Image by Holly Bell
Someone asked me for a variant on my refined sugar free banana flapjacks. Well I have always been one to respond to polite enquiries, so here they are. Apple and pear flapjacks no less. As they're (refined) sugar free, baby Lawrence, 11 months, has been chowing down on them with aplomb. At first he wasn't so keen. I think he was missing the banana flavour, but now he's all about the apple & pear variety. He bangs his high chair when he sees one about to be unleashed.
Please manage your expectations though if you're a sugar addict. These are not syrupy sweet like regular flapjack.
Lots of great recipes like this in my book, Recipes from a Normal Mum, out now... on Amazon, The Works, at Waterstones, WHSmith, The Book Depository and many smaller outlets.
Makes about 16, but depends how large you cut them
Ingredients:
- 90g very ripe pear, peeled and de-cored (1 medium pear)
- 155g dates
- 80mls boiling water
- 75g grated apple, skin on (1 small)
- 35g dried figs
- 85g sultanas
- 160g oats
Preheat the oven to 160°C/gas mark 2 and pop the kettle on. Grease and line a 20cm x 20cm tin.
Place the pear pieces in a jug with the dates and boiling water. Leave for 5 minutes and in the meantime chop the figs into 1/2 cm chunks using scissors. Use a stick blender to blitz the pear mixture to a fine purée, being careful not to spray yourself with boiling water.
Combine the puree, grated apple, fig pieces, sultanas and oats in a bowl until well mixed then press into the prepared tin. Bake for 30 minutes until the edges are starting to brown and the top feel firm. Remove from the tin and cool on a wire rack then cut into easy to grip bars with a very sharp knife once cool. Store in a tin for up to 5 days, or in the fridge if it's warm in your kitchen.
Freeze, well wrapped for up to a month. Defrost at room temperature before serving.
Holly blogs at Recipes from a Normal Mum
Her first book is out now, also called Recipes from a Normal Mum