FOOD BLOG: MUESLI COOKIES

 You can actually eat these for breakfast. Not that I'm publicising that point in my household, as it's hard enough keeping these around for a couple of days.

I'm very proud of these creations. Not only do they taste fantastic, they put to shame other muesli cookies. No butter, sugar or flour and just a moderate amount of honey to sweeten them.

I was inspired to dream up my own (along with these very similar muesli bars) after too many frustrating purchases where I thought I had gone for the healthy option and then discovered they were packed with sugar, butter, golden syrup, white flour - you may as well have bought a piece of cake for afternoon tea.

I've basically stayed true to muesli - my version at least - and then used peanut butter and tahini to bind it. Wheat-free, dairy-free, and low-fat healthy snacks that go down a treat with all ages.

After my muesli bars were born I experimented and threw in a couple of eggs. I now prefer these to the bars, but if you don't eat eggs the muesli bars are popular too.

 

 RECIPE: MUESLI COOKIES

3/4 cup of oil (I use rice bran but sunflower would work) or 100g coconut oil

5 Tablespoons honey

1/2 cup shredded coconut or desiccated coconut  

1/4 cup sesame seeds

1/4 cup sunflower seeds

1/2 cup raisins/sultanas (use big juicy ones if you can) - optional

2 cups oats

4 Tablespoons peanut butter

1 Tablespoon tahini (If you can't get it just add 1 extra peanut butter)

2 eggs

 

 

Preheat oven to 180 c or 350 F. Grease two large, flat and preferably metal oven trays.

Melt oil and honey in small pot on low heat until just bubbling. Meanwhile, combine dry ingredients in large bowl. 

 

Remove oil and honey from heat and stir peanut butter and then tahini through until smooth. Immediately mix it through dry ingredients until well combined. Add eggs and combine well.

Wet hands with hot water and roll large tablespoon lots into round cookies - run your hands under the hot tap regularly as this will really help form the cookies. Place on greased trays and flatten slightly with fork or back of spoon. They won't spread like other cookies as there is no raising agent, so you can place them fairly close together.

 

Bake until golden browned - approximately 20 minutes.  If, like me, you have a conventional oven you will need to swap the top shelf cookies with the lower shelf ones half way through. You also may need to cook them a bit longer to get the cookies nicely bronzed.

Place on wire rack to cool and store in airtight container. They keep well - but in our house last only a couple of days.