Nigella's Breakfast Bars
Nigella's Breakfast Bars
(Adapted slightly)ingredients
2-8oz cans sweetened condensed milk (original recipe calls for 1-14oz can) *My note: I recently tried these with Eagle Brand™ condensed milk and really enjoyed them more that just generic condensed milk. Eagle Brand is also available in low and no fat varieties.
3 cups old-fashioned rolled oats (not instant) (original recipe calls for 2-1/2 cups)
1 cup shredded or flaked coconut
1 cup dried cranberries (or other dried fruit)
1 cup unsalted pumpkin seeds (or other seeds)
1 cup natural unsalted almonds (or other nuts) (original recipe calls for peanuts)
method
1. Preheat the oven to 250 degrees and oil a 9- x 13-inch baking pan or just use a disposable aluminum foil one.
2. Warm the condensed milk in a large pan.
3. Meanwhile, mix all the other ingredients together and add the warmed condensed milk, using a rubber spatula to fold and distribute.
4. Spread the mixture into the oiled or foil pan and press down with a spatula or, better still, your hands to make the surface even.
5. Bake for 1 hour, remove, and after about 15 minutes, cut into four across and six down, to make 24 chunky bars. Let cool completely before removing from pan.
Store in a cookie tin. Makes 24 bars.
Updated: I've made these bars a lot of times and recently have started toasting the oats and pumpkin seeds ahead, by placing them on a baking sheet and popping in a 400° F. oven for about 10 minutes (keep an eye on them and remove when they start to slightly colour). Toasting the oats gives them a nice bit of extra flavour.
http://www.fortysomething.ca/2007/12/nigellas_breakfast_bars.php