The recipe that started it all: Oat-choc slice

It all started with oats.  Cheap, nutritious, filling and yummy oats.  I was on maternity leave in 2010 with my first boy, MJ, and had some extra time on my hands so I turned my attention to becoming more proficient in the kitchen.  I also wanted to be fitter and healthier and so I started to look for healthier recipes.  First I watched 'Good Chef, Bad Chef' and started to search websites such as taste.com.au and Australian Healthy Food Guide.  It was here I discovered my love of oats.  I started to use them in lots of baking and I even bought myself a coffee grinder to be able to make my own oat flour. I instantly felt healthier if I made something out of oats!

From there I discovered the, previously unknown to me, world of blogging - in particular healthy food and exercise blogging.  The first blog I found was Brittany's Eating Bird Food and I was hooked.  I soon had a new vocab - quinoa, kale, HIIT, rice malt syrup and my Google reader feed kept expanding.  I have bookmarked, pinned, screen saved and pocketed many recipes since but one I keep coming back to is one of the first I ever cooked.  Convinced by the extremely good feedback (5 stars and 217 reviews!!) I adapted this recipe.  It is a recipe that is considered pretty healthy by me and very tasty by my husband - a perfect baking compromise. 

I make a few healthy tweaks to reduce sugar and saturated fat content and to add some good fat and I don't think the taste is affected at all!  I double the recipe (except for the sugar) as my husband likes to eat, a lot! 

The recipe is really flexible.  I've used dark, milk and white chocolate.  I use whatever nuts are in the cupboard - macadamias when I'm feeling generous, usually almonds and sometimes peanuts.  It can easily be nut free, I've used cranberries, sultanas and dried apricots as substitutes.  Use whatever oil you feel good about picking up.  I've used canola, macadamia, grape seed and sunflower, probably avoid olive oil as it might be a little strong.

HEALTHY OAT-CHOC SLICE 

1 cup wholemeal plain flour

 1 cup wholemeal self-raising flour

2 cups traditional rolled oats

1 1/3 cups desiccated coconut

2/3 - 1 cup brown sugar*

1 cup roughly chopped almonds (or any other nut of your choice)

1 cup choc bits

125g canola oil

125g cooked apple sauce**

2 eggs, lightly whisked

1-2 Tbsp honey/rice malt syrup

1. Preheat oven to 180°C. Spray a slab pan with cooking spray to lightly grease. Line the base and 2 opposite long sides with non-stick baking paper, allowing it to overhang.
2. Combine flours into a bowl. Add the oats, coconut, sugar, almonds and choc bits, and stir to combine. Make a well in the centre and add the canola oil, apple sauce and eggs. Use a wooden spoon to stir until well combined. Spoon mixture into prepared pan and use the back of a spoon to smooth the surface.
3. Bake in preheated oven for 20 minutes or until golden brown and firm to the touch. Remove from oven and set aside to cool completely. Cut into squares to serve.

* I halve the sugar content and think it is sweet enough - you may wish to add more.  I have also used Xylitol and it works well, just follow directions on packet as to how much to use.

** I make my own - core and chop apples, microwave and use stick blender to make into sauce.  Leave skins on to increase fibre.

Happy baking!

Keep Smiling

Dan xx