Show-Offs

A while back I bought a bag of ‘cereal topping’ on offer in Lidl. A mixture of “nutritious milled linseed, cranberries, blueberries etc.” I wondered if I could use it in ways other than sprinkling on my porridge or yogurt, and found one or two muesli bar recipes. I adapted these and made my own bars. It used up the honey at the bottom of the jar, and some leftover dried fruits too.

• 175g butter
• zest of 1 orange
• 120g demerara sugar
• 3tbsp honey
• 250 porridge oats
• 2tbsp plain flour
• 150g mixed dried fruit [I used sultanas, apricots, cranberries]
• 50g mixed seeds

1. Heat the oven to 160ºC [fan] Line a baking tray [27 x19cm] with parchment paper
2. Melt the first four ingredients gently in a large pan
3. Mix the next four together, then tip into pan and stir well till all is evenly coated.
4. Turn into turn, flatten out evenly, bake for 20 minutes, until golden at the edges, but slightly soft in the centre. Leave too cool in tin- mark into 15 bars whilst still warm.
5. If you like, warm 1tbsp honey and brush over surface of the bars in  the tin as they cool. Leave for 5 minutes, turn out, and cut into bars.

The amount of honey/sugar/butter seems a little high. I may tweak this a bit next time  [I realise you need a certain amount to make the dry ingredients stick together. I have stored mine in an airtight container. I wrapped some in parchment for our Wimborne Picnic.

Bob declared them to be very good, and he admired the professional wrapping. Therefore I have decided to rename these home-made muesli bars Show-Offs, to remind me of the ingredients –

Sugar, Honey, Orange zest, Warm butter,

Oats, Fruit, Flour, Seeds.