Eats shoots and leaves

Nut-free lunchbox flapjacks

Serves 20

You will need:

• 190ml extra-virgin coconut oil

• 125ml good honey

• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

• 1 teaspoon vanilla-bean paste or vanilla extract

• 8 Medjool dates or pre-soaked regular dates, stones removed

• 270g regular oat flakes

• 90g brown rice flour or spelt flour

• 50g pumpkin seeds, chopped

• Handful of dark-chocolate chips (optional)

• Smattering of sea salt flakes (for adults)

1 Preheat the oven to 170°C, 330°F, Gas 3. Line a 30cm x 20cm baking tin (this looks approximately like an A4-sized tin or smaller) with non-stick baking parchment.

2 Start by gently warming the extra-virgin coconut oil and the honey in a deep, large pot over a low heat until they look happily ensconced. Add the ground cinnamon and the vanilla-bean paste or vanilla extract, whichever you’re using.

3 Meanwhile, roughly chop the Medjool dates or the pre-soaked regular dates, whichever you’re using, and toss them into the syrupy mix in the pot. Next, add in the oat flakes, the brown rice flour or the spelt flour, whichever you’re using, the chopped pumpkin seeds, the darkchocolate chips, if you are using them, and the sea salt flakes, if you are using them. Mix thoroughly. The chocolate is optional; add it if you think it would help your children eat the first batch. You could then wean out the chocolate chips when your goslings get used to eating the flapjacks.

4 Press the mixture into your prepared tin and bake for 30 minutes, before the oats can turn brown (I find 180°C too high, so stick to the temperature I’ve recommended). Remove the flapjacks from the oven. Allow them to cool completely in the tin before attempting to hack off a few slices. I store mine in the fridge to keep them from crumbling, but they will survive perfectly in kids’ lunchboxes.