Happy Thursday afternoon!

Thursdays are always good days to celebrate with something sweet and a cup of tea (which I happen to be doing right now...good english breakfast tea after my lecture, with a toasted hot cross bun for good measure ;)...they mean the weekend is nearly here! 

This weekend is especially exciting for me as I am jetting off to the (hopefully) warmer climate of Lyon, to visit my friend (and bridesmaid). Looking forward to lazy days, wine, and above all, the sweet treats I can find in the patisseries...I may even allow myself a few sugary treats over the next few days!

Last weekend, however, my sister came to visit! She is an incredible baker, and seems to just 'whip up' ingenious delicious and scrummy goods, whilst staying unbelievably tiny. She was horrified at the thought that I've given up sugar (for a longer time than I care to share) and came up with the most delicious treats for me, which I just HAD to share!

Sugar-free Sultanas Cookies

This truly is a sugar-free treat that you cannot miss out on!

If you don't like sultanas though...I'm afraid you'll have to look elsewhere ;) (but you can get them super cheap at Morrisons) and...I know sultanas/raisins have a lot of sugar in themselves, but I'm not giving up fruit too, that would be pretty boring!

This is a very 'improvised recipe', so add what ingredients you do have, and keep adding stuff until you think they look like they've got a soft consistency...

You'll need:

75g butter (salted)

a lot of sultanas/raisins

a few slices of banana

A few drops vanilla essence

40g oats

90g self-raising flour

First things first, mix together a handful of sultanas (75g) with the butter, using a hand-liquidiser thing. This may sound odd, but it gives the butter a sweet taste.

Then mix in the banana so it's a puree. 

Add the oats and mix in the rest of the sultanas. Don't liquidise these ones!

Then add the flour, don't be tempted to add too much flour because more flour means tougher cookies, and you want them nice and soft!

Make sure it is quite sticky and uncomfortable to roll in your hand.

Spoon out onto greaseproof paper on a baking tray and make round 'mounds' of them.

Bake at 180*C, for around 15-20 mins, keep an eye on them!

They are incredible eaten warm, so either eat them straight from the oven, or if you've managed to save some, pop them in the microwave for 50 seconds. 

They are delicious on their own, or, as I have recently discovered, even more incredible smothered in whipped cream...go on, give it a try!

I would even choose to eat these many a time over a chocolate cookie (and that is saying something!)

Have you got any ingenious sugar free treats you'd like to share with us?

With all my love, Sophie x

P.S. Did you see that rose I just 'snuck' in to my last pic....couldn't resist, my (fiance) got it for valentines...most beautiful thing ever! Did you get anything fun/pretty/funny/romantic?