The recipe for these first appeared on page 66 of the February 2005 issue of Sainsbury’s Magazine. I know this because I ripped the page out and have kept it carefully ever since. I have lost count of the number of times I have made these – the recipe has proved reliable as a fresh, tasty and healthy snack for breakfast, lunchboxes, car journeys, filling the gap at half-time at a football match etc.
Servings
Depending on how you cut these, it will make 16 squares or around 20 rectangular bars.
Timings
15 – 20 mins preparation, plus baking time 25 mins.
You Will Need
- 75g mixed nuts
- 110g margarine
- 75g demerara sugar
- 3 tablespoons golden syrup
- 200g rolled porridge oats
- 75g self-raising flour
- 40g dried cranberries
- 2 medium ripe bananas
- 1 egg
Method
- Spread the nuts across a baking tray and toast in the oven at 180C for 5 mins.
- While the nuts are toasting, combine margarine, syrup and sugar in a saucepan and heat gently until all have dissolved into a thick paste.
- Remove the nuts from the oven and chop in the food processor with blade fitted. Leave the oven on.
- Combine nuts, flour (sifted), oats and dried cranberries in a bowl.
- In a separate bowl, peel and mash the bananas, and mix in the egg.
- Combine the banana/egg with the oats/flour and give it a good stir. Finally , add in the syrup/sugar paste. Mix well so that there is no dry flour and all the oats are covered in the brown syrupy paste.
- Tip the combined mixture into a traybake tin. The one I use is 20cm square, but it also works with a rectangular tin measuring 25cm x 16cm ( I have made both with these ingredients).
- Bake in the oven, still at 180C, for 25 mins.
- Remove and leave to cool in the tin. Once cool, invert it on to a chopping board, then carefully invert it back again on to another board. You can then chop it into rectangular bars or squares, as you wish. These will keep in a tin for up to 3 – 4 days, though they are usually all gone well before that!
A Different Kitchen 