So at school they are very focused on healthy eating and having a healthy lunch box, no bad thing at all to build good eating habits but at times it has gone a bit overboard. We had a recent ‘Ham Gate’ situation in the playground where lots of 7 year olds were shrieking about how you would be dead by the time you were 20 if you had a ham sandwich…. Sounds almost funny except that Eva only wanted an apple for lunch, just to be able to avoid this judgement of her peers.
Thankfully a chat with her sensible teacher sorted this out but we did have a few fraught days. Anyhow I usually don’t put anything sweet in the lunchbox but do make an exception for things like these fig and oat cookies or the sticky orange almond cake on a Friday when rules are a bit more relaxed.

Fig and Oat Cookies

Makes 26

Oven at 170c

6oz Figs chopped small, stalk removed
10oz Oats
5oz gluten free plain flou
4oz Butter
3oz coconut palm sugar or Brown Sugar
Pinch salt
1tsp baking soda
1 tsp mixed spice
2 Eggs
1tsp vanilla

Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy
Add vanilla and eggs and beat until well combined
Fold in dry ingredients followed by the figs
Using an ice-cream scoop as a measure, scoop out onto a lined baking sheet, flatten slightly and bake for about 12 minutes, (cookies will be firm and golden )rotating half way. You will have to bake in 2 batches probably.
Leave to cool on the sheet before moving

Sticky Clementine Cake

5 clementines
200gr almond meal
100gr polenta
1 tsp mixed spice
100gr brown sugar
1 tsp baking powder
2 tsp vanilla
6 eggs
juice of 1 lemon

Put 4 of the clementines in a pot, cover with water and bring to the boil.
Simmer until really tender, at least an hour.
Slice in half, remove any seeds and blend skin and all and set aside to cool.
Cream the butter and sugar
Add the eggs, vanilla, mixed spice, orange pulp and mix well
Fold in the dry ingredients
Spoon into a greased lined 23cm springform tin and bake for 50 mins approx until golden brown and cooked through. Serve with some whipped cream or is delicious with some vanilla ice cream.