Granola Bars

Normally the granola bar is seen as the boring cousin of the flapjack. Dry and often tasteless, I’ll be the first to admit that I’d side with the flapjack if it was pitted against the granola bar in a fight. This may have something to do with a lust for golden syrup that’s rarely sated but the fact that so many granola bars are dry and hard, rather than moist and soft is always a turn off for me. Last week however, I made the mistake of buying an unsatisfactory coconut and after having shoved a quarter of it in a spicy chicken pulao rice dish, I still had three quarters of the soft-fleshy thing left. Always one to rise to a challenge, I went in search of recipes that could tempt me and lo, the granola bar won.

This recipe’s been adapted from an adaption of one by Ina Garten; some skinny healthy person had decided to omit the butter and the sugar, so I promptly put that back along with a few other things and I must say, they’re not half bad! Chewy and moist, packed with fruit, nuts, seeds and some random wheat germ (what on earth are you supposed to do with that stuff anyway?). If you too are in the position of having to deal with a disappointing coconut, then please do give these a try!

Ingredients:

1cups rolled oats

1 ½ cup nuts, roughly chopped (I used a mixture of almonds, walnuts and brazils)

1 ½ cups grated fresh coconut

1 tbsp sesame seeds

½ cup wheatgerm

1 ½ cups dried fruit (I used cranberries and raisins)

¼ tsp salt

¼ cup Demerara sugar

3 tbsps butter, melted

2/3 cup golden syrup (plus 1 tbsp honey)

1 ½ tsp vanilla extract 

Method:

1)      Preheat the oven to 200˚.

2)      On a large baking tray spread out the rolled oats, nuts, fresh coconut and sesame seeds and toast in the oven for 5-7 minutes, stirring occasionally until they become lightly browned.

3)      While you wait for the nuts and oats, gently toast the wheat germ in a pan until crisp and golden.

4)      When the nut mixture is nicely browned, pour this along with the toasted wheat germ into a large mixing bowl.

5)      Stir in the dried fruit, salt and Demerara sugar, before pouring in the melted butter, syrup and vanilla extract. It’s easier to warm the syrup before pouring it in, as this loosens it up.

6)      Stir thoroughly until everything is coated evenly before depositing the mix into a lined baking tray.

7)      Reduce the heat in the oven right down to 150˚ and bake on the middle shelf for 30-35 minutes.

8)      Leave to cool in the tin then cut into bars.