Banana oat muffins

Perfectly soft and springy, moist and banana-y, not too sweet. The perfect breakfast!

Pre-heat oven to 190C fan (200C) and line a muffin tin with 12 paper liners
Combine flour, oats, flax seed, sugar, baking powder, bicarb and salt in a medium bowl
In a separate, larger bowl, whisk together the egg, milk, oil and vanilla, then stir in mashed bananas
Add in the flour mixture and stir until just combined
Spoon batter into the prepared muffin cases, filling three quarters full. Sprinkle with some extra oats on each one
Bake for 18-20 mins until golden and springy. Cool on a rack and then store in an airtight container

Oat biscuits

Like a hobnob and a ginger nut had a delicious, crunchy, butterscotchy baby. Makes 16 or so, depending on the size

Preheat the oven to 160C fan and line a baking tray
Use a food processor to grind the oats to a coarse flour
Put the butter, sugar and syrup into a bowl and beat until well combined
In another bowl, mix together the ground oats, baking powder, ginger and salt
Stir the oat flour mixture into the butter mixture until completely combined
Pinch off pieces to form balls around the diameter of a 50p
Place on the lined baking try, well spaced out, and lightly press down on the top to flatten
Bake for about 15 mins until golden brown then remove from the oven and place on a rack to cool

Nibbly, nubbly, raisiny, oaty and wholesome little craggy cookies. Makes 24.

Heat oven to 160C fan (180C) and line 2 baking trays
Pour 50ml of boiling water over the raisins and leave to soak for 20 mins until plump. Drain, reserving the liquid
In a large bowl, whisk together the oil and sugar. Gradually beat in the egg, then the reserved water from the raisins, the cinnamon and vanilla
Stir in the flour, bicarb, a pinch of salt, oats and raisins until well combined
Drop heaped tbsps of the cookie dough onto the baking trays, evenly spaced. They can be quite close together, this mixture doesn’t spread much when baked
Bake for 12-15 mins until golden
Cool on a rack

Our family’s recipe for nubbly, chewy, crunchy flapjacks. Endlessly adaptable, brilliant to make with children.

115g butter
1 tbsp golden syrup
1 level tsp bicarbonate of soda
90g porridge oats
60g plain flour
80g soft brown sugar
A couple of handfuls of chopped dried fruit, seeds, nuts, desiccated coconut. (You can use anything dried. Our family faves are raisins with pumpkin seeds and sunflower seeds; dried cherries with flaked almonds; and dried pineapple with flax seeds and desiccated coconut. You could even add chocolate chips and banana chips, which is how my dad likes them, but I feel as though they suddenly become not breakfast-appropriate if you do that!)

Preheat oven to 140C fan (160C)
In a big bowl, mix together oats, flour, sugar and your choice of fruit/seeds
Melt the butter in a small pan on the hob, then add the syrup and stir together
When combined, take off the stove and add the bicarb. Stir until frothy and then pour over the dry ingredients
Mix well until everything turns flapjack-coloured
Tip into a baking tin or dish – I usually use a rectangular ceramic dish so I don’t have to line it. Press down with your fingers into all the corners
Cook for 30 mins until golden brown
Remove from oven, cut into squares with a sharp knife but leave in the tin until completely cooled
Store in an airtight container