When the cookie jar is empty

My children seem to have bottomless pits for tummies and are always looking for a snack. I cannot afford to buy snacks, and they are always filled with preservatives, fats and salt, so I like to bake once a week to fill the cookie jar.

I have missed my last two weeks due to an increased workload over this time and my children were complaining when I say: "Eat some fruit!"

Last evening I made two of our favorites: Crunchies and Orange Polenta Cookies.

Crunchies:
Ingredients:
2 cups oats (preferably rolled oats, barley flakes are also nice)
1 cup flour (white or nutty wheat)
1 cup sugar
1 cup coconut
250 g butter (half a block)
1 tablespoon golden syrup
1 teaspoon bicarb.

Optional extras: Add some or all of the following: half a cup fruit cake mix, raisins, seeds (sesame, linseed, sunflower, pumpkin), chocolate chips or let your imagination run wild!

Method:
Mix first four ingredients in a bowl. Melt butter and syrup. Add bicarb. Add this mixture to the dry ingredients. Mix well and flatten into a baking tray. The size of the tray depends on how fat you like your crunchies. Smaller tray, fatter crunchies, bigger tray flatter crunchies. Bake at 180 degrees C for about 20 minutes or until golden.

Orange Polenta Cookies: (Jamie Oliver's recipe)
170g polenta
170g sugar
255g butter
100g plain flour
zest of 2 oranges
2 large eggs

Mix dry, add wet and bake teaspoonfuls on a baking sheet covered with wax paper. They should be brown around the edges. Divine with a cup of coffee or hot chocolate.