Banana and Nut Flapjacks

I started making banana flapjacks when I lived in a student house with eight other people. Whenever I was baking there seemed to be a large influx of people, who lived in the house and those who magically appeared from neighbouring houses! This meant that anything I baked disappeared instantly. I did discover however that many of my friends didn't like bananas so this was my recipe for whenever I wanted to actually eat my food.

I love them because they are moist, filling and keep for days in an air tight tin. My friend and I used to keep a box of 'goodies' during exam period and these were always in there.

They are also depression busting wonders. Doctors are not sure whether PCOS causes depression or whether the large number of depressed women with PCOS is due to low self esteem and medical fears over living with a chronic illness. Either way, sometimes you need a pick-me-up. Bananas are high GI for fruits which may make them look terrible for PCOS, but coupled with the slow-energy release of the oats your blood sugar levels will be stabilised. Bananas contain potassium which as we all know from school helps your brain function efficiently, but potassium deficiency has also been linked to depression so a little extra in your diet can help prevent low moods. Whilst only a moderate source, bananas also contain tryptophan which stimulates serotonin production which has a calming effect on your mood. The inclusion of nuts in this recipe will also help to balance your blood sugar levels.

Makes 24

Ingredients
125g margarine (or butter)
50g brown sugar (or fruit sugar)
2 tbsp golden syrup
250g porridge oats
1 large banana, mashed
50g chopped mixed nuts (or your favourite nuts)

1. Heat the oven to 180C, grease a 20cm (8") square sandwich tin.
2. In a pan over a low heat, melt the sugar, margarine and golden syrup together. Remove from the heat.
3. Add the porridge oats, banana and nuts to the syrupy mixture and stir well. The mixture should be sticky and moist, if it is too dry add a small amount of water and stir.
4. Spoon the mixture into the sandwich tin and bake in the oven for around 30mins or until golden brown.
5. As soon as the flapjack is removed from the oven, mark out portions approximately 1" square. Allow to cool fully before removing from the tin.