Oat-and-apple biscuits

Makes 14-20 biscuits Preparation time 10 minutes plus resting time Baking time 12-15 minutes

These biscuits aren’t particularly sweet – they are more of a healthy addition to breakfast. You can therefore offer them to your children or grandchildren without feeling guilty, or enjoy them at bedtime with a mug of warm milk. They are also delicious with butter, honey and a slice of Cheddar.

You need

• 1 cup (98g)** rolled oats • ¾ cup (90g)** whole-wheat flour

(you could use gluten-free flour instead) • 1½ teaspoons (7,5ml) baking powder • 1½ teaspoons (7,5ml) ground cinnamon • a small pinch of salt • 2 tablespoons (30ml) melted coconut

oil or butter • 1 large egg • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract • ½ cup (125ml) honey or maple syrup • ¾ cup (185ml) finely grated sweet apple

This is how

Place the rolled oats in a food processor and pulse quickly 5-8 times until you have the coarse texture of instant oats. Combine the oats, flour, baking powder, cinnamon and salt in a bowl, and mix thoroughly. Beat the coconut oil or butter, egg and vanilla in a separate bowl and stir in the honey or maple syrup. Stir this mixture through the oats mixture, and then incorporate the apple into the dough. Cover with clingfilm and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 160°C and line a baking tray with baking paper. Arrange heaped tablespoons of the mixture on the baking tray – make them as large as you like. Bake the biscuits for 12-15 minutes. Remove from the oven and let them cool on the baking tray for 15 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely. Store in an airtight container.

** It’s important to use exactly the right amount of rolled oats and flour; if you use too much the biscuits will be very dry.