Harry’s going through a phase at the moment where he’s constantly asking for cake and biscuits. Don’t get me wrong, he also asks for lots of fruit but I’m finding more and more that he’s asking for a ‘treat’ and as he gets older I want to teach him that it’s ok to have treats in moderation. In doing this I’ve found more creative ways to give him occasional treats while still keeping them as healthy as possible. The spiced apple and pear slices recipe was made up as I went along this morning when we both fancied something sweet but had nothing in the house. It has no refined sugars in and was really quick and easy to make.
I’m loving autumnal, wintery spices in my cooking at the moment and I’m really pleased with how these spiced apple and pear slices turned out. Harry and I both really enjoyed them and I’ll definitely be making them again.
Ingredients
- 1 cup of oats
- 1/2 cup of desiccated coconut
- 1 apple (peeled, cored and grated)
- 1 pear (peeled and grated)
- 1/2 cup dried apricots
- 6 tbsp maple syrup (you can use honey if you prefer for over 1 yr olds)
- 120ml water
- 1/2 tsp nutmeg
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp ground all spice
Method
- In a food processor, blitz the coconut and oats until they are a flour consistency. (This isn’t necessary if you want to keep the oats whole, the texture just won’t be as smooth.)
- Take the oat/coconut mix out of the food processor. Put in a frying pan on a low heat, moving regularly to gently toast.
- Put the apricots in the food processor and blitz until they are finely chopped. (Again, the food processor isn’t necessary, you can use a knife and do it by hand if you prefer, I’m just too lazy to!)
- In a saucepan, put the maple syrup, water, apple, pear, apricots and spices then simmer on a low heat for 5 minutes.
- Add the toasted oats and coconut to the saucepan, mixing well until the mixture is well combined.
- Line a baking tray with clingfilm then spoon the mixture into it, making sure to press it down firmly and level the top.
- Chill in the fridge for at least 2 hours, until firm and set.
- Cut into slices and serve!
These slices will keep in an airtight container for 2-3 days.
