PBJ cookies:

3 tbsp sunflower oil

2 tbsp sugar

1 egg

2 heaped tbsp peanut butter

8 heaped tbsp self raising flour

Preheat the oven to 180C and lightly grease a baking sheet in preparation. Mix the oil and sugar together in a mixing bowl with a wooden spoon until well combined. Add the egg yolk and the peanut butter, and mix until the peanut butter is evenly distributed through the mixture. Spoon in the flour and stir to make a soft dough.

With lightly floured hands, break off a walnut-sized piece of dough. Place on the prepared baking sheet and flatten slightly with a fork. Repeat with the rest of the dough. Using your thumb, or a teaspoon, make a deep well in the centre of each flattened ball of dough – the cookies will flatten and spread out slightly as they cook, so don’t be afraid to dig in. Melt the jam slightly in a microwave for 30 seconds on a low setting, then spoon a little into the centre of each cookie. Bake in the centre of the preheated oven for 10-12 minutes, or until golden.

  
Jam Tarts:

50ml sunflower oil

120g plain flour

1 tbsp cold water

6 tbsp jam

Preheat the oven to 180C and pop a tablespoon or wooden spoon into the freezer. Lightly grease a 6 cup muffin tray and set to one side.

Pour the oil into a large mixing bowl. Add a little flour and mix well to form a paste. Add more flour and repeat, and repeat until all the flour has been incorporated.

Add a tablespoon of cold water, remove the spoon from the freezer and use it to mix the dough together. Repeat if required.

Briefly knead the dough on a floured worktop and press or roll out until approximately 0.5cm thick. (I don’t usually use a rolling pin, I find that a bottle or my palms work just fine.) Using a pastry cutter or a tea cup, cut circles from the pastry that are slightly bigger than the muffin cups.

One at a time, gently press a pastry circle into each cup of the muffin tray. Repeat until all the dough is used up. Pop a heaped tablespoon of jam into each pastry case, being careful to only fill two-thirds full, as the jam will bubble and spill when cooked.

Bake in the centre of the oven for 12 minutes, or until golden brown. Remove and allow to cool before serving.

BANNOCK BISCUITS WITH CHEESE OR JAM:

3 tbsp oil, plus a little extra for greasing

a splash of water

120g oats

flour, for dusting

Pour the oats into a blender and blast until they are really ground down. Tip into a mixing bowl with a pinch of salt and add the oil. Mix quickly and firmly to form a stiff, sticky something like dough, adding the water if needed. Cover and leave to one side for 30 minutes for the oats to absorb the liquid and soften. Preheat the oven to 180C (another one that is handy to make while the oven is on for something else). Then dust a work surface with flour and pat the dough out to flatten and shape. I use my hands for this, to press the oats together, slapping it down gently with my palms and fingertips until less than 5mm thick. Use a cookie cutter or mug to cut into circles – as large or as small as you please. Grease a baking tray. Lay the bannocks on top, with a little space between each, and pop into the centre of the oven for 20 minutes, turning over halfway through. Allow to cool and harden before eating, with cheese, peanut butter or jam.
FRUIT:

From the shopping list, you will have extra fruit kicking around for snacks: apples, pears, sultanas, berries and bananas!
JUICE:

To make a simple lemon juice, heat 250ml water in a saucepan with 200g sugar. Bring to a medium heat – not boiling – then reduce to a low heat, and stir to make a simple, runny, syrup until the sugar has dissolved. Remove from the heat and stir in 100ml lemon juice with a little more water. Allow to cool and transfer to a bottle or jar, store in the fridge, and dilute to taste, shaking gently before opening as contents may settle. I find that when I make my own juice – and see just how much sugar goes into it – I drink less of it and give less to my son… It was worth the effort as a wakeup call, even if I never do it again…
You can follow me on Twitter @DrJackMonroe and Instagram @MxJackMonroe

Jack Monroe. November 2015.