These delicious crunchy oat cookies are quick and simple to prepare and, like the cup cakes, are another great last minute idea to take to school bake sales or have ready for Christmas. You could even bake a batch every week to keep at home for afternoon snacks, as they last well stored in an airtight container and the whole family will enjoy them!
Recipe for Oat Crunchies
2 cups quick cooking or regular oatmeal
1 cup flaked coconut
1 cup cake flour
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup butter
2 tablespoons golden syrup such as maple syrup
Preheat the oven to 350 F
Collect together: small saucepan, mixing bowl, cup measures, baking tray measuring about 14 x 10 inches
Put the butter, syrup and sugar in the small saucepan and melt it together, stirring occasionally, over a low heat. Don’t let it start to bubble or it will turn into toffee!
Put the rest of the ingredients into the mixing bowl and stir them together. When the butter mixture has melted, pour it over the dry ingredients and mix well till everything is evenly coated with it.
Grease the baking tray. Turn the mixture onto the tray, spread it out evenly and begin to press it all down with the back of a metal spoon. Make sure that it reaches all the corners and sides and is a fairly even thickness all over.
Bake in the oven for about 20 minutes, when it should be a golden brown color.
Grab the oven gloves, take out the tray and with a knife mark out squares. This sized tray should make about 30 squares in all. Cut all the way down with the knife but leave the crunchies to cool in the tin for about 15 minutes, before turning them out to finish cooling on a wire rack.
There are loads of variations you can experiment with for yourself. Try one or more of the following:
replace 1 cup of oats with a cup of your favorite muesli
add ½ cup of chocolate chips
add ½ cup of mixed nuts
add 2 tablespoons cocoa for chocolate crunchies
add 1 teaspoon of either cinnamon or ginger to spice up the flavor
if anyone in your family can’t eat wheat, use rye or oat flour to replace the cake flour for completely wheat-free treats.
Did you know?
Crunchies are a traditional South African cookie – almost every family has their own favorite recipe for them.
In Britain they have the same recipe, but there they call them flapjacks!
