Peanut Butter Energy Bars

Inspired By

Sharmis Passions


Ingredients:

Oats - 1/2 cup

Cornflakes - 1/4 cup

Honey - 3 tbsp

Peanut Butter - 2 tbsp (Click for recipe of Homemade Peanut Butter)

Unsalted Butter - 2 tsp

Brown Sugar - 2 tsp

Water - 2 tsp

Dry Fruits and Nuts (chopped) - 1/3 cup (I used cashews, almonds, peanuts, figs, candied ginger, dried grapes)


Procedure:

1. Dry roast oats, cornflakes, dry fruits and nuts in a deep pan until the oats turns light brown and nice aroma of it comes.  Keep aside.

2.  In the same pan, melt butter.  Add honey, peanut butter, sugar, and water.  Bring to a boil.

3.  Add the roasted oats mixture to this and mix well until combined together.  Check if the honey-peanut butter mixture is coated on all of the oats mixture.

4.  Line a tray with butter paper.  Transfer and spread the mixture immediately on the butter paper to 1/4 inch thickness with a wooden ladle.  Straighten the edges with the ladle and make it into a square or a rectangle.  Gently press all over with the ladle to make it intact.  Allow to cool for 5 minutes. Cut into rectangular bars.

5.  Bake in a preheated oven at 180 degrees C for 5 to 7 minutes.  This step is purely optional.  When baked, it gives crispiness and crunchiness to the bars.  You can leave this step, yet the energy bars taste good.

5.  Cool and store in airtight containers.

These are crunchy, chewy energy bars loaded with all the healthy ingredients and give instant energy.  A good alternative to other sweet treats that are not so good for your health.

Usually, I pack and carry these bars when I travel.  A great snack to munch on-the-go that would not affect your tummy.  No hazards of the white sugar too.  A real energy booster to have it handy.

Eggless Multigrain Banana and Mixed Nuts Cake

Adapted From:

My Culinary Experiments

Ingredients:

Ripe or Over Ripe Bananas - 4 medium sized (300 gm)

Granulated Sugar - 3/4 cups

Vanilla Extract - 1 tsp

Vegetable Oil - 1/2 cup plus 2 tbsp

Multigrain Atta - 1 cup

All Purpose Flour - 1/2 cup

Cornflour - 1/2 tbsp

Salt - 1 pinch

Baking Powder - 1 tsp

Milk - 2 tbsp

Baking Soda - 1/2 tsp

Vinegar - 1 tbsp

Mixed chopped Nuts (pista, badam, walnuts, cashews) - 1/4 cup

Dark Chocolate Chips - A handful

Method:

1.  Preheat oven to 180 degrees C for 10 minutes.

2.  Grease an 8 inch baking pan on the bottom and all sides with butter and line the base with a disc of butter paper or parchment paper.

3.  Peel skin of bananas and mash nicely without any lumps.

4.  Sieve together the flours, baking powder, corn flour, and salt, preferably 2 to 3 times to make the cake fluffier and aerated.  Keep aside.

5.  In a mixing bowl, add mashed bananas and the oil.  Whisk well together.

6.  Add the sugar and vanilla extract.  Whisk until the sugar is dissolved and well combined.

7.  Add the sifted flour little by little and fold the mixture gently.  Do not whip or vigorously mix.

8.  Pour the milk and fold gently.

9.  Add the chopped nuts and fold gently.

10.  Mix baking soda and vinegar in a small bowl and allow it to foam.  Add this quickly to the cake batter and fold into the cake batter.  The batter will be thick.  Sprinkle the nuts and chocolate chips over it and press slightly with the spatula.

11.  Pour the cake batter into the greased cake tin and spread evenly with a spatula working very gently.  Also, give a gentle tap to release air bubbles if any.  Bake at 180 degrees C for 30 to 35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean.

12.  Allow the cake to cool in the tin for 5 to 10 minutes.  Carefully remove from the tin and flip onto a wire rack.  Peel off the parchment paper and allow the cake to cool down completely and then store in an airtight container.

The cake when done was really soft and sweet with the good flavor of the bananas.  I used ripe robusta bananas for this cake.  I cut the cake into small bite sized pieces for easy use.


Notes:

Cracks may appear on the top of this cake which is quite common, not to panic.  If the cake is becoming very dark, cover the top with aluminium foil.  The baking time and temperature may vary from oven to oven.