pre-heat your oven to 180c
• Make small balls of the mixture by rolling between your palms then flatten them onto the baking trays.
• Bake for 12 minutes or until golden then cool on a wire rack

Linked to the great blogger’s bake off run by Helen and Jenny.