Hubby's work mates are shocked to see him take things like fruit, raw veggies, nuts seeds and dried fruit, home made snacks, salads, big meat and veggie filled sandwich's and left overs all washed down with water, every day of the week.
They eat pies and chips and sugar filled snack food generally aimed at children all washed down with soft drink and give hubby heaps about his "weird rabbit food" and "bird seed bars" that he "picked up at the pet store".
So Bird Seed Bars is what we call them.
These are great in the lunch box and make a great breakfast on the run. You can vary the nuts, seeds and fruit to what is cheap seasonal and you have in the pantry.
You will need a 20cm x 30cm shallow tray, lamington or the like ( I use a roasting tin), a large bowl and a medium size sauce pan.
250gm unsalted butter
2/3 cup packed brown sugar
1/3 cup honey
3 cups rolled oats
1 cup self raising flour
1 cup sultanas
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1/2 cup pepita's
1/2 cup sesame seeds
1/2 cup sunflower seeds
1 cup of chopped almond (I usually measure a mounded cup of whole almonds and then blitz them in the food processor)
Preheat you oven to 180 and line your baking tray with baking paper allowing about 2 cm extra on each side so you can lift it out, a spray with cooking spray will help keep the baking paper down.
Measure all of you fruit, seeds, oats, nuts into a large bowl. Add the flour and stir til combined.
In your sauce pan melt together the butter, sugar and honey until the sugar has dissolved. Don't let the mix boil it just needs to be melted together with the sugar dissolved. Pour over the dry ingredients and mix till well combined and there are no traces of flour. Tip into your lined tin and press down evenly and firmly. This is best done with the back of a metal spoon and by pressing down really firmly you will ensure the mix stays together when you cut it.
Bake for 30 minutes and let cool in the tin. Only once it is completely cold lift it out of the tin and cut into bars. I get 20 bars from each batch but the size is up to you.
Wow, they look tasty!
ReplyDeleteThese look great. I love a snack that is quite filling so these would do the trick. So many that you buy in supermarkets are full of fillers that they lack real substance. Yum.
ReplyDeleteThey look terrific!
ReplyDeleteMy roasted brown rice green tea is often referred to as 'pond scum' by sad colleagues!! Must make the bird seed bars to go alongside :)
This looks like a great recipe that I am going to have to try really soon. I think that they would make fantastic portable breakfast bars to eat on the go :)
ReplyDelete