Glorious (Sugar-Free) Granola Bars

I was forced to come to terms with the fact that granola is basically just bits of biscuit in bowl or bar form when I read Marian Keyes’ new novel The Woman Whol Stole My Life as part of a (soon to be published) book review for Stylist. When the narrator casually dropped in this poignant point I put the book down on my lap and stared into space for several minutes, mourning the loss of my dilusional healthy lifestyle. ‘But surely granola and yoghurt is better than a bowl of Coco Pops?’ I wanted to cry. But didn’t, as suddenly I wasn’t so sure.

And so I set upon searching for a healthy vesion for granola, without sugar or butter. One I could eat smugly with dried fruit packed in for extra fruit points (no brownie points allowed here). Having experimented with several different options, this peanut butter version was my favourite, and you can make it as gooey or crunchy as you like by adjusting the amount of honey/peanut butter to dried ingredients ratio (these ones are on the crunchy side).

Glorious (Sugar-Free) Granola Bars

Ingredients

200g Rolled Oats
1 Jar Honey (approx. 340g)
1 Jar Smooth Peanut Butter (approx. 340g)
50g Raisins
100g Whole Peanuts (Crushed)
50g Mixed Seeds (Sesame, Golden Linseed, Sunflower and Pumpkin Seeds)
(Optional: dried dates; dried apricots – sliced)
 

Preheat the oven to 175C.

Start by melting the peanut butter. Scrape the contents of one jar (yes, these really are best if the whole jar goes in) into a small saucepan and melt over a gentle heat, stirring occasionally.

While the peanut butter is melting combine the dry ingredients (the oats, raisins, crushed peanuts and seeds).

Once the peanut butter is melted add to the dry mixture together with the jar of honey. Stir all of the ingredients together until well combined.

Tip the mixture into a baking tray lined with baking parchment and press down so that it fills any gaps. Bake for 30 – 40 minutes (until lightly golden, or even a bit brown, on top).

Remove from the oven and allow to cool before slicing into bars with a sharp knife.

 

Yoghurt and Blueberry Pancakes

Like Harry and Sally, salt and caramel, and popcorn and the movies, there are many things that go together in this life so well that they should hardly ever be separated. And blueberries and pancakes are one of them.

I was first introduced to this magical combination by my aunt in America many years ago. As I helped her stir the thick, cloying batter, and drop handfuls of plump round blueberries into the mixture, I was sold almost immediately. And when I took my first bite of the warm pancakes dotted with sweet purple explosions and drizzled in sticky maple syrup, the deal was done.

This recipe is a slight variation on the classic American Blueberry Pancake as the batter is made with yoghurt, which, like frozen yoghurt versus ice cream, adds a note of bitterness that plays beautifully against the sweetness of the blueberries (and whichever topping you choose to add).

This version is very much based on Mary Cadogan’s No Weigh Cinnamon and Yoghurt Pancakes recipe, with just some small tweaks (and of course the addition of blueberries).

Yoghurt and Blueberry Pancakes

Ingredients

75g Blueberries
125g Plain Flour
1tbsp Demerara Sugar
1 tsp Cinnamon
125g Natural Yoghurt
1 Egg
1 tbsp Milk
Knob of Butter
Maple Syrup to Serve

Serves 4 – Makes approx 12 small, but perfectly formed, pancakes

Start by whisking together the flour, sugar and cinnamon, and set aside. Next whisk up the egg, gradually adding the yoghurt and milk.

Add the yoghurt mixture to the flour mixture and stir until the batter comes together. Drop in the blueberries and mix in until they’re evenly distributed.

Put a frying pan on the hob at a medium heat and add the butter, moving the pan around until the melted butter covers its surface. Use a piece of kitchen paper to wipe out the butter so only a thin film is left.

Spoon three dollops of mixture onto the pan, leaving space between each one, and flip over with a spatula once cooked on the bottom. Repeat until all the mixture has been used up. Serve with maple syrup or a handful of fresh blueberries and runny honey.

Blissful Breakfast Bircher

From seasonal fruit salads to yoghurt and granola, breakfast in summertime is a colourful affair. And while I love sunny morning breakfasts, there’s something about the comfort of a hot bowl of porridge that can’t quite be recreated in the warmer months. And that’s why, from time to time, I need bircher muesli. As porridge’s cooler summer cousin it’s comforting, yet still light and refreshing, and is easy to make.

This recipe is based on an article by Claire Thomson that appeared on The Guardian. My version uses a bit less yoghurt than Claire’s (you can do this by taste, stirring in heavy spoonfulls until it looks, and tastes, about right). And I add sultanas at the same time as the apple juice; they soak up the juice becoming wonderfully plump and juicy.

However, this is a recipe that can certainly be adapted in a thousand more ways, adding cinnamon and stewed apple for an autumnal hit, or blackberries for a taste of August. And instead of grated apple and sultanas, a heap of summer strawberries or raspberries would make for a lovely addition as well.

I tend to use this recipe when I want to make a batch to take with me to work during the week, leaving out the yoghurt and grated apple until just before serving. And the great thing about it is that I can usually make it with ingredients I already have in my fridge and cupboards.

To ensure your blissful bircher is ready for breakfast time in the morning, I find it works best to soak the oats and sultanas overnight. But if you have more willpower than me, and can handle the wait, 2 to 3 hours will work as well. This recipe makes around 4 servings.

Blissful Breakfast Bircher

Ingredients (Serves 4)

200g Rolled Oats

400g Apple Juice (good quality)

1 Large Apple

75g Plain Yoghurt (or Goats Yoghurt)

75g Sultanas

Tip the oats and sultanas into a bowl and pour over the apple juice, giving the mixture a quick stir. As this is a simple recipe, the quality of the ingredients really shines out, and so it’s worth investing in a good quality or organic apple juice, as concentrate will make the muesli too sickly sweet.

Cover the bowl and leave to soak in the fridge for at least a couple of hours.

Remove the mixture from the fridge just before serving and spoon in the yoghurt (I like goats yoghurt as its tartness plays nicely against the sweetness of the sultanas and apple, but cows or sheeps yoghurt is delicious too). Stir to combine all the ingredients.

Serve with the apple grated on top, and enjoy with the Sunday papers.