I want to make homemade cereal bars for ds's - any recipes?

[schneebly]

That is it really! Any input appreciated.

Hmmmmm...I often thought I would go down this road but alas never had any success. The ingredients have to be of premium freshness as if any of your grains are a bit stale it stuffs up the mix, also the honey you use has to be of the right type or it all goes too sugar crystally hard, and once you have made a batch they are difficult to store as they can dry out or go gooey if not individually wrapped.

Best of luck though and I 'm sure someone who is a) smarter than me or b) less of a perfectionist will have some cracking recipes up their sleeve soon

ooo - sounds more difficult that I had anticipated! Thanks anyway suzy!

well dont' get me wrong, you could do it certainly
I just think this is one particular item that Jordans et al have got off to a tee, and as I say I think it is the storing and sugar/suryp/honey element that is a realy science and tricky to replicate in the domestic kitchen.

However, I throw down a guantlet! Let the Science Lot and the Domestic Goddesses come up with a foolproof, storable, always fresh and just right texture - neither jawbreaker nor unctuous and sickly. Let the Games Begin! Mwuahhhhhhhh

What about flapjacks?

Poor substitute?

how long would a flapjack keep not in the fridge, anyone know?

We have kept them in an airtight box for several days. They are eaten very quickly though!

I suppose they are similar to what I had in mind - was looking to use oats, dried fruit and maybe sunflower seeds - could you do a flapjack with those in?

Definitely. Sounds yummy!

Do you have a flapkjack recipe?

yes, I think a recipe is what we are lacking right now. We have the theory down pat.

Oh I have a recipe somewhere, will go and hunt...

Surely, surely Annabel Karmel has a recipe? I am going to look.

Flapjacks?Flapjacks?
WHY didn't you say so! I thought you wanted to replicate those brittle cereal bars in all different varieties that come wrapped individually

Flapjacks are a piece of wee!

Melt
125g butter
100g caster sugar
3 dessert spoons of golden syrup
1 dessert spoon of condensed milk

in a large bowl mix
200g of porridge oats
1 tablespoon of sesame seeds
1 tablespoon of poppy seeds
2 tablespoons of chopped nuts
a little vanilla essence
pinch of salt

make a well in the centre and mix in the wet indredients

Line a tine with baking parchment and bake in a medium oven 160 degrees C or GM4 for 25 minutes

NOTE: You will have to have a few trial runs with your oven. The aim is to have the mixture set but not caramelising on the edges or it will be too hard once cold.

Once you've got it sussed you could substitute some of the syrup for molasses to increase iron content, add some dried fruit and other seeds.

4 cups oats
3 to 4 cups chopped (or food processed) raisins or other dried fruit
1 cup creamed coconut
1 cup sunflower oil
1/2 cup concentrated apple and blackcurrant juice (Cow and Gate or similar)

Mix all in a bowl, heating coconut gently in a saucepan first if it is solid. Place in oven proof dish and cook at 180 C for 5 to 10 mins or until light golden brown colour. Leave to cool slightly then press very firmly into an ice cube tray or similar mould. Refigerate until set.

They end up rather crumbly so if anyone can suggest a better cooking / setting method I would be interested to know it. It's a method I made up myself nicked from the ingredients on the Organix packets, and it is quite yummy. The above amounts makes loads but you can scale it down as required.

oooh thanks - am liking the sound of those!

Chewy apricot and chocolate (! )cereal bars by AK

150g rolled oats
50g rice krispies
100 g chopped dried apricots
60 g chopped pecans
100g unsalted butter
125g olden syrup
85g white or plains choc cut in pieces

Combine dry ingredients.
Melt butter, syrup and chocolate together in pan
when melted stgir in dry stuff.
Press into greased tin and leave to set in fridge then cut into bars. Store in fridge.

So that's a no-cook one, I wonder how well they hold together?

F&Z I have found it's the condensed milk that sets them but that wouldn't suit Vegans. Maybe some liquid glucose/glycerine?

Forgot to add you should mark them in to slices with a knife while still in the tin, say 10 minutes after they come out of the oven. Then lift then out on the baking parchment when cool. Keep wrapped in the bakingparchment and store in airtight container.

Thanks very much you guys - am going to have fun with all this lot!

I am not vegan, Suzy, but have aspirations to Food Nazihood. I am not sure if condensed milk can sneak under my radar unless I am pre-menstrual :)

"olden syrup" is of course golden syrup that's been in the cupboard for a while.

I was going to point that our wilbur 'cos it made me laugh - ours has indeed been in there a while!

franny and zoey you have solved my every problem! I was just going to post looking for a recipe and there yours was!

i spent an hour on the weekend surfing looking for recipes and I knew I should have asked mn first

delias apricot oat bars are good

oh really, where are they?