Oat Fruit Cookies

Oat Fruit Cookies

A sweet alternative to traditional Scottish oatcakes, with fruit and seeds added to enhance flavour and nutrient content. Relatively easy to prepare, it can be cooked in bulk and frozen. What makes these cookies healthier than the traditional is the use of wholemeal/spelt flour, an excellent fibre source.

Serves:  24 cookies

Dietary: Suitable for vegetarians, nut-free, milk-free

Contains: gluten (flour, oats, baking powder), eggs, sesame (seeds)

May contain: soya (margarine, soya butter), sulphites (dried fruit)

Preparation time: 20 minutes

Cooking time:  10 – 12 minutes

 

INGREDIENTS
3/4 cups (100 g) spelt or wholemeal flour
1 tsp ground mixed spice
½ tsp bicarbonate of soda
3 cups (250 g) porridge oats 
5½ Tbsp (100 g) raisins
2 Tbsp (25 g) mixed seeds such as pumpkin, sunflower, flaxseed, sesame, and chia seeds
½ cup (100 g) soya butter, or soft plant-based margarine
½ cup (50 g) golden caster sugar
½ cup (50 g) soft brown sugar
1 large free-range egg

 

METHOD

  1. Preheat the oven to 180ºC/160oC Fan/350ºF/Gas Mark 5 and line 2 large baking trays with greaseproof paper.
  2. Tip the flour, mixed spice, bicarbonate of soda, oats, dried fruit and seeds into a large bowl and mix well.
  3. Cream the butter and sugars in another large bowl until light and fluffy. Crack in the egg and beat until well mixed.
  4. Tip in all the dry ingredients and stir together until combined. Use your clean hands to combine all ingredients, if needed.
  5. Roll the mixture with wet hands into roughly the size of a golf ball, place them onto the lined baking trays, and press them down a little with the palm of your hand.
  6. Bake in the oven for 10 to 12 minutes or until lightly golden and slightly soft in the middle.
  7. Once cooked, remove them from the oven and transfer them to wire racks to cool when cool enough to handle.

 

This recipe has been donated by Clare Atkins, Student Nutritionist.

 

NUTRITION INFORMATION

Per serving: per biscuit
Total calories: 119 kcal
Fat:  4.4 g
Saturated Fat:  0.9 g
Carbohydrate: 17.0 g
Total sugar: 7.1 g
Free sugar: 4.2 g *
Fibre:  1.5 g
Protein:  2.4 g
Salt:  0.11 g

* Added free sugar

 

NUTRITION FACTS

  • The added sugar (free sugar) is less than 5 g/100g.
  • This recipe contains a good fibre source, mainly from oats, wholemeal flour and dried fruit.
  • This recipe contains a range of nutrients. It is an excellent source of phosphorus, manganese, vitamin E, thiamin (vitamin B1), and vitamin B12 and a good source of iron, zinc, vitamin D, and niacin (vitamin B3), vitamin B6 and Biotin (vitamin B2).
  • Manganese contributes to the normal formation of connective tissue.
  • Vitamin E contributes to the protection of cells from oxidative stress.
  • Phosphorus contributes to the maintenance of normal bones.

 

VARIATIONS

  • Expense-sparing if cooked in bulk and frozen (can be kept frozen for up to 3 months).
  • Gluten-free flour could be used to make an option suitable for a coeliac. However, oats may be contaminated with gluten during harvesting or processing. So you will need to choose gluten-free oats as well.
  • Raisins could be replaced with other dried fruit. Some dried fruits may contain sulphites as a preservative, so choose those that are sulphite free if allergic.
  • Do not include sesame seeds if allergic.

 

            

 

Consumer Tested by Sylwia Szkup

Checked by Kathy Lewis, Registered Nutritionist

 

© 2022 The Caroline Walker Trust