Orange, Oat and Sultana Cookies

These cookies are delicious and a little bit more healthy than some other versions.

Makes 16 large cookies

115 g / ½ cup butter at room temperature

1 egg

40 g / ¼ cup mashed ripe banana

1 tsp vanilla extract

100 g / ½ cup light soft brown sugar

1 ½ tsp grated orange zest

125 g / 1 cup wholemeal flour

¼ teaspoon salt

1 tsp baking powder

120g / 1 ½ cups rolled oats

20g / ¼ cup desiccated coconut

60 g / ½ cup chopped walnuts

75 g / ½ cup sultanas or 90 g / ½ cup dark chocolate chips

1. Preheat the oven to 180ºC/ 350ºF/Gas mark 4.

2. Cream the butter and egg together until well blended and smooth.  Gradually beat in the banana, vanilla extract and brown sugar.  Add the orange zest.  Mix well with a wooden spoon until all the ingredients are thoroughly blended.

3. In a large bowl mix the flour, salt, baking powder, oats, coconut, walnuts and sultanas or chocolate chips.

4. Stir the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and mix thoroughly until a thick dough is formed.

5. Line a baking sheet with baking parchment.  Drop heaped tablespoons of the dough onto the greased baking sheet, leaving 5 cm (2 in) space around each one, and press down lightly to flatten.

6. Bake in the pre-heated oven for 15-20 minutes until lightly browned.  Cool on a wire rack.

Notes: The dough can be made ahead of time and frozen. To do this, make the dough into individual cookies, as though you were about to bake them, but transfer the tray to the freezer instead of the oven. Once frozen, the cookies can be removed from the tray and stored in freezer bags. They can be baked from frozen but you will need to allow extra time in the oven.